"مجلد I مذكرات بخصوص بلاد فارس والمنطقة الحدودية الشمالية الغربية. ١٩٠٥." [و‎‎٦‎٧] (٣١٠/١٣٨)

3
Two now Persian officers of the rank of
Yawar or Major have arrived at Karez to
relieve those on duty with the cordon.
The Russian officer at Karez recently sent
Naib Shafi Khan, a Persian officer of the
staff of the quarantiue cordon, with two
Persian sowars, to Musabad, to ascertain the
number of Afghan sowars there. The latter
were found to be four in number, and they
refused to allow Shafi Khan and his sowars to
enter the place.
SEISTAN.
The local Government in Seistan have
been instructed to conduct, through the Yamin-
i-Kizam, all their relations with Katkhuda
Post Muhammad Khan, head of the Saruni
section of the Baluchis in Seistan. Dost
Muhammad being now relieved of fear of
the Hashmat-ul-Mulk, threatens' to make a
clean breast of the latter’s administration of
the Seistan revenue to the Mustansir-ul-Mulk,
wdth the object of preventing the Hashmat-
ul-Mulk’s return.
On the 25th January, Captain Macpher-
son had a long conversation with the Deputy
Governor, in the course of which the latter
stated that his authority was beins? so under
mined by the Mustansir-ul-Mulk and the
Yamin-i-Nizam that it w as in danger of dis
appearing completely. He also spoke of his
difficulties in paying the revenue, for which the
Mustansir-ul-Mulk was pressing him, but
which the Hashmat-ul-Mulk would not let
him hand over. The matter has since been
settled by an arrangement that the revenue
demand should be paid in grain, any shortage
in the normal amount being made good by a
cash payment calculated at 5^ tomans per
Tabriz! Kharwar. This rate is about 2J
times as much as that demanded last year.
In reporting the above facts, Captain
Macpherson adds that the Deputy Governor,
though pleasant socially and inclined to be
friendly, is even more w r eak and tyrannical
by nature than his father, the Hashmat-ul-
Mulk, and likely to be of even less service. On
the other hand, Captain Macpherson regards
both the Yamin-i-lSizam and the Mustansir-
ul-Mulk as inclined to be well disposed, but
deterred from openly showing their feelings,
from fear of being misrepresented at Tehran.
The Mustansir-ul-Mulk has not yet called on the
Russian Consul in spite of the J at ter s repeated
efforts to induce him to do so. The only official
really hostile to British interests at present in
Seistan is the Karguzar, who has, however,
been severely reprimanded by the lehran
authorities for his attitude towards Captain
Macpherson. fihe question of the appointment
of the Hashmat-ul-Mulk is not likely to be