'Report of Khan Bahadur Maula Bakhsh, Attaché to the Agent to the Governor General of India and Her Britannic Majesty's Consul-General for Khurasan and Sistan, on His Journey from Meshed to Quetta via Turbat-i-Haidari, Kain, Sistan, Kuh-i-Malik Siah and Nushki (7th April to 28th July 1898)' [‎17r] (38/156)

ON HIS JOURNEY FROM MESHED TO QUETTA, 1898.
11
12. Just as I was superintending the loading of my camels to start from
An interesting letter from the leading priest of Meshed, a Mulla came up and delivered
s ’ :8tAn - to me a letter which he had that day
received through a Sistani pilgrim from Agha Mulla Mehdi, the eldest son of,
See unrngrevh 78 ( 6 ) Chief SeCretar y to > H aji Mulld Ismail,
the chief and the most influential priest
of Sistan, to my address. The letter did not bear any date, but it was said by
the Mulla who brought it to have been despatched from Sistan more than
two months ago and delayed on the road owing to the illness of the pilgrim
carrying it.
As the contents of this letter are interesting in some respects, I give
below a literal translation of it from beginning to end :—
“ I beg to state that I hope by the grace of God, the Lord of the Heavens
and the Earth, the dignified court [of Her Britannic Majesty’s Consul-General]
is free from the dust of the events of the world, and that [your] cultivated
mind is blossoming like a flower. Thereafter, should you wish to know [about
my] affairs, life is existent and I am busy and engaged in my business more
than ever.
(a) Travellers of the High [English] Government did not display what
View, of the lending priest of 8ist£n regarding the y 0U S ht tO liaVC (lone. Particularly
Snrgeon-Major Brazier Creagb’a dealings in that the Doctor [SurgCOn-Major Brazier
country * Creagh] who stayed in this country for
some time and had dealings with [idiomatically distributed presents to] the
people opportunely or inopportunely did not display what he ought to have
done. I attributed this to his ignorance [literally want of sight].
(b) Although after the outbreak of disturbances in Baluchistan some had
Ideas entertained by certuin Sist£n Baluchis ideas approaching action [idiomatically
regarding an attempt to murder Surgeon-Major attempts to murder], but I prevented
Brazier Creagh. them [from making any attempt], and he
[Surgeon-Major, Brazier Creagh] safely passed out of the limits of this
country.
(<?) He had asked the Deputy Governor for a loan of money which was
given on my recommendation.* Now
the Deputy Governor is disturbed [in
mind] as to what will become of it. I
have advised him to send the [Doctor’s]
cheque to Meshed and be relieved [of
anxiety], otherwise I will pay the money
knyself. Sher Ali Khdn [Surgeon-Major Brazier Creagh’s clerk] *came to the
town [Nasirabad-Sistau] and obtained the money,
(d) One Haji Muhammad, a native of the Tabas valley of Kain
Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Ayiib Khan in collusion with the notables [district], Carries letters OUCC a year from
of Herat * ^ the notables of Herat, especially the Mir
of Gazargah of Herat for Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Ayub Khan and receives a hundred Persian
tumans for the job.
(e) The [Russian] Agent here has been
dismissed, and it is said that another will
come in his place.
Please consider me waiting for [your]
orders and favours.
Advance of money to Surgeon-Major Brazier
Creagh by the Deputy Governor of Sistan.
* This advance was repaid to the Governor of
Sistan at Meshed by the Khurasan Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. in
February 1898.
M. B.
Dismissal of the Russian Agent in Sistan.
See paragraphs 42 and 78.
No more trouble.
May the days of your prosperity be perpetual!”
Thursday, 7th April 1898.
13. Turuk (caravansarai).
Distance, 6 miles.
Water, good.
Supplies procurable.
Having been delayed by the necessary arrangements in connection with
transport till late in the evening (of the 7th April 1897), I made a short march
to the caravansarai of Taruk, six miles from Meshed.
b 2
Turuk(caravansai