Kalat Affairs [‎361v] (130/172)

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in December, every point you urged, and every quotation you^ made, slowed
that your idea of managing Khelat affairs ivas that the rebel birdais were to
be encouraged, because vou thought they had teen ill-used, and the te lan o
be set down. This idea was pressed by you in spite of its being directly con-
trary to the instructions I had given in May 1$69, which were, that the v lan
alone was to be looked to and recognized as the sole person we were to have deal
ings with on Khebit matters, and that on no account was there to be any interfer
ence between the Khan and his subjects. /Though suffering great pain at the
time, and writing onlv with great difficulty,/ X took the trouble of pointing out
the mistakes you had made, in quoting frojh the records, merely to support pre
conceived ideas, and showed clearly, as it Seemed to me, how erroneously you
had formed them. Besides official documfents, I would refer you particularly to
my demi-officials of the 8th January last'and 15th December 1869.
You failed to notice that this persistence on your part was really very dis
respectful to me, as directly contrary to what I had ordered. However, I
passed that by, and instead of returnjtog the papers to you, sent them all on to
Government.
Your opposition fo my wishes lias now taken a form which I can no longer
bear with, but must express my extreme disapproval of it; and at the same time
desire you to follow implicitly the instructions of May 1869, in Khelat affairs,
to act only with and for the Khan, and consider no one else.
While much pained at what/has occurred, I feel you have been unfortunate
in not being able to take advantage of the assistance of those near and under
you, who were gratified to give it. I allude especially to Macauley. Had you
taken the help from him, which he would readily have given, and was of all
people most fitted to give, what has occurred now would never have happened.
He found he could do no good, so he left the Frontier and service.
You unluckily leaned oh Sandeman instead. Now, though he is a very in
telligent, energetic and zealous officer, still, in the matter of Khelat affairs, he
was the most ignorant of all, and therefore his support was only a simple blind
following of your ideas ; no proof you were right, but a dangerous confirma
tion of error. Sandeman v/as so carried away by the minor matter of the settle
ment of the Murrees and Boogtees, and reviving an old trade route, that he
could not regard the othel and more important points at issue, and you sided
with him. The result has been that he has acted hastily, and engaged in
matters with which he had no concern whatever, and has been to a certain
extent instrumental in placing you in the dilemma you are now in.
For him there can be no excuse whatever, and I am sorry to observe from
his letter to you, received since I wrote my official replies to, that, instead of
having the good taste t| acknowledge his mistake, he attempts to vindicate his
action after deliberately disobeying the plain instructions I gave him.
I can only add now that all the papers go before Government immediately,
and will in due time I suppose be disposed of. "Whatever may follow, will be
of your own causing. / I have done all I could to prevent ill happenin°* to any
one, and have been as always °
Your’s most sincerely,
*
w. L. ME RE WETHER.
I must request you to make some better arrangement in your present
office and wrth existing establishment. In the latter respect, you are not
worse off than others. My office is very under-handed and already overworked
wit.i current business so that they cannot possibly copy long papers of another
office in addition/to their own labor.
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