"ملخص للأحداث الرئيسية. ١٩٠٨" [ظ‎‎٦‎٨] (١٥٦/١٤١)

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hid been surveyed for a broad guage railway through Zliob, the idea was
anuroved am l survey for a 2' 6" railway was ordered It was not deemed ex-
E to construct abroad gauge railway at present. The survey was not
M ulcted at the end of tne year, but m the meantime a private fii , li . s.
Birch and Co deputed an engineer to investigate the possibiht.es of opening
no the chrome ore industry in which they were interested. As a result of his
enouiries they asked Government whether they would be prepared to consider
proposals for a light railway and even suggested that they might undeitake to
extend the broad gauge.
On the 22nd—23rd November a gang of five men, believed to he Shirams,
attacked a survey party at Shahalam, near Chaudwan, Hera Ismail khan dis
trict. One surveyor and two men were killed, and two men wounded.
Quetta-Peshin.
On the 8th June Hospital Assistant Abdul Ghafur attached to a survey
mrtv working near the Afghan-Baluch boundary unwittingly crossed the
border into Afghanistan between boundary pillars 25 and 26. Between these
two pillars the river Kadanai bends northwards, and the boundary line, which
follows the river bend to pillar 25, runs straight across the base ot the
bend to pillar 26. The hospital assistant with his escort was following the
road which runs in the river bed, and thus crossed the boundary line. Some
Afghan khasodars at once appeared on the scene, and to avoid trouble
the hospital assistant made the sepoys retire. The khasadars bred a few
shots at the sepoys, who returned the fire killing one khasadar; the remaining
khasadars then took off the hospital assistant and his party (except the sepoys)
and the camels to an adjacent Afghan levy post.
The Agent to the Governor-General in Baluchistan brought the, facts to
the notice of the Governor of Kandahar, and asked for the release of the party,
and the British representative at Kandahar was instructed to press the matter ;
but as the Governor vouchsafed no reply, the Viceroy wrote on the ^nd July
to the Amir asking for the release of the men. On the 9th July, apparently
before receipt of His Excellency’s letter, the Amir wrote to the Viceroy com-
plaining that the party of the Hospital Assistant deliberately crossed the frontier
and provoked the quarrel with the khasadars, which resulted m the death of
one of the latter. Orders had been given for his release, hut it ^was hoped
that compensation would be paid for the heirs of the “ murdered man and
that British officials would he warned to abstain from such proceedings in
future The Hospital Assistant and party reached Chaman safely on the ^bth
July On the 26th August His Excellency the Viceroy thanked the Amir for
his letter and added that he readily accepted the suggestion to compensate the
heirs of the deceased khasadar, and that Bs. 1,500 would be remitted. At
the same time it was pointed out that the Afghan version of the affair was incor
rect. The suggested compensation was accepted.
Lobalai-Sibi.
A complete reconciliation was effected between the Mari and Bugti tribes,
who had long been at feud with one another. The Mari chiefs who had been
banished from Sibi district executed bonds to he of good behaviour for three
years and formally begged for the forgiveness of the Bugti chief, Sir Shahbaz
Khan.
With a view to encourage the enlistment of Hazaras in the Indian army a
Hazara colony was started on the Anambar lands in Loralai. So far the
attempt is meeting with every success.
South Baluchistan.
In South Baluchistan the only items of military importance were the
continuance of the rifle importation from the Persian gulf and trouble in
Jhalawan country. Owing to the unhealthiness of Robat the detachment of a
double company of Native infantry was relieved in January. This detach-