File 619/1907 Pt 10 'Arms traffic:- Persian Gulf. Prize Money for captures in Persian Gulf.' [‎193r] (390/424)

ing out strong bodies of men on either side the latter masked the levies’ fire by
the heavy fire they brought to bear in return, and under cover of this they rushed
the mouth of the gorge, so far as the dust haze permitted the levies to see, in a
series of detached bodies. A man was heard to cry out, and subsequent reports
tend to show that two Afghans were wounded, one of whom has since succumbed,
and three are missing. In addition to this two or three camels are said to have
been hit by bullets, hollowing the passage of the last detachment Sharbat Khan,
whose men had by this time expended nearly all their ammunition, moved dovn
whh two levies imo the gf rge. Here they came across ttreemen vhom they tock
hr the Robat levies who had come up too late to get into their correct position,
but not too late to take part in the fight. A volley, however, disillusioned them,
and the levies throwing themselves on the ground returned the fire ly shot, with
the eventual result that they put their adversaries to flight. A package con
taining 2,900 rounds of ammunition packed in small boxes bearing the name
of Kynock was picked up in the gorge, and splashes of blood were found which
testified to the fact that the levies’ fire had not been wholly ineffective. Lieu
tenant Tate and his party of infantry reached Chah Muhammad Raza at 2-30 a.m.
27-28, and after two hours’ halt, to rest his men, pressed on to the point where
the Kacha-Garmsel track crosses the Baluch-Afghan frontier, but, beyond finding
some unfired rounds of ammunition and coming across more blood-marks, he
saw no traces of the caravan. The heat on the 27th was excessive: indeed at
midday the thermometer at Robat registered 98 degrees in the shade. -Mr.
Tate’s party covered 62 miles m 22 hours, a feat which I think the Hon’ble
the Agent to the Governor-General, who is personally acquainted with the nature
of this country and its climate, will agree reflects high credit on this officer s
energy and determination and that of the men he commanded. I would
express a hope that Lieutenant Tate’s plucky march in this extreme heat may
be brought under the notice of the military authorities. His disappointment
and that of his men that they arrived too late was keen : but far from thinking
that any blame attaches, I consider that he is deserving of great praise and that
he did all that lay in his power.
3. The following particulars regrrding this caravan are of interest. Its
strength was 200 camels and 80 men, all of whom were armed, and its head
man was a Kharoti Ghilzai named Muhammad Jan. From the enquiries wine
have been made on the Helmand it would appear that Muhammad Jan proceeded
winter to Karachi and from thence to a place the name of which is given
as'being “ Kardan.” Leaving his camels, of which he was then accompanied
bv 120 , at this place he crossed the Gulf to Maskat where the Pychase o the
’as effected From Maskat the rifles were passed across the Gulf, n
tTusual way, being
b, 1 hi, "Vh. Afghan hania,
two Hindus who talked kunjam, ar , . 903 the extension of
and a Syed, name unknown, who was For this latter piece of infor-
the telegraph of the Rnbat detachment who was at Kacha
matron I am indebted to a.epoy oil arrived This sepoy Term used in English to refer to an Indian infantryman. Carries some derogatory connotations as sometimes used as a means of othering and emphasising race, colour, origins, or rank. could not
in charge of ^e garden there when the caravan am . bazaar .
give the Syed’s name, but he said he had often the subject and
‘The Deputy Commissioner, Quetta, has piece of information
efforts are being made to identify hrm Thyn^other^ of ^
which our messenger brought m was a , ed at 'Maskat at very favour-
caravan, viz., that these arms a P which they were indebted to an
able rates owing to pecuniary assis I repeat this story for what it is
Agent of His Majesty the Sultan of Tur y. ^ r ^ h ber i ast year an agent
worth : but I would note that when I w » similar story and that a Muham-
despatched to Kabul came b ] a S ° wa y. interesting itself in this traffic is.