Kalat Affairs [‎310v] (28/172)

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8 . In your reply to my letter No. 809, you offered the following explana-
tion :
“ Regarding the visit to Kahun, not being able to satisfy His Highness’s
curiosity, I turned the conversation to other subjects.”
9. In reply to this, I beg to state that on my return to Jacobabad from
Kurracbee, in March last, you expressly asked me what right Captain Sandeman
had to visit Kahun. I replied that he had gone with certain of the Punjab
border Chiefs to X/uggorree Bar khan across the border, on matters connected
with Punjab border affairs ; and that on the way back, to visit/tne in my own
Districts at Kusmore, he, and all the Chiefs with him, including the Murrees,
took Kahun en route, in order to see the country auditscompaunications. That
I fully approved of what Captain Sandeman had done, and believed that good
would result from it, by accustoming these wild tribes to the presence of English
Officers amongst them, unattended by any military escort, and Mso by the
valuable geographical knowledge that the Punjab Officers could obtain by it.
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10. After this had occurred, you were present at Jacobabad in the follow
ing month (April), when both the Commissioner in Sindh, Sir William Mere wether
and Captain Sandeman were here also, and if you were not satisfied with the,
explanation which I had given to you, as detailed above, you had ample
opportunity of speaking to Sir William Merewether on the subject, or to
Captain Sandeman himself, and of thus obtaining any further information
regarding the visit to Kahun that you required. /
11 . No sooner, however, do you reach Khelat, than you re-open the subject
in your Diary of the 17th May, in what I cannot but consider a questionable
manner after all that had occurred, and I shall therefore forward copies of what
you have written to Captain Sandemen, in order that he may speak for himself.
12. Independently, however, of any explanation he may be pleased to
give, I have the honor to remind you, that both His Highness the Khan and
yourself were kept fully informed by me of the orders of the Government of
India, regarding the objects of the exploring expedition to the Murree tribes
and beyond, which would have taken place last December, had it not been in
terrupted by an unforeseen event. Indeed, I have in my possession, His
Highness’s own reply to my full explanation of the subject, in which he ex
presses his appreciation of the intention of Government, and appointed his
Yukeel to accompany me.
13. I must confess, therefore, that in the face of all these facts, I cannot
understand why you should not have afforded His Highness the information he
sought regarding Captain Sandeman’s flying visit to Kahun in question, instead
of having had recourse to the unsatisfactory alternative of <{ turning the con
versation to other subjects,” thereby leading a Native Prince to conclude that
there was more in the visit of n British Officer to a remote part of his nominal
territory, than there really wils; and raising a question as to the very propriety
as it were, of Captain Sandeman’s conduct on that occasion,—conduct which,
you well know, had my approval as Political Superintendent on the Prontier.
14. This reminds mb of what took place last year, in the matter of the
arrangements for Eastern Cutchee from Murree raids, regarding which I made a
Political Superintendent’s latter full report to the Commissioner in Sindh ; and as it
No. 1838, dated 30U1 December 1^69. j s absolutely necessary, in the interests of the British
Government, that no/more “ negative results” shall be incurred in our relations
with the Murrees and Bhoogtees, either as regards the Punjab, Sindh, or Cutchee,
I shall have the honor to bring forward this matter at any conference that may
be ordered to take .place during the approaching cold season.
15. When important national interests are at stake, it is the safest and
wisest plan for pi concerned in the transactions affecting them, to speak very
clearly, and therefoi'e I must express how greatly I deprecate the spirit of
partizanship with the Khan, manifested in your proceedings under review in the
present report No. 29 of 1870.
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