تقارير ومراسلات تتعلق ببلاد فارس، بما يشمل التجارة ومساراتها في بلاد فارس [و‎‎١‎١‎٧] (٢٥٢/٢٣٣)

Diary No. 6 of Captain R. A. E. Benn, His Britannic Majesty’s Vice-
Consul for Seistan and Kain for period ending nth April 1901.
April 1st. —Nil.
April 2nd .—The head Mirza of the Russian Vice-Consul’s Office visited
Messrs. Muhammad Ali Brothers’ shop this morning and asked their Agent,
Seth Suleiman, to change some Russian currency notes for krans. He suggested
that the notes would be useful if the Seth wished to remit money to Meshed.
The Seth replied he regretted he could not oblige him, and that if he wished to
remit money to Meshed, he would prefer to do so through his own Consul who
could issue barats. I mentioned in my last diary that the Russian Vice-
Consul was somewhat at a loss to know how to furnish the newly arrived
Armenian merchant with krans in lieu of the roubles which the latter is said to
have deposited in Meshed, and there seems no doubt that the Mirza had been
deputed to try and induce the Seth to he’p Mr. Miller through his difficulty.
The Armenian merchant’s name is Michael Istatoroff, and I learn from the
Meshed diary that he represents the firm of Messrs. Kurshad Manato Kanoff
and Brothers of Askabad. I have not made his acquaintance yet as he has not
been to call on me, although he is living with Mr. Miller as his guest. Mr.
Miller has explained to me that the man is not generally recognised in society.
Mons. Istatoroff does not appear to have done much in the way of trade so far.
He still intends visiting the surrounding country. He has already been to Banjar,
a village close to Nasratabad, where he tried to persuade the traders to visit
Askabad , He offered to give them the same prices for their goods at Askabad
as they could get in Quetta and asked them to buy Russian goods in Askabad
through his firm. The head of the trading community in Banjar declined his
offer saying that they knew nothing of him, the Russian language or Askabad,
and that they were not prepared at present to venture in that direction. I under
stand that he has been unable to make any purchase of wool and ghi yet. Five
more Turcoman sowars have now joined him. They had been left behind on the
road to buy wool and hides ; but I am informed that they were not successful.
The mail from England dated London, 2nd March, arrived here to-day via
Quetta. Thirty-two days from London to Seistan is perhaps worthy of record.
April 3rd .—There is a rumour here that the Amir Hashmat-ul-Mulk has
received a letter from either Teheran or Meshed censuring him strongly for hav
ing “ allowed the English to obtain so much influence and such a foothold ” in
Seistan. Also that he has received orders to “ expel all foreign traders.” I have
not as yet been able to discover if there are any grounds for believing these
rumours ; but the subject is being discussed in the Assembly of Mullahs and the
story is confirmed by such leading men as Sardar Purdil Khan, Sarbandi, and
Mir Abbas, Kalantar. The Amir himself has said nothing to me on the subject;
but he appears much depressed of late. With regard to the first rumour, I am
told that a short time ago the Russian Vice-Consul managed to induce some
of the more influential people of Hussinabad—the village which overlooks the
Fort of Nasratahad and in which the Russian Vice-Consulate is situated—to
report to the Shah that “ the English had built a fort and a town opposite to and
five times as large as Nasratabad itself.” In matters of this sort Mr. Miller does
not stop at hyperbole. I need scarcely remark that the “ Fort ” exists only in
Mr. Miller’s fertile brain, and that it would require a very wide stretch of imagina
tion to magnify the temporary quarters, which Major Trench has built, into a
“ town.” It is quite possible that Mr. Miller did induce the Hussinabad people
to petition the Shah ; it would only have been in keeping with his policy if he
had done so. He has given out that he now entirely ignores the Amir Hasmat-
ul-Muik here and deals direct with Teheran and Meshed. Every black mark,
therefore, that he can get registered against the Amir Hashmat-ul-Mulk’s
name is only another nail—so to speak—in the Amir’s coffin, and Mr.
Miller hopes by persistent tale-bearing and back-biting to bring about his
ultimate removal from Seistan and the appointment of a less Anti-Russian