"مجلد I مذكرات بخصوص بلاد فارس والمنطقة الحدودية الشمالية الغربية. ١٩٠٥." [ظ‎‎١‎٤‎٠] (٣١٠/٢٨٥)

6
to be imported free of duty. This will have
the effect of stimulating the illicit traffic of
arms from Maskat (see Journal for June).
Kandahar .—Havildar Muhammad Khan
and two Hazara sepoys of the 126th Baluchis
at Quetta, when on their way to Kandahar on
leave, were captured, along with three women
who accompanied them, by a party of Afghan
khassadars near the Mel post, after a struggle
in which all three men were wounded. The
two sepoys have since died of their -wounds,
and the w 7 omen have been imprisoned in
Kandahar.
The Amir has issued a proclamation to
the effect that those of his subjects who can
afford to do so should provide themselves with
arms, and that those who cannot afford to
purchase arms will be supplied by Govern
ment.
It is reported that, as the result of a
quarrel between the Governor and the Barak-
zais, there has been an increase of crime on
the Chaman, Herat, and Kalat roads, the
offences being committed by Nurzais, Achak-
zais, and Tajiks, who calculate on being able
to put the blame on the Barakzais.
Kabul .—The Amir left Ghazni on the
9th November, and arrived back at Kabul on
the 18th November, after an absence of ex
actly eight weeks. He received a warm wel
come from the officials and people. Shortly
before leaving Ghazni, His Highness held a
Durbar^ at which he announced certain con
cessions to the people in the way of reductions
in revenue, in order to enable them to spend
more money on the improvement of irrigation :
His Highness also promised a supply of arms
to such of the tribes as do not possess sufficient
at present.
It is reported that the Amir has sanctioned
the establishment of heliographic communi
cation between Kabul and Dakka, and that a
party of signallers has arrived at the latter
place to arrange preliminaries.
The Kotwal of Kabul having reported to
the Amir that some of the Indian traders in
Kabul were supplying the Government of India
with news, His Highness has directed the
Afghan Postmaster at Peshawar to send any
suspicious letters to Kabul for examination.
Sardar Inayatulla Khan is reported to
have arrested some Russian spies in a rest-
house in the city.
The Amir wrote to the Viceroy on the 2nd
November, complaining of the action of the
Russians on his frontier, and asking that steps
might be taken to prevent such proceedings. His
Highness says that a Russian officer, with an
interpreter, crossed the Afghan frontier on the
22nd September, and asked permission to visit