Reports and Correspondence Relating to Persia, Including Trade and Trade Routes in Persia [‎110r] (219/252)

The Shaukat-ul-
ss he has been
elieve this to be
he Hashmat-ul-
>. He has been
he has shown to
sation that the
:e of the Seistan
ce of England,
ersian described
ill and smother
in, and the more
ho, he says, has
lulk holds these
:s throwm himself
istory, England
/hether England
ses by right of
ds of those who
en loud in my
at the new r route
sh interests will
her central posi-
: on the coming
every place on
tell them that
ocumb through
o
o receive their
tween the two
d the peasantry
sir spirits, and
rous questions,
have ruined the
both of himself
at the Persian
v, he frequently
■ y and says she
5 tic, and many
oute than they
that the Rus-
house, which
in Birjand, I
se of the new
leading mer-
ndia by Quetta.
)w a thing of
re in the hands
of Indian and
There is no doubt that our Seistan policy has created a movement which
is slowly finding its way to Meshed. I noticed on my way to Meshed that the
force of the movement lessened as I got further north, but was never non
existent. I did my best to stimulate it, and look forward to seeing the leading
men in Meshed rouse themselves, and throw off the baneful influence which I
am forced to say Russia exerts over Persia.
While in Birjand I met Mr. Spineka, one of the Belgian customs officials,
who was being sent to Seistan, to place the customs collection there on a better
,footing.. I had a long talk with him. He promised to remove at once all the
difficulties which u’e had had with the Persian subordinates there. He even said
he intended removing these views altogether, and punishing them for the way they
had robbed the customs department. If he does this, it will be good, for these
Persian customs subordinates were in the pay of the Russian Vice-Consul, and
ordered to obstruct our trade as much as possible. Mr. Spineka, who is an Italian,
assured me that he and the Belgian customs iofficials were no party to this
obstructive policy, that they wished to encourage the trade by all routes, for their
own benefit. I showed him a map of Seistan, and pointed out the difficulty, if
not the impossibility, of catching the caravans which from all directions make
for the Nushki route. Many not even passing Robat, and most avoiding Seistan
proper, on account of the water. He said he thought that al any rate it
would be best not to interfere with Afghan caravans who cut across Seistan to
avoid the duties at Kandahar.
An idea has struck me whether later when the Belgians find it impossible
to collect their dues from the caravans passing from Eastern Persia to Persia,
whether w r e might not help them, by allowing them to collect their dues our side
of the border on the Nushki route, on condition that we appointed our owm man
to watch the collection. The Belgians by some such arrano-ement would largely
increase their income. We should gain by having the collection under our immedi
ate supervision, and the traders would be saved from being harassed bv
unscrupulous Sowars, as they crossed the Seistan deserts. Two marches out
of Turbat-i-Haideri I was met by Colonel Temple and Mr. Coote.
My reception in Turbat-i-Haideri was good. I made a point of having a
long talk with the Governor there, as usuaL eiilarging on the political importance
to Persia of the present juxtaposition of India with Persia.
I reached Meshed on the 30th April, and so brought to a close my deputa*
tion to Seistan which had lasted just over a year.
G. CHENEVIX-TRENCH, Major,
On Dcputati n to Seistan,
Meshed ;
The gth May igoi.
\ contact with
2en in Seistan.
up and became
G. C. Press S jla —No. 36* P. D. 1901.—54.
3