Letter No.552 of 1870 from Colonel William Lockyer Merewether, Commissioner in Sind, Kurrachee [Karāchi] to the Government at Bombay [‎148r] (2/3)

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3, That assertion was Imod entirely on assumption, and on tlie way you
chose to read passing events. In my remarks on " your statement of affairs,"
the causes of the Khan's remaining at Khelat were shown to be ver}^ simple,
and his doing so decidedly judicious. The repetition of such a charge, is I
consider, very unsuitable, and indicative of a most unfriendly feeling towards
His Highness, which I regret to observe, and which, as long as you continue to
hold, renders it utterly impossible that relations between the British Govern
ment and the ruler of Khelat can be in either a satisfactory or desirable state.
Such feeling being strictly contrary to the instructions given you for your
guidance, I must desire that you will use every effort to check its continuance,
and that you will cease to attribute to His Highness the Khan motives, when
you have only your own suppositions to support the statement.
3. The circumstances of the Jamote affair were not at all as stated by
you on a former occasion. There was no disturbance whatever between the
Khan's troops and the " powerful Jamote tribe." A portion of the tribe—the
Chief was not present—assembled near Bayla ostensibly in behalf of the fugi
tive ex-Jam. The Khan's Governor of Beyla promptly went to the spot, and
the Jamotes dispersed without any hostile act whatever. This was such
a trivial matter, especially in a District newly taken possession of, that it
might well be passed over without any report being made on the subject. Since
then I observe His Highness has directed that anything, however trivial, should
be reported.
4. It is a most unsatisfactory state of affairs, and one highly prejudicial to
the interests of Government, when you devote so much of your time, and take
up that of others, by your desire to pull to pieces the reports of the Officer
serving immediately under you at the Court of Khelat, instead of accepting
those reports as the result of the earnest purpose of that Officer to carry out the
important duties entrusted to him.
5. Your 3 last paras, are especially devoted to this object, and because
a trivial emeute occurred some months ago on the part of a portion of the Jamote
tribe near Beyla, you endeavour to point out that Captain Harrison's statement
of the "improved state of affairs" in Beloochistan was incorrect. And again,
because a serious raid by the Murrees was made very recently in Cutchee, you
assign it as a direct proof that Captain Harrison's representation of {C quiet
existing" was wrong, and that such quiet did not rest on any sound basis.
6. Captain Harrison has nowhere stated the quiet, that existed when he
wrote, to be permanent. No one could be so rash as to venture on such a
supposition even. And as regards the Murrees making raids into the plains
adjacent to them, I would point out that this is not to be wondered at, when
the Chiefs of that clan are treated on our side with friendly distinction in
spite _of their repeated^ acts of misconduct towards, and open defiance of,
their ruler. As I said before, it must seem to them as if we were utterly