'From Captain the Honourable G. C. Napier, on Special Duty in Persia, to the Political Secretary, India Office, Westminster, dated London, 30th July 1879' [‎128v] (6/12)

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Persia, and I gathered that the submission of tha Akhal people to
Persia, and the extension of her actual or nominal sovereignty to its
ancient limits on the verge of the Khivan desert, would not be un
favourably regarded by Her Majesty’s Government.
But, in the mean time, the Russian authorities in the Caucasus,
aware of the negotiations in progress, and fully alive to the disadvantages
of any peaceful settlement of the question, organized an expedition
which reached Beurma in the Atak, and gave a serious blow to the
hopes that the Turkomans had formed of protection from. Persia.
While thus entering a very decisive protest against a settlement
likely to interfere with their ulterior designs, the authorities in the
Caucasus would appear to have been unprepared to push Persia to
extremities by urging any territorial claims, or putting a stop to the
negotiations.
These were continued with eagerness and in good faith on the part
of the Turkomans, but the ultimate purpose of Russia was, no
doubt, perceived by or made known to the Persian Minister who had
originated the negotiations, and, hopeless of support and of success, he
gave way to the pressure of the border Chiefs, and allowed them to
resume open hostilities, making but feeble protests, and insincere en
deavours to compensate the plundered Turkomans for their losses.
In spite of such discouragements, however, the Akhal elders, who
attributed the return of the Russians from Beurma to the intervention
of Persia, continued to hope and to restrain in a surprising manner the
more turbulent spirits in the “ obabs,” and at the time of my arrival at
Mashad, in the spring of last year, I found a number of them patiently
awaiting satisfaction from the local Government for the plunder of
one of their caravans by the Kurds.
The action of the Shah’s officers, even at that late date, was incom
patible with the disclaimer of any interest in, or sovereign rights over,
the tribe, which I shortly afterwards learnt had been made by his
Ministers.
On my arrival at Mashad, in April (1878), I saw the Akhal deputation
above mentioned, and Abul Hassan Khan, of Kuchan, with whom they
were staying, and was assured by them of the pacific disposition of the
tribe. They were then prepared to make any sacrifice to escape an
nexation by Russia, and would have accepted any terms imposed on
them.
They invited me to visit them, and attached a most exaggerated
importance to my doing so, believing, in fact, that the limits of my
journey would be also the limits of any Russian advance in their
direction. I promised to visit them after my return from Merve, taking
occasion to explain carefully that my doing so could have none but the
* most remote influence on their fortunes, and advising them to continue
to hold their hands, giving no good grounds of offence to Russia.
There was then still no talk of any Russian expedition from the
“Caspian.
Prom that time till the 5th of May, when I received definite news of
the collection of a Russian force for an attack on the Akhal, I had no
communication with the tribe.
I was then at Sarakhs, and sent off a messenger with letters to the
elders, asking for information, and with orders to bring me back an
accurate account of the disposition and intentions of the tribe.
After many consultations with the Merve elders who were then with
me, I came to the conclusion that a journey through the Atak for the
purposes for which I had been deputed, at a time when invasion was
impending, and the tribe in full preparation to meet it, would be un-
advisable, and could at best only be attended with limited success.
It would be impossible for me, I saw, at such a time to divest
myself of my official character, and any attempt to do so would be likely
to arouse the suspicions of the ignorant tribesmen, very few of whom