'Persia and the Persian Question by the Hon. George Nathaniel Curzon, M.P.' [‎131] (166/714)

"N_
FKOM KUCHAX TO IlELAT-I-NADIIlI
character that, I was not yet out of the wood, and that it would
be advisable to wart. So I moved to the bther side of the
way and halted m the sunshine. S
f 1 ] ukurl,llah re appeared upon the scene with the
news tha the telegram had been refused on the plea that the
tatS" 8 T S ' 0ken between Kelat aIld Meshed. Presently
ucc. ea mounted em . ssary from th6 y
voluble with explanations, and afforded me an interesting insight
into Persian character. First he repeated that the wire was
broken; hu when I replied that if that were the case it w as
un 1 e y that the Khan would himself have invited me to use it
he shifted his position and said that the wire, though not broken'
was trailing upon the ground. Upon my rejoining that commu-
mcation «as not thereby interrupted, he was ready with the
counter plea that the Khan had meant me to telegraph not to
but t0 Te,ie ran. As there was no wire to Teheran from
Kelat except by Meshed, this falsehood was easily exposed ; but I
confess I was scarcely prepared for the fourth, which immediately
replaced it-viz. that the Khan had meant me to telegraph neither
to Teheran nor to Meshed, but from Meshed on my return thither.
s it was useless bandying words with so accomplished a liar I
resigned the verbal contest, but insisted upon receiving a direct
answer or a direct refusal from the Khan to my request to telegraph •
and It was agreed that Gregory, as a more befitting ambassador
than Shukurullah, should ride back to the village and receive a
clehnite answer to my ultimatum.
All this occurred within 100 yards of the gate of Argawan
a i on the outer side. As J was giving final instructions to
iessit eX ' ^ re » or ^' the Persian, who had remounted, suddenly
evasit, clapped spurs to his horse, and disappeared like lightning
through the archway, shouting to the guard not to let
any one through. When Gregory arrived a few seconds later he
was refused the passage. There was nothing more to be done;
and thus ignobly ended my attempt to penetrate to the interior of
Kelat-i-Nadiri ! Shukurullah now told me that when he took the
^ e ® 1 ) ani office the clerk was about to accept it, when the
an s son came in and said that his father absolutely forbade any
message to be sent at all. I had heard a good deal of Persian
aitfulness before entering the country, but had scarcely expected so
artistic a sample within the first fortnight; and I do not know
K 2