File 2869/1906 Pt 2 'Arms traffic: Mekran Coast and Baluchistan. Correspondence (1908-9)' [‎77r] (162/554)

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Extract from the Diary of the British representative at Kandahar for the week ending the 8th
November 1908.
1 ba PPT d ^ meet a s ™ple Pathan in the big earayaa-
serai out of the Bardurrani gate. The man had two rifles with him one a
^ German made Martini-Henry (locally called Nawai) and another, a smalh
barrelled breech-loader, locally called Sultani. He said that the rifles were
given him to sell by one of the caravan men, who had brought the fire-arms
from Maskat side last summer; that nobody was going to purchase them
although the prices were much reduced. It is said that the gumrunnino-
kafilas have been much discouraged this time. They could not dispose of their
rifles as they expected. Those who went into the country to sell their lot also
met with disappointment. The loss of 1,500 rifles that were captured in a
dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. near Jask by His Majesty’s Ship Proserpine, the immediate despatch of
troops to Robat to intercept the caravans who, though not intercepted and
encountered, came, however, to know of the arrival ^ of troops, and their en
counter with Persian detachments, specially their fight with the Persian cavalry
at Rigan, aie facts which apparently add much to their discouragement
From what I inferred from the short, but useful, conversation which I made at
random and quite uninterestedly with that simple Pathan about the disappoint
ment of the gun-runners in ^ disposing of their rifles which they bring at the
risk oi rather joss of their lives, and from the other facts mentioned above, it
can be hoped that the gun-runner Afghans will hesitate to start again or to
start so soon again in large numbers on such expeditions, unless they receive
a fresh and prompt encouragen ent from the Afghan Government.
No. 1462, dated Hyacinth at Calcutta, the 10th (received 14th) December 1908 (Confidential).
From—His Excellency KEAR-AnMiEiL Sir G. Warrender, Bart., C.B., C.Y.O.,
A.D.C., Commander-m-Chief, His Britannic Majesty's Ships and Vessels’
East Indies Squadron,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign Department.
In reply to your telegram, S.-690, of 27th ultimo, be pleased to acquaint
His Excellency the Viceroy and Governor-General in Council that at present
I have three ships in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and lam afraid I shall very soon be
forced to withdraw one of them, the Perseus as her boilers will shortly
requite considerable repair. Unless the Home Government release the Fox
anti. Proserpine from the blockade of the VVarsangli Coast I shall have no vessel
to replace the Perseus. The ships in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. will then be
reduced to two. Should a vessel be required in the Shat-el-Arab until the
end of January, as indicated by Major Cox, there would be only one ship
available for the Mekran Coast and any other services required in the Gulf.
2. Should the Government of India require an effective blockade,
I should require seven ships, five being always on the Mekran Coast, and in
that case application would require to be made to the Home Government.
3. I am quite in accord with the employment of Persian launches if they
are available, but I would remind the Indian Government that even after
they are obtained, which would probably not be for some considerable time
after negotiations with the Persian Government had begun, their engines
would probably require some overhaul before they were fit for service.
4. On the question of employing more effective measures at once, or
pursuing a policy of watching only in view of an early favourable result of the
Brussels Conference, I feel sure that it is very well known both by the
importers of arms and also by the Afghans that such a Conference is sitting.
The Arms Traffic is probably receiving this season a renewed stimulus to
activity, and unless the safety of the Telegraph officials and line demand a
policy of non-intervention, I am of opinion that even with the small naval
force available we should display as much activity as possible in checking the
traffic.