Letter No.1167 of 1870 from Colonel William Lockyer Merewether, The Commissioner in Sind, Kurrachee [Karāchi] to Colonel Robert Phayre, Political Superintendent, Frontier Upper Sind [‎123r] (1/2)

No. 521 OF 1870.
P olitical D epartment.
From,
T he C ommissioner in Sim
To,
The Political Superintendent,
Upper Sind Frontier.
Commissioner s Office,
Kurrachee, 2Srd August 1870.
Sir,
I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 1167, of the l7tlt
instant. The subject of the Khan of Khelat's communications with the Sirdars Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division.
of Seistan was disposed of by me in my letter of yesterday, and as your
letter under reply only contains a eontinuation' of the very unnecessary sus
picions and surmises formed by you, with reference to proceedings at Khelat,
on which I have already quite sufficiently commented, I need not discuss them
further. The reply stated in the latter part of Captain Harrison's Diary for
Monday, the 11th, to have been given by the Khan to the Seistan Sirdars Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. ,
should have been sufficient to convince you of the unfounded nature of the
impressions you had formed,, and should have deterreil you from writing in the
manner you have in the letter under reply.
2. The circumstances referred to by General Jacob, in the words quoted
by you, are very different to the present ones. The paragraph should be read
in connection with the following ones, wherein it is shown that General Jacoh*
alluded to the traitorous proceedings of the Wuzzeer, Mahomed Hussan, who
had been secretly thwarting the former's efforts in hopes of getting the Khan
into bad odour. General Jacob was then using his best efforts to support
the Khan, Meer Nusseer Khan, and to promote a strong Government. You
are really acting in opposition to the Khan, and complain of being thwarted
by him and his officials !
8. There is very much of the greatest value in the old records of the
Frontier of Upper Sind, but unless statements or opinions therein found
are taken as parts of the whole, and not merely picked out, because they seem
to confirm a preconceived idea, they are very apt to mislead. The quotation
of a fragment, without explanation as to* what called it forth, may lead to a
very wrong application.
1 have the honor to be.
Sir,
Your most obedient servant,.
W. K MEREWETHEK, Colonel,
Commissioner in Sind.
A.