Notes Prepared for Reference during Curzon’s Tour of the Persian Gulf, and Other Papers on Persia and the Persian Gulf [‎224r] (447/678)

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Tuesday, 18th December 1901.—Nodiz, 9 miles.—A sowar In the East India Company army and later Indian Army, an ordinary native cavalryman or mounted cavalryman. arrived at 10
P.M. last night from the Nazim, asking for the immediate despatch to him
at Nodiz of some Makran sowars with Lieutenant-Colonel Showers. 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.
Ghaus Bakhsh, Raisani, with his men, Mir Mehrab Khan, Gitchki, and Khan
Bahadur Muhammad Hassan Khan, Gitchki of Sami, who were in camp with
me, also went off at once to help the Nazim in case of an attempt by Muham
mad Ali to break out of the fort during the night.
The infantry and sappers under Major Tighe marched for Nodiz at day
break this morning. Lieutenant-Colonel Showers and I followed in the after
noon. The road led along the north side of the valley through broken sandy
ground covered with babul trees and bushes. We found our camp pitched to
the east of the karez some distance to the north of the fort. The Nazim met
me on arrival at my tents with his Sardars.
In the evening the Nazim and all the Sardars not on duty in the sangars
and the officers of the escort came to dinner with me in camp. At the con
clusion the Nazim got up and made a short and well-worded speech thanking
me in the name of those present for my hospitality, and remarking that by
thus sitting down and dining with them I gave them the opportunity of
exchanging views and of opening out their hearts for which they were very
grateful.
Thursday, 19th December WL—Nodiz. Halt.—Major Tighe yesterday
evening found the Nazim’s men in the sangars round the fort so much
afraid of an attempt on the part of the rebels to get out during the night and
so very undependable altogether that he sent out a picket of his own men to
assist in holding the most important points, telling off five men to each of the
more exposed sangars. The night, however, passed quietly. The rebels simply
continually shouting and apparently working hard strengthening their defences.
At dawn the fort was again reconnoitred, and Major Tighe informs me that
the fort is so well commanded by the tower and a square bastion at the south
west corner, and is so strong generally, that he is confirmed in his opinion that
it would not be right to attack it without waiting for the guns.
The Nazim’s system of investment consists of a cordon of sangars all round
at a distance of about 350 yards from the fort, which are held at night. By
day these sangars are evacuated, and nothing much is done; the investors keep
ing at a distance. All the Nazim’s men are fasting rigorously as it is the
month of Ramzan. The heat is great, over SO in the tents. The sangars are
held by local Makranis, but the Nazim has divided up his 80 Brahuis, armed
with Sniders, who are the only men he can really rely upon, amongst the
sangars and at night these keep watch 100 yards or so ahead of the sangars.
It is upon these^ Brahuis that the brunt of keeping watch really falls,
but even they do it so carelessly that two of them were cut up and killed by
a party who surprised them from the fort one night. The rebels are hus
banding their Martini ammunition and rarely fire their rifles ; all the shots
so continually fired are apparently fired from matchlocks, etc., for which they
have a large supply of powder.
In the evening I rode over to Nasirabad, 4 miles to the west.. The
fort there has been built up on the ruins of the former fort. It is now simply
a walled enclosure, some 40 yards square, commanded by a strong and solid
tower some 25 feet in height on the western side. The village consists of the
Baluch mat huts scattered around below. The fort is garrisoned by a Duffadar A Non-Commissioned Officer in the Indian Cavalry.
and nine men of the Nazim’s Brahui levies.
Friday, 20th December The cavalry of Lieutenant-Colonel Showers’
escort consisting of 50 sabres of the Sind Horse, under Lieutenant Mansell,
came in at 8-30 p.m. last night, having marched the 23 miles from bami to
Turbat in the morning, and the 21 miles from Turbat on to Nodiz m the
afternoon,—total 44 miles in 18 hours.
Lieutenant Orton, 26th Bombay Infantry, the Intelligence office^ his
escort, arrived with them, and the infantry, under Jamadar bhakar Khan,
marched in early in the morning.
The two guns of the Murree Mountain Battery, under Lieutenant
Hart, R.A., arrived at 8-30 a.m. Considering that this portion of the escort
1043 F. D.