'Journal of a Journey from Persia to India through Herat and Candahar. Also Report of a Journey to the Wahebee Capital of Riyadh in Central Arabia' [‎69v] (138/268)

1*24
from the main road, at points in the vicinity of the well-supphe
plains of Muzenoon, Gubzanur, Nishaipoor and Meshed. The town
of Beergoon, upon which all these branch lines concentre, holds a
site little inferior to that of Herat itself for commercial and mili
tary purposes.
M. Khanikoff was not, I think, so fortunate m carrying out
the second item of his instructions. Sultan Ahmed Khan talked
politics with him, learned from him that Russia had intentions o
extending her direct influence over Khiva, Bokhara, and Turco
mans; promised to go to Teheran to discuss the details of more
intimate politico-commercial relations, received his present, and
sent him on his way to Seistan.
As respects No. 3 instruction, I believe that M. Khanikoff re
ceived a flat refusal from the Dost.
As for No. 4 it is not clear why M. Khanikoff wintered at
Herat. His plea to Sir Henry Rawlinson for so doing was, that he
was overtaken by bad weather ; but if so, the ready and obvious
way of ridding himself of bad weather was to march a few days
southward and find himself in the warm country of Furrah. Again
it is plain that if the weather were bad enough to detain M. Kha-
nikoffs party at Herat it was bad enough to prevent their ascend
ing the hill country. Nevertheless, M. Khanikoff admitted that
he sent a survey party during his stay at Herat along the line of
the upper Hin-road, and that they pierced the mountain tract as
far east as Khooyorkh, on the direct line between Herat and
Caulve,* via Douhet Yar, and the Hazareh territory. It is further
noticeable that by wintering at Herat M. Khanikoff arrived on
the Sabzver and Laush and Ghayn line in the spring, the season
which an army would probably select for arriving at the same
P Finally, for No. 5 item, M. KhanikofPs collections of scientific
facts of archaeological remains, and of geological and botanical
specimens were, I believe, complete and very valuable.
The reports of M. KhanikofPs expenditure have doubtless
been exaggerated. I have carefully collected many statements
* 12 days’ inarch.