'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)' [‎37v] (79/156)

69. It was intensely hot and there was no shade, but I was fortunate to
Heat in Sistan. ^ le ^ er from the burning sun in a
reed-hut erected at a short distance from
the bank of the water by the Agent of the Sub-Contractor of Customs.
70. I had brought a letter from the Chief Contractor of Customs for
I meet Mr. Nicholai Alexiecb Znroudny on the Ahlirasan and Sistan at Meshed tn
road near Afzai^d in Sistdn.^ address of the Sub-Contractor of Customs
in oistan directing him to assist me in every way. This letter helped me to
induce the Agent of the Sub-Contractor to demand for his own perusal and
satisfaction from M. Nicholai AlexieclTs interpreter his employer’s credentials
and show them to me. These consisted of a pass from the Russian Consul-
General and an order in Persian from the Governor-General of Khurasan and"
Sistan to the address of the Governor of Sisfan, saying that Monsieur Zardounv
See paragraphs n, 4i, 59 , es, 74 , and 116 . (Zaroudny), a member of the Geographical
r-i• ,» i Society of Russia, was sroini? to tmvoi •!»-»
bistan and that his journey should be facilitated as far as possible. 3 Gl m
AlexSr Z aroudny PPearS ^ tliefUl1 tLe Ru5sian travellw i* Nicholai
. J ,'? s , t , a , s £ ,. 1 , was ^ oin ? to mount my liorse at about 5 r m to
donkey!^ S ‘ Staa) ^ AlZaldbdd ’ M - ^aroudny rode past the reed-hut ou a
I soon overtook him and politely asked him his name mrl |,„„;
Persian. He replied in broken English that his name was Zarou nt T/i
he was a “ sportsman.” I then tried to talk to him in Englfsh
seem to understand me and said in had Persian that he knew oniv “°i
Irench, that he was sorry he did not know English or Persian well " ‘ 1 a,ul
make himself understood, and that his interpreter had just gone L aT^i r* 0
arrange for quarters for him in the Afzalabdd villa-e where he w ' • ad t0
stay for the night, but that on arrival at Nasirabld he would ealTu^f 3 t0
with his interpreter and tell me all about himself. I told him r . P m I ? e
glad to see him. He then stopped to water his donkey in a pool ofw^ be
the road when saying good-by I rode on. J “ a pool of water on
71. Having started from the reed-hut on the bank of the inundations at
AfzaUMd * 5 .f* M ; s 1 ^ n T e d at AfzaJahad (about 3
Af.nl ^ • w 4 • x, lGS r0m the munda tions) at 6 p.m
Afzalabad is about eight miles west of Nasirabad.
.At Afzalabad I was met by an Arbab and a Naih wlin ^ i
Sartip Mir Ma’sum Khan, Deputy Governor of Sistan, with a comnV^f b ‘ V
letter to my address. The Naib said that the Sartin had I vl l^P^'^ary
Z T r, of 1 r iaLe 1 sta ^ at Afzalabad for the ni-bt r , • a
that I pieferred to go on to Kasirabad and could uot stav nf °a 7 blm
that the Sartip need not take any trouble about my reYeptL ^f^- and
of wtt°I had°safd. med ^ ^ K « b a
(72) Just beyond Afzalabad we had to cross a deep canal containing water
My arrival at Nasirabad (Sistan). al)Out chest-deep and without, a ^b ‘d
Further on within a short distance of 0^'^^ which w’ 01 ' 1 ‘T* &n
there was a wide expanse of shnlir^ racn uila which we reached at 8 p m
arriving at NasirabadT" 30 r. M ° W Water whicl ‘ crossed easUy’,
men headed by MrMilmmmad Sult a arTh Pt Den P ut% 0f ab °" t teD moun ted
acting Pishkar, who having received hnrrioa Je P llt y Governor s headman and
had rushed out to meet me! ned ° rderS from the Governor
in quarters which were^eing^readVfor' meT fc ° S i° tbe toivn to P ut «P
eruor, but I told him that I^eWd C ca mp o^sidtlL 0 tbe ^ G °-
oo “r r he
the next day and that he expected me to be hTs^ueS^ l" sen^Wk UP ° n ' ?le
" a polite
If
*