"مجلد I مذكرات بخصوص بلاد فارس والمنطقة الحدودية الشمالية الغربية. ١٩٠٥." [ظ‎‎٧‎٩] (٣١٠/١٦٣)

t 4 ]
was due to anti-Russian intrigues, engineered
by him. The Russian Consul-General is
reported to have threatened to call for the
assistance of Russian troops from Ashkabad,
and 300 Cossacks and a battalion of infantry
actually left that place for the frontier, but
were recalled.
Nothing has been done towards arresting
the gang of robbers who attacked the sowars
attached to the Consulate at Turbat-i-IIaidari
(see last Journal). On the 28th February,
Colonel Minchin wrote to the Governor-
General, reminding him that the time allowed
for the arrest of Amir Khan and his gang
expired on that day. On the 1 st March, he
received a reply from the Karguzar to the
effect that the robbers were not in Persian
territory, and could not, therefore, be arrested.
This statement was incorrect, and Colonel
Minchin accordingly, after speaking to the
Governor-General on the subject, wrote to
the Karguzar and demanded 1,000 tomans as
compensation. The demand having been met
with the usual evasive tactics, Colonel Minchin
has referred the matter to Sir A. Hardin^e.
The Mukhbir-ud-Dowlah has given per
mission for the Russian telegraphists at Turbat-
i-Haidari to accept public work, and to have a
separate room in the telegraph office. Hitherto
these men have only done work for Captain
Yass; and from this new departure, it looks as
if the Mukhbir-ud-Dowlah is giving in to the
Russians (see Journal for December).
Colonel Minchin has had to represent to
the Governor-General the difficulty which he
experiences in getting any cases settled by the
Karguzar, and the Governor-General has
taken up the matter in a friendly spirit.
A report received by Colonel Minchin
from the Karez Agent, dated the 6 th March,
states that some Afghans made a raid on a
village on the Karez frontier, and carried off
some rifles and horses belonging to an agent
of Muavin-ul-Ayala, a rich land-owner resid
ing at Meshed.
It is reported that the Russians are think
ing of building a telegraph office of their own
at Birjand.
After his return from leave at the end of
February, Captain Yass told Captain Winter
that he would be at Turbat for another year
for certain, from which it may be inferred that
there is no immediate intention of withdraw
ing the quarantine cordon.
Early in February, a caravan belonging
to some Persian merchants was looted on the
road to Yezd. The merchants went to Captain
Winter, His Britannic Majesty’s Consul at
Turbat-i-Haidari, who advised them to
represent their case to the Karguzar. Com
pensation has since been paid to the merchants.