'From Captain the Honourable G. C. Napier, on Special Duty in Persia, to the Political Secretary, India Office, Westminster, dated London, 30th July 1879' [‎126v] (2/12)

2
the Khan of Jam, who was carrying on the Persian negotiations with
the Merve Chiefs, arrived on the 2nd of May at Sarakhs.
The deputation had, up to this date, received no unfavourable news
from Merve. I had constant opportunities on the road of learning their
real disposition, and found that they and their party were fully inclined
to a Persian connection, but had some doubts as to their power to induce
the tribe to come to any unanimous decision.
My own journey they found it difficult to understand from their point
of view of our relations with Persia. If I had come to them two years
before, they said, when Shere Ali was on good terms with Yakub, and an
English alliance was possible, I should have found no difficulty, for the
whole tribe was willing to follow the advice of Koushid Khan, and he
was for admitting English Officers and the English flag. Now we had
receded from them and appeared out of reach, and nothing was left,
them hut a choice between submission to Russia and a connection with
the Persians, whom they distrusted and disliked. My appearance, in
evident concert with the Persian authorities, was a new combination
which satisfied the deputation, hut which they said would be difficult
to brin g to the comprehension of their untravelled fellow tribesmen.
On the 4th and 5th of May news came of serious disturbances at
Merve, and on the morning of the 7th, shortly after some members of
the deputation had left me, their caravan was attacked by a plundering
party of the hostile faction.
A desultory fight was carried on for some hours within range of my
rifles, hut the assailants were ultimately beaten off and the caravan
continued its journey.
From that time till the middle of June I remained at Sarakhs, re
ceiving news frequently, and corresponding both with my friends and
the leaders of the hostile faction. I was also visited frequently by
parties from Merve.
The tribe was far more disorganized than the deputation had
supposed, for Nur Virdi Khan, the chief of the Akhal had, came over
from the Atak to push forward his claim to the Chiefship in opposition
to Baba Khan, the son of the deceased chief Koushid Khan.
The subject of my visit was discussed at several meetings of the elders
cf the tribe, and "was very favourably received, especially by the
“ Ishans ’’—the priests of the tribe, and I should, without doubt, even
in the disordered state of the tribe, have had no difficulty in carrying
out mv instructions at once, if Persia had not also been in the field, and
my own friends in the tribe in a manner committed to her. It appeared,
as" the most intelligent members of the deputation had feared, impossible
to explain to the tribe my position as a Persian guest. The majority,
including the priests, would only regard me as an English agent bent
secretly on promoting an alliance with Afghanistan, and were from their
dislike to Persia and the Shiah sect disposed to receive me, hut the
more influential party with whom only I had at first been able to
communicate were, while inclined to favour me, committed to Persia,
from whom they hoped to obtain not only protection, but also access to
the pastures of the Tejjen and the Kelat Atak.
It thus became clear both to me and to the Persian Agent that our
interests were directly opposed, and that either one or the other must
leave the field open.
It was useless, as the Agent expressed it, for any man, referring to the
Chief of the deputation, to attempt to take up t’wo melons in one hand.
Up to this point I had had no cause to complain of the attitude of
the local Government or of my companion. My movements had been
so rapid that the Russian Minister at Teheran had not had time to
exercise any counter influence, and his Consular Agent deputed to
Mashad had not yet left the Caspian coast. But I now found that
adverse influences were at work at Merve with the members of the
deputation most committed to me, and I learnt later that letters had