'SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS AND MEASURES OF THE VICEROYALTY OF HIS EXCELLENCY LORD CURZON OF KEDLESTON, VICEROY AND GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDIA IN THE FOREIGN DEPARTMENT. I. JANUARY 1899-APRIL 1904. II. DECEMBER 1904-NOVEMBER 1905. VOLUME IV. PERSIA AND THE PERSIAN GULF.' [‎105r] (214/386)

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indefinitely postponed, and when this demand wns firmly refused, the Russian
Legation prevailed upon them to request that a Russian official should
accompany the Persian Commissioner with the title of “ Consulting Member,”
owing to the want in Persia of an Engineer accomplished in cartography.
This proposal was dropped, on the British Minister’s refusing to entertain it,
and the Russian Legation had to content themselves with Dr. Miller, the
Russian Consul’s brother, remaining with the Persian Commissioners for a
short time, on the pretext that he was medically attending the Yamin-i-
Nizam.
Quetta on the 10 th January 1003, com
prised eleven* British officers, 1,452
Native officers and men, 156 horses, 2,200
baggage and 49 riding camels. The
military escort consisted of 200 in
fantry (124th Baluchistan Regiment),
and *60 cavalry (35th Sind Horse). A
large staff of surveyors, levellers, and
draughtsmen was taken for Topographi
cal, Irrigation and Railway Surveys and
Military Intelligence work. The skilled
artisan staff included masons, carpenters,
blacksmiths, modus shopkeepers, trackers,
a taxidermist and 6 Punjabi boatmen,
especially valuable.
35. The Mission which left
• Colonel A. H. McMahon, C.S I.» C.I E., Bri
tish Commissioner.
Captain A. 1). O. Ramsay, Personal Assistant.
Major T. W. Irvine, I.M.S., Medical Otfcer.
Maior H. F. Wallers, Commanding Escort.
Major C. Wanliss, Intelligence Orticer.
Mr. T. R. J Ward, Irrigation „
„ W. A. Johns, Railway „
„ G. P Tate, Survey.
Captain F. C. Webb Ware, C.I.E., Political Offi-
CC Captafu U. C. Bell, Commandant, 68th Camel
.^Lieutenant C. R. H. P. Landon, Commanding
Cavalry Escort.
Major J. A. Douglas, Military Attache, Tehran
Legation, accompanied the Mission to Seistan en
route to Tehran.
The services of the last were found
36. The route followed was via Zangi Nawar to Kani, the first place in
Afghan territory where there were no representatives of the Afghans and
advantage was taken of their absence to survey thoroughly and explore all the
various routes leading to the Helmand with the result of ascertaining that as far
as water difficulties were concerned there was nothing in the country between
Nushki and the Ilelmand to prevent the passage of large bodies of men and
animals The mission arrived at Khwaja Ali on the Helmand on 4tli I ebruary,
nnrl were met by Afghan officials sent to receive them. The Afghan Com-
missiomfr 'duly joined at Rudbar on 12tU February. Up to the 19th Feb-
“Z the Persian officials in Seistan professed to have received no information
from Tehran of their Government having consented to the ai hit ration > i
British officer, and said that nothing had been heard of tlie appointment o a
BeSan Commissioner, notwithstanding that the Persian Government had no i-
fied to Sir A Hardinge their intention of having their representative on the
frontier to meet the British arbitrator on 15th February. Major lien,i was even
formal v informed that in the event of instructions not arriving Colonel
McMahon would be resisted by force, should he attempt to enter Persian territory.
The Seistan officials also, at the instigation of the Yamin-i-^ warn (who \\.is
said to be in receipt of a monthly stipend from M. Miller), gave much trou lie
inthe matter of the collection of supplies, and refused to a low Major Benn to
send over the frontier even those which he had purchased lor the mission. At
the same time the most exaggerated rumours were spread in Seistan by certain
Muni Wends of M. Miller with the object of creating an anh-British feeling
among the masses.
O- ()n lhe 20th Februarv the Karguzar and the Yamin-i Nizam formally
informed Major Benn that they had been appointed joint Persian Commissioners,
and on 22nd February the Karguzar wrote to Colonel McMahon that the Seis
tan Commission of the Persian and English Governments had been organised for
the mirnoFe of inquiring into the question of differences about the Ilelmand
water, and for no other purpose.” The letter implied the equality ol the status
of the'Persian Commissioners with the British arbitrator, an< ignore -e
existence of the Afghan Commissioner altogether. Colonel _ McMahon replied
that their instructions were insufficient to justify Ins recognising them as er-
r Commissioners empowered conjointly with Afghanistan to deal with him
as His Majesty’s arbitrator in the Helmand boundary dispute, and that, pending
the receipt by them of fresh instructions, he proposed to examine the river
downwards, and he asked for their assistance to his survey parties.