‘Seistan’ [‎4v] (8/98)

what goods, such as leather-ware, saddlery, tea, cutlery, etc., would be most
likely to find a ready sale.
9 th iVWmfor.—Halt at Birjand. Amir.ud-din, the agent of Seth Sulai-
man, called and asked me to mention him favourably to the Shaukat-uhMulk
as it would help, and I said I would do so accordingly. He said Armenian
merchants are coming here, and will bring about twenty-five camel-loads of
Russian merchandise, chiefly piece-goods imported to Meshed. There is a
certain amount of trade wfith Herat here. He said that he had no trouble with
the Customs contractor here.
The son of the Deputy Governor of Kain also came; he said that about
200 camel-loads of wool were sent to Bandar Abbas for shipment. This wool
will be almost certainly sent via Seistan now that the road is in good order.
Some wool is also sent to Sabzawar for export to Russia.
Mirza Muhammad Ali Khan, the Postmaster, came to see me. He said
that the Postmastership was not a paying occupation, and that he could not
take it up unless he engaged in trade. He was thinking of abandoning it and
engaging in trade with Quetta, to which place he was thinking of making a
journey. I encouraged him as much as possible in this idea, and urged upon
him the advisability of starting a shop in Meshed and of acting as a forwarding
agent for Persian merchants. Before the Shah left for Europe he sent a proposal
to Tehran for the establishment of a post office in Seistan, but received no
reply. He hoped that now the Shah is returning an answer will be sent. There
js more correspondence here now that the Consulates have been established in
geistan.
While Amir-ud-din, the Agent of Seth Sulaiman, was here, his shop was
robbed by one of the servants of Mirza Muhammad Hussain, the customs
contractor, who lives in the same caravanserai A roadside inn providing accommodation for caravans (groups of travellers). . The thief was arrested and
imprisoned by the Shaukat-ul-Mulk. About half the property valued at 80
tumans was received. To-day the thief escaped from jail and gave himself up
at my camp throwing himself on our mercy. Amir-ud-din said that he had
to pay the cost of keeping the prisoner in jail and he asked that he might be
released. He also had hopes that the thief would procure the rendition of
some of the remaining property. I said that I would speak to the Shaukat-
ul-Mulk about it.
Mirza Muhammad Husain, the Customs contractor, came to see me. He
said that he has paid 7,500 tumans for the contract for Seistan, Kain, Turbat,
Turshiz, Sabzawar, Jam, Bakharz, and Khaf. He complained of the Russian
quarantine arrangements which he said had discouraged traders and done him
much harm. He said that it was the custom of the country to charge 5 per
cent, on the value of imported goods, not at the invoice value, but at the rate
at which they were sold at the place where the duty was paid. He said he
had referred the matter to M. Castaigne, the Director-General. I explained
to him that it was to his advantage to give facilities to traders, as, if obstacles
were put in their way, trade would decrease. He said he was about to proceed
to Seistan to superintend customs arrangements there.
The Shaukat-ul-Mulk visited me and I returned his visit. As he has
treated Amir-ud-din, the Agent of Seth Sulaiman, and Hospital Assistant
Abbas Ali well, I thanked him for it pointedly in their presence, and I have
no doubt that he will continue to afford them assistance. He is still suffering
from an accidental revolver wound in the hand which was inflicted by a
revolver going off while he was fingering it about six months ago. His hand
has a serious scar on it, and he cannot use it with comfort. He lives in a
small garden house about a mile and a half outside the town where he holds
a weekly Darbar A public or private audience held by a high-ranking British colonial representative (e.g. Viceroy, Governor-General, or member of the British royal family). . He comes into the town occasionally. The town is now said
to have about 30,000 inhabitants crowded together in a small space in huts.
The streets are narrow and tortuous. There is no regular bazar, but scattered
shops. There is little doubt that most of the export for India from here will
now use the Seistan route. The Shaukat-ul-Mulk is an intelligent man, and he
seems to obtain a fair idea of the course of current events from Persian news
papers. He seems to be very friendly to us. When M. Miller passed through
on his way to Seistan he complained to Meshed about the accommodation which
had been given him, notwithstanding the presents sent him by the Russian