Settlement and Demarcation of the Frontier between Persia and Baluchistan [‎397v] (30/74)

8. The British Commissioner has
telegraphed to His Excellency the
British Minister, the Persian Com
missioner’s refusal to consent to the
conference. The British Commis
sioner’s object in wishing to convene
the conference being to investigate
the positions of Kohuk, Isfunder, and
other places, and these villages being
dependent on Dizzuk and forming a
portion of Persia, such a conference
was not necessary.
was a scarcity of provisions and water
along the actual line of frontier.
8. It was proposed to commence
discussion of the frontier with Kohuk,
because that place was to the north,
and acquaintance with the geography
of the country would have shewn that
this was the proper course of procedure
in practically defining the boundary.
9. The British Commissioner takes
no steps as regards the drawing up of
a map and the inspection of the pro
per places. He says that an English
engineer officer has already com
pleted the map of Kedj and Mekran,
and that he should go with a Persian
engineer officer to make a map from
Jalk and Dizzuk to the seashore.
Now the Commissioners ought to
inspect all those places and draw maps
thereof. To every proposal that an
engineer officer should be sent to
gether with a Persian engineer to
draw maps of Mekran, Kedj, and
other places, the British Commissioner
replies that he cannot ask that a Per
sian surveyor should enter theKhelat
territory, but he promises' that the
English surveyor will bring to me
the map of any country that may be
required.
9. The correspondence which has
passed between the Commissioners will
show, and the British Commissioner is
prepared at any time to show, that he
has done his utmost to carry out the
authorized enquiry in a fitting and prac
tical manner ; and that the Persian
Commissioner has failed to co-operate,
though he promised before reaching
Beloochistan to accompany Major-
General Goldsmid wherever he pleased ;
such being, as he then said, the direc
tions of his Government. The map is
ready.
missioned " 0m ; iU - 'Phese questions have been a
k e di awing up of ready answered, but reference is r
maps were not necessary, why should quested to the whole Persian corr
the Persian Government have con- spondence.
sidered it proper to depute a Commis
sioner and a Surveyor? How is it
that the British Commissioner should
have invited the Khelat Agents with
such a party to come to Persian
territory, which is not meant for in
spection, and that the Persian Commis
sioner and Surveyor should not pro
ceed to _ places which.clearly belong
Khdaf 818 " ° r eVel1 t0 the Khan
(True copies of translations.)
J. B. SMITH, Captain,
Personal Assistant.
4
P. J. GOLDSMID, Major-Gener
on special mu