'Report on the Persian Army' [‎47r] (93/170)

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interests of the Persian representative in Vienna and caused
certain difficulties, and when General Mottes returned to
Persia, the Naib es Saltaneh, then no longer Minister in
consequence of the changes after Nassir ed din Shah’s death
(May 1st, 181M)), was not able to protect him, and he left the
country. His mission had been a success, since he bought the
rifles at about a third of what others had paid, or charged for.
The bandmaster, Gebauer, did excellent service, became a
general of the second class, and died in 1895 of a sunstroke
which he caught while leading his band during the balloon
ascent of an American “ professor ” on a hot day. Of the six
Austrian officers mentioned in the “Revue,” only one (Wagner)
is now in the service and is Instructor-in-Chief, but the
authorities not aiding him in any way, lie is much dissatisfied,
llis pay is £600 per annum. Of the other officers, von
Staudach and Krauss died, von Prueschenck retired in 1888,
Geissler and Wedell were dismissed in 1894.
The Russian mission, composed of Colonel Demantovitch,
four commissioned and five non-commissioned officers, which
came to Teheran in 1879, has done very good work. To
employ Cossack officers for the instruction of the Persian
cavalry was a happy idea. In their way of living, their riding,
discipline, etc., the Caucasian Cossacks, being so very little
different from the Persians, have a much better chance of
success in Persia than any Europeans could ever hope for.
A fine regiment of 400 to 000 men and 22 officers was
soon organised, and in 1880 a second regiment was formed, the
two together being known as the “Cossack Brigade.” The
men were armed with Berdan carbines purchased from the
Russian Government and swords made in Persia. Some years
later, a third regiment was embodied and the force raised to
1,800 men, but on account of the excessive expenditure it was
soon disbanded, and tiie effective strength of the brigade
remained 1,000 to 1,200. The Russian officers come out on
contracts of three years, and several batches have come and
gone during the twenty years that the brigade is in existence.
Colonel Demantovitch left in the summer of 1882, and was
replaced by Colonel Tscharkovski, who arrived in the winter of
that year. In the autumn of 1884 the Tsar made the Shah a
present of four 8-7 centimetre steel Krupp guns, and a battery
of Cossack light field artillery under a captain was added to
the brigade. After Colonel Tscharkovski’s departure, Colonel
Karavayeff took command; he was followed by Colonel
Schneour, and when his contract came to a end, Colonel
Kossakoffsky came out and is here now.
The Cossack brigade is the most popular body of troops in
Persia, but the cost of maintaining it being very great, it is
doubtful whether its existence would not be much endangered
if “the mighty neighbour in the north, whose power is
paramount in Persia, did not every now and then exert
considerable pressure.” (“ Internationale Revue.”) Russia
seems to attach great importance to having the instruction of