'SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS AND MEASURES OF THE VICEROYALTY OF HIS EXCELLENCY LORD CURZON OF KEDLESTON, VICEROY AND GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDIA IN THE FOREIGN DEPARTMENT. I. JANUARY 1899-APRIL 1904. II. DECEMBER 1904-NOVEMBER 1905. VOLUME IV. PERSIA AND THE PERSIAN GULF.' [‎105r] (214/386)

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indefinitely postponed, and when this demand was firmly refused, the Russian
Legation prevailed upon them to request that a Russian official should
accompany the Persian Commissioner with the title of “ Consulting Member,”
owing to the want m Persia of an Engineer accomplished in cartography.
This proposal was dropped, on the British Minister’s refusing to entertain it,
and the Russian Legation had to content themselves with Dr. Miller, the
Russian Consul s brother, remaining with the Persian Commissioners for a
short time, on the pretext that he was medically attending the Yamin-i-
Nizam.
35. The Mission which left Quetta on the 10th January 1903, com
prised eleven* British officers, 1,452
Native officers and men, 156 horses, 2,200
baggage and 49 riding camels. The
military escort consisted of 200 in
fantry (124th Baluchistan Regiment),
and 60 cavalry (35th Sind Horse). A
large staff of surveyors, levellers, and
draughtsmen was taken for Topographi
cal, Irrigation and Railway Surveys and
Military Intelligence work. Ttie skilled
artisan staff included masons, carpenters,
blacksmiths, mochis, shopkeepers, trackers,
a taxidermist and 6 Punjabi boatmen.
The services of the last were found especially valuable.
36. The route followed was via Zangi Nawar to Rani, the first place in
Afghan territory where there were no representatives of the Afghans and
advantage was taken of their absence to survey thoroughly and explore all the
various routes leading to the Belmand with the result of ascertaining that as far
aswvater difficulties were concerned there was nothing in the country between
Nushki and the Helmand to prevent the passage of large bodies of men and
animals. The mission arrived at Khwaja Ali on the Helmand on 4th February,
and were met by Afghan officials sent to receive them. The Afghan Com
missioner duly joined at Rudbar on 12th February. Up to the 19th Feb
ruary the Persian officials in Seistan professed to have received no information
from Tehran of their Government having consented to the arbitration of a
British officer, and said that nothing had been heard of the appointment of a
Persian Commissioner, notwithstanding that the Persian Government had noti
fied to Sir A. Hardinge their intention of having their representative on the
frontier to meet the British arbitrator on 15th February. Major Bennwas even
formally informed that in the event of instructions not arriving, Colonel
McMahon would be resisted by force, should he attempt to enter Persian territory.
The Seistan officials also, at the instigation of the Yamind-Nizam (who was
said to be in receipt of a monthly stipend from M. Miller), gave much trouble
in the matter of the collection of supplies, and refused to allow Major Benn to
send over the frontier even those which he had purchased for the mission. At
the same time the most exaggerated rumours were spread in Seistan by certain
Mulla friends of M. Miller with the object of creating an anti-British feeling
among the masses.
37. On the 20th February the Karguzar and the Yamin-i Nizam formally
informed Major Benn that they had been appointed joint Persian Commissioners,
and on 22nd February the Karguzar wrote to Colonel McMahon that “ the Seis-
tan Commission of the Persian and English Governments had been organised for
the purpose of inquiring into the question of differences about the Helmand
water, and for no other purpose.” The letter implied the equality of the status
of the Persian Commissioners with the British arbitrator, and ignored the
existence of the Afghan Commissioner altogether. Colonel McMahon replied
that their instructions were insufficient to justify his recognising them as Per
sian Commissioners empowered conjointly wdth Afghanistan to deal w’ith him
as His Majesty’s arbitrator in the Helmand boundary dispute, and that, pending
the receipt by them of fresh instructions, he proposed to examine the river
downwards, and he asked for their assistance to his survey parties.
* Colonel A. H. McMahon, C.S.I., C.I E., Bri
tish Commissioner.
Captain A. D. O. Ramsay, Personal Assistant.
Major T. W. Irvine, Medical Officer.
Major H. F. Walters, Commanding Escort.
Major C. Wanliss, Intelligence Officer.
Mr. T. R. J Ward, Irrigation „
„ W\ A. Johns, Railway ,,
, r G. P. Tate, Survey.
Captain F. C. Webb Ware, C.I.E., Political Offi
cer, Chageh,
Captain R. C. Bell, Commandant, 58th Camel
Corps.
Lieutenant C. R. H. P. Landon, Commanding
Cavalry Escort.
Major J. A. Douglas, Military Attache, Tehran
Legation, accompanied the Mission to Seistan en
route to Tehran.