تقارير ومراسلات تتعلق ببلاد فارس، بما يشمل التجارة ومساراتها في بلاد فارس [ظ‎‎١‎١‎٣] (٢٥٢/٢٢٦)

2
ISM April .—March to Safidawa, 17 miles.
19M April .—March to Mukh-i-Surkh, 32 miles.
I had been told that this distance was 14 miles. It proved to he 32
over an impassable road for camels. The baggage animals took 18 hours to do
the journey. I discovered that this place is usually avoided by caravans for
this reason. There is a slightly brackish spring here, which is the only water
that exists on the direct line between Safidawa and Harmak via the Shela
river—a distance of about 90 miles.
A large party of Kakar Pathans from Zhob were encamped here for the
purpose of collecting assafetida.
The country we passed through to-day abounds with wild asses and deer.
Two herds of the former passed quite close to us.
20th April .—March to Girde Thana (via Gali Chah), 38 miles.
April .—March to Nasratabad, 60 miles.
On my return here to-day, I found that the Amir Hashmat-ul-Mulk had
during my absence sent for Hospital Assistant Abbas Ali, and asked him to
discontinue building a wall which was in process of construction round the new
hospital buildings and the Hospital Assistant’s quarters. The Amir remarked
that he had given us permission to build hospital quarters and not a “ fort
Abbas Ali, who is a married man, had raised the wall round his house to a
height of 15 to 20 feet in order that the interior might not be overlooked.
The Russian Vice-Consul, it seems, took the opportunity to point out to the
Amir Hashmat-ul-Mulk the resemblance the hospital enclosure bore to the
outer walls of a fort with the result above mentioned. In deference to the
Amir’s wishes, Abbas Ali promised to discontinue the enlargement of the wall
until my return. It is now the MohurraYn festival when all work is at a
temporary stand-still, and the further construction of the wall must, as a matter
of course, also cease. The Amir was doubtless aware of this fact, and thus
found it easy to pacify Mr. Miller without in any way putting us to any
inconvenience. When the Mohurram festival is over, I hope to visit the Amir
and set matters straight.
22nd April .—Captain Bode came to call on me officially to-day. During
my absence on tour he has been living in a bazaar hovel lent him by the Amir
Hashmat-ul-Mulk, and has been taking his meals with Seth Suleiman, Agent of
Messrs. Muhammad Ali Bros. I was much struck with his gentlemanly
manners and conversation, and invited him to come and stay with me. He has
accepted the invitation and will come over to the British Vice-Consulate
to-morrow. He told me that he had been much annoyed since his arrival here
by the Russian Vice-Consul, who had sent Cossacks to “converse” with him
daily, and to induce him to visit the Russian Vice-Consulate. He had refused to
do so until my return. Captain Bode is a much travelled officer and a talented
linguist. He has travelled through France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Turkistan
and Persia. . The account he gives of his recent journey through Turkistan is
most interesting. He was permitted to travel through Kokand as far as Andijan
on the Russian railway and from there to Osh, which he describes as the
“ prettiest place in Asia ”. He then tried to cross the frontier to Kashgar, but
was not allowed to do so by the Russian authorities at Osh. He^was also
refused permission to visit Khiva and to travel south of Merv by the Kushk
Railway. He now hopes to reach Kashmir and to travel via Leh to Kashgar.
23rd April .—A resident of Peshawar, a British subject, recently arrived
here on a pilgrimage to Meshed, and has been practising as a Native Doctor
with the object of collecting some money for his onward journey. Yesterday
one of the Hashmat-ul-Mulk’s gunners attacked and seriously injured him in
the Husainabad bazaar on what has since been proved to be a false charge of
indecent assault on a woman with whom the gunner was himself on familiar
terms. The gunner induced some by-standers to join in the assault, and the
Peshawari’s lungi and some clothes were also stolen from his person. The man
was then dragged before the Amir Hashmat-ul-Mulk, who released him as
innocent; but n<
came to me and,
a letter to the Ai
ing that, as the
might be given t
public punishmt
investigate the n
satisfaction has
subject on the ea
Mulla Muh
successor, sent fo
has much comrm
openly as the R
disarms suspicioi
anti-British; buf
occasion he told '
had informed hi]
Amir’s orders re
endeavouring to
Vice-Consulate,
local Seistani gu
expense. The I
Persian guard is
possible for us to
of information.
Mr. Miller perha
not think the An
The Russia]
ago for a plot
“ caravanserai”,
given the land t
here some month
I am told he
of Haji Abdul K
for the purchase
ing the price.
24M April-
been seriously in<
He appears to be
25M April-
consist of a dispe
quarters. The a 1
20th April.-
Dr. Miller, his b
27M April-
evening.
28M April.-
Meshed to recove
has been unable
grain, and says h
Persian infantry
pays up.
20th April.-
informant was pi
the hands of th<
hands of the Brii