'Report of Khan Bahadur Maula Bakhsh, Attaché to the Agent to the Governor General of India and Her Britannic Majesty's Consul-General for Khurasan and Sistan, on His Journey from Meshed to Quetta via Turbat-i-Haidari, Kain, Sistan, Kuh-i-Malik Siah and Nushki (7th April to 28th July 1898)' [‎12v] (29/156)

i
REPORT OF KHAN BAHADUR MAULA BAKHSH
•a,* A *? 6 ^ n ^* an traders at Meshed are similarly situated. They all
want the road to be opened, but no one likes to be the first to venture on it.
It is to give these men assurance that the road is safe and practicable that
I propose to depute Khan Bahadur Maula Bakhsh to traverse it.
(d) The Meshed traders will probably readily agree to send a trial kafila A train of travellers; a caravan; or any large party of travellers.
slid "to return with Indiaifgoods? ^ eshe ^ Quetta to take goods down to Quetta and to
hop^'be well repaid. lead ^ Way ’ an ^ tSbe s S* exiendUureincurred S'l
* * >y
(e) The Government of India, in conveying their sanction to my depu-
Orders of Government regarding my deputation. Nation (in Foreign Department letter
KdhtL^ 7 ah e Cn e r m r MeSh i. t 0 u the date of “y departure frem
subm?t°*my ad report* 1 ^:c) i *the a Ao'en^! e ^I^ ; G n ^ de ^^ 10 a ^°*? )ed ^ a y r< ^ e< ®^° u< *d
2 . Some caravans were induced by the Khurasan Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. through the
^ B,ere h t o Ne n'^ en , t Uevdt t0 S°
sistau trade route. hk tneie to Quetta last winter, but the
heard exatwerated renorts ro^nr/i; ^ es j le ^ and the Bukharan traders having
caravans, would Lt venture to s ™/ 3 Sarha ^ Baluchis on
were provided with i hrw JLtt a y S ° 0 i ds b / the Ilew route unle ss they
However, on beto^toldZt I w‘ a " da f ° r the sa f' et y of «>«!>' goodl
(two Daffadars ofOie Corps of Guidesfan/tl "t neW r ° U f e "* tl1 an arm cd escort
- “•r .■“.i a sr,i"™
.1 was relieved of my duties and left Meshed on the afternoon of the
of^ [he To 111 neCeSSa ‘-y Orders from
.ndl.raw.ffl s “ ,fatotl,cUo '' r ”»'» “fMn the Governor-General of Khurasan and
.nd s, tan to .tad me in facintuting Sistan to the address of the Governors of
me every possible assistance in faciliHBn„ and Si - taa directin S the iu to afford
obtained for me by Captain J F wTi ° t’P J° ui ; ne y> which were kindly
Consul-General at Meshed y e ’ Uer Br “c Majesty’s Acting
i.i«o!; t j[r p T™Tl^ e ! t M® d 0 t ty KnowinTih ? t t to nSP ° rt p” my CaravaH -
the through journey to Quetta. d for -^nowing that the new Persian Translator
travelled from Quetta to Meshed bv toe Asency ’ who Ilad recently
several places on the road for wJ? r * kl ' 8lStdn rout o. was delayed at
obtain transport for the whole ionrnrT T tra n .T Sp ,° rt J 1 co “ sid ered it essential to
was not an easy matted as no P . y from 1 Mpsll e d to Quetta. This, however
on a through journey to Quetta st'taTinTBaT e f^ elmen ' TO uld venture
succeeded in inducing some to fn . • B , aluohls »an. I might have
culties to be contended with. Owin- tol nT’ f U ‘ th , ere Were other di ffi‘
some stages water, in the desert tracts T «■ I-'”' of , su PPBes and fodder, and at
the question to take mules beyond Neh while aMh ^ a f T chisWn it was out of
possible to change mules for camels 4 ' n 3 , 1 (16 , atter P lace > were it even
mule-gear for camel panniers etc will,!, ! , d . ! a y, e been ^possible to replace
proceeded any further. Therefore’the onlv nlT UCh p the earavan could not have
port, and this was not easily procurable ife -f 1 ^ 7 3S to ° btain carael trans-
Khurasan and elsewhere i^Persia t ’ wnT tu* ' S the establisb « d Practice in
autumn, and winter, and to give them rest V ’ 6 < ; ameIs flunng the summer,
absolutelynecessary, since after the hard work "of 11 ?! 10 ” 1 tile s Pr in S' This is
the camels are quite exhausted, and the^razW MTh aU U “ n and the winter
grjzin D ot the spring and complete