'Seistan' [‎23r] (45/782)

in a garden containing a tank in which a fountain was playing. Up some steps is
a summer house in the centre of which is a reservoir where a second fountain
w r as playing. This place is admirably suited to the hot summer of Bujnurd.
The water-supply is said to come from Giviwan, a village some farsakhs
from Bujnurd to the south. Returning I rode through the town and the
bazar. The latter had about 500 shops in it. There is no road for wheels
from Bujnurd to Ashkabad, but the hills are in places easy, and I was told that
it would not he difficult to make one. A quantity of rice is brought into
Bujnurd from the Goklan country and Astrabad. Vines are plentiful every-
where. The valley as a whole is very well watered from springs in the neigh
bouring hills.
T received visits from the Karguzar and the Deputy Governor. The Kar-
guzar was formerly in a similar post at Resht. He said that every available
horse had been taken by the chief to the Goklan country.
30/A, i8.9.9—Halt at Bujnurd. The Deputy Governor Muhammad
Kuli Khan gave notice that he would receive me today in the afternoon at the
chief’s house. On proceeding there I was taken first through a conservatory
to an upper chamber well decorated with small mirror work let into the walls.
Here tea was served and a small shy boy of the chief’s was introduced. I then
passed through a garden plentifully watered, and by a domed building contain
ing a tank for the heat of summer, into a garden, at end of which was the
cheif’s “ Andarun ” into which I was invited. Here I was shown some spaci
ous rooms, one of which was excellently decorated with a tiled dado, and very
good mirror work, let into the walls. The ceiling was panelled with an
effective glass centre.
Colonel Yate recorded that the chief of Bnjnurd had told him that the
Goklans were peaceful subjects and paid revenue. I found the chief absent
with all the sowars he could raise to obtain revenue from them. Bujnurd is now
an open town, there is no longer any necessity to fortify it, and although it is
seldom visited, civilization is making its effects felt there A Russian lady had
been there to endeavour to teach French to the ladies of the chief’s family,
who, I was told, knew a few words
The telegraph line was in working order when I was there. In the eve
ning I paid a visit to the Karguzar. His home was in Uromia. He considered
Bujnurd to be a little place with no work for him to do. Should a through
line of communication be opened through Astrabad, Bujnurd may become an
important place. It is one of the few places in Khorassan which has almost
too much water; the houses in the town frequently falling owing to their
foundation being sapped. Raisins are now grown in the valley for the Russian
market. The people of the valley are chiefly Shadillu Kurds; Tajiks, Turks,
and Zafaranlu refugees are also to he found.
May 1st, 1899. —Bujnurd. Halt. With regard to certain disputes as to the
water of the Atrak it was stated at Bujnurd that the Russians had destroyed certain
irrigation bands which had been placed across the Atrak at Fish Kala, Mehna
and Similsffian; and that they had prohibited the Persians from using the
water of the river, notwithstanding that they were said to have sown seven
hundred kharwars of wheat and barley seed. The Karguzar of Bujnurd said
that the chief was informed by telegram from Tel:eran that an official would
be deputed to settle the question. This seems to have been done, with the
result that the band w as destroyed by the Persian Commissioner from Gumbadi
Kabus, who is said to have proceeded to the spot with a Russian officer. There
is a growing tendency on the Russian side of the boundary to consider all water >
flowing from Persian territory as Russian property, an encroachment against
which the Persian Gcvernment is unable to protect its subj cts The appoint
ment of a Russo-Persian Commission for the settlement of frontier disputes
is looked upon by the people as advantageous to Russian interests and opposed
to their own.
May Jsf, 1899. —Halt at Bujnurd. SarJar Yar Muhammad Khan bad taken
with him to the Goklan country his three grown up sons together with about
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