Settlement and Demarcation of the Frontier between Persia and Baluchistan [‎396r] (27/74)

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Enclosure No- 12.
iNo. 152, dated GulaLek, near Teheran, the 9th August 1871.
From Major-General F. J. Goldsmid, c. b., on special mission.
To The Secretary to the Govt, of India, Foreign Department.
In continuation of ray No. 131 of the 14th ultimo, I have the honor
to forward, for the information of His Excellency the Yiceroy and Governor
General of India in Council, the copy of a letter and enclosure addressed by
me to Her Majesty’s Minister at Teheran on the 1st instant.
No. 149, dated Gulahek, the 1st August 1871.
From— Major-General F. J. Goldsmid, c. b , on special mission.
To—Her Britannic Majesty’s Minister at Teheran.
In accordance with the wishes of Your Excellency verbally expressed’
I have the honor to submit memorandum showing the statements made by the
Eersian Government to the British Legation, Teheran, and my replies.
These last, it will be observed, are more in detail than those contained in
my telegram of the 2nd May 1871, (No. 133), and subsequent letter No. 129
of the 13th ultimo. I need hardly solicit attention to the character of the
statements which can by no possibility come under the head of misconceptions.
MEMORANDUM ACCOMPANYING LETTER No. 149 of 1870-71.
Statement made to Mr. Alison in writing on
the %th March 1871.
1. Erom Ispahan the British
Commissioner, by telegraph and
through Captain Lovett, of the En
gineers, sent instructions to the British
officers who were at Gwadur and
Khelat that on the approach of the
two Commissioners, they should pro
ceed with guns and troops to Kedj
and Mekran, and give out that the
Persian Government have sent a Com
missioner in order to make over to
the Khan of Khelat their territory m
Beloochistan.
2. When the Commissioners left
Kerman the others, having collected
about 300 soldiers and horsemen nom
Kedi and Mekran, came towards JAus-
surkund, Peshin, and Sirbaz P
which specially belong to, an ai
possession of, Persia. It is evi
what degree such injurious piocee »
on their part in countries possessed by
Reply.
1. The British Commissioner denies
that he ever sent instructions of the
kind, either by telegraph or through
Captain Lovett. When sending Captain
Lovett from Ispahan to Bushire and
Gwadur, he did so to enable him to
acquaint himself, as much as possible,
with the actual frontier he has to survey
before the arrival of the Commissioners,
in order that work might be commenced
without delay. The British Commis
sioner neither asked that guns or
troops should be sent into Kedj and
Mekran, nor did he know whether any
were there or not. In fact, the ques
tion never entered his head.
2 & 3. The British Commissioner,
until a few hours before his arrival at
Bampur, did not even know that the
Khelat Commissioner, accompanied by
British officers and followers, was com
bo g to meet him at that place. He had
himself proposed to meet the Khelat
Commissioner and party, and Captain
Lovett on the actual frontier near Jalk.