'Report on Sistan and the Country Between It and Mashad' [‎12r] (28/118)

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. I also knew that one or two Russian doctors would probably be in
Birjand about that time ; and taking into consideration the way the Amir
had behaved, it was not desirable that I should meet Ali Akbar there.
The Governor of Sistan might thus be “ got at ” by the Russians be-
fore I had been able to say a word.
I accordingly posted a man off to Tabas with all speed to ask him to
defer his departure a few days, as I would be passing Khur, and would like
to meet him there. Khur lies on the road between Tabas and Birjand, at
the junction of another road running north and south, by which I proposed
to travel.
I then marched to the base of the Palang Kuh, and, following it up,
arrived at Neb in about a week. There I met two Russian doctors who had
come from Mashad ?na Birjand in a cart drawn by four horses.
Russians are about the poorest horsemen in the world, but they have a
wonderful seat on a cart, and will find their way across country on wheels
where no one else would dream of driving:.
They came and called on me, and I discovered they were the second in
stalment of doctors for Mashad. Before leaving I had met one at the Russian
Consulate, who, I afterwards heard, had started in my tracks, but returned
in consequence presumably of Mr. Elias' representations to Tehran that the
ostensible reason of his journey, the outbreak of plague and cholera in Sistan,
was invented for the occasion.
Meanwhile cholera actually did break out in Birjand after I had passed
through, and gave the Russians another opportunity, which they at once
availed themselves of.
These doctors were civilians. They were of Armenian extraction, and
appeared pleasant, cheery fellows, though somewhat rough.
One of them was suspected of being an engineer.
They told me they were fully convinced of the futility of their journey,
as everyone said there was no plague in Sistan, but the Russian Government
would not be satisfied until they had pursued their investigations on the spot.
They had travelled very fast and carried no tents.
Their party consisted of three Turkoman sowars mounted and two
drivers and an interpreter in the cart, which also carried their luggage.
Simultaneously with their arrival I received instructions regarding them
from Mr. Elias on the supposition that I was still in Sistan, which I was now
unable to carry out as I was committed to meet the Amir.
I asked them when they intended to leave Neh, and they said something
about resting a day or two ; that they would not be long in Sistan, and hoped
to catch me up, when we might travel back to Mashad together.
They had no idea I was going to meet Ali Akbar Khan and knew about
my visit to Birjand, so they were as little desirous of my company as I was of
theirs, and left for Sistan next morning.
I heard afterwards that they visited several villages in Sistan, and espe
cially warned the people to have nothing to do with Indian goods and to dis
courage any opening up of Indian trade routes, as it was by this means that
the cholera had found its way into the country last summer. I do not think
they can have done much harm. The Sistanis were already warned of their
approach and what their real objects were.