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Fully half this number will be required for garrison duty; and casualties inevitable in moving troops in this season will certainly reduce the other half to about 3,500 ill paid, dissatisfied, and badly equipped men, which I consider will be the maximum number of regular forces that may, if they meet with no opposition, reach Herat.

Two thousand men and some artillerymen are also under orders for Fars, where the troops, with this addition, will amount to 3,600 men, and are, it is said, to be placed under the command of Prince Hamza Meerza, the present Governor of Ispahan. His Government considers him a good general. I have known him very intimately for 5 years, but cannot confirm this opinion.

The Secretary to the Government of India. RICH. W. STEVENS.

SIR,

(Inclosure 5.)—Consul Stevens to Mr. Murray.

Tehran, December 29, 1855. THE Persian Government has, I understand, communicated to the foreign Missions in Tehran, the copies of a pretended correspondence between Mr. Thomson and Syed Mahomed Khan, found among the latter's papers after his murder, and in which Mr. Thomson places a crore, or half crore, of tomauns at the chief's disposal, for purposes injurious to the interests of the Persian Government.

Both M. Bourré and Hyder Effendi mentioned this circumstance to me; and I did not hesitate to declare to them that, if any such documents existed, they were probably forged by the Persians to justify their recent manifesto against Herat.

C. A. Murray, Esq.

I have, &c.

RICH. W. STEVENS.

No. 66.-Lord Stratford de Redcliffe to the Earl of Clarendon. (Received February 24.)

(Extract.)

Constantinople, February 18, 1856. INTELLIGENCE having reached me from Tehran that a document prepared by the Persian Government, signed by numerous Ulemahs, and containing a number of false and calumnious charges against the members of Her Majesty's Legation in Persia, had been for warded to Contantinople, I have been requested by Mr. Murray to procure a copy of this paper, which he had not himself been able to obtain in Persia, and to transmit it to your Lordship's office without loss of time.

The document, of which I have the honour to inclose a translation herewith, although it contains no direct and specific charges against that gentleman or the members of his Mission, and although, judging from the period of its communication to myself, it must have been written before Mr. Murray had left Tehran, appears,

nevertheless, to correspond sufficiently with the paper indicated by that gentleman to warrant its immediate transmission, on my part, for your Lordship's information.

The Earl of Clarendon.

SRATFORD DE REDCLIFFE.

(Inclosure.)-Letter from Hajee Ali Keene, Mooshthed or Chief (Translation.) Priest of Tehran.

I BEG to trouble you with the representation of three necessary subjects. The first is this, that such a disturbance took place last night at the back of your petitioner's house, that had it not occurred towards the close of the night, when the people were asleep, à considerable riot might have happened. One of the foreign residents of this city occupies a house in your petitioner's neighbourhood; the name of his service was assumed by a party of rabble who had collected about him, reckless fellows in speech and action. In short, about midnight they seized a woman and were carrying her off, either for themselves or for their authorities in office. The woman cried and screamed, and two well-known respectable merchants went out themselves to rescue her. These rascals, together with a party of official people ("sahib-mansab") and instructors ("maullim"), fell on the merchants, beat them, and were dragging them home, when one Thaddeus, an Armenian, interfered and obtained their releaseone of their men having brought up the watch of the quarter, who gave the fellows a sound thrashing, and drove them away.

My petition, then, is this: How can such disturbances and irregu larities (perpetrated against the respectable people of the city, and especially against the honour of Mussulmans) be tolerated? It is clear to all that such people will stop at nothing after this tumultuous conduct. I often hear that their officials are in the habit of carrying off Mussulman women: and my request is, that a remedy for all this be found, especially as regards last night's disturbance, for I can no longer endure or control such irregularities; otherwise I must resign my post, and perhaps quit the city.

No. 67.-Mr. Murray to the Earl of Clarendon:-(Rec: at Paris, Mar. 2.) (Extract:) Tabreez, January 18, 1856.

I HAVE the honour to inform your Lordship that, a short time ago, a messenger or agent from Herat called upon Mr. Stevens at Tehran, and finding that I had already withdrawn the Mission from that capital, delivered to him 3 letters addressed to me by several Chiefs of the principal Heratee tribes and factions, translations of which I have the honour to inclose herewith.

There are some remarkable and suspicious eircumstances attached to these letters, deserving your Lordship's notice. They bear no

date, and although stated by the messenger to be addressed to me they bore no superscription whatever; in endeavouring to form an opinion as to their genuineness, I had the fortuitous advantage of the assistance of our second Meerza, who is himself an Affghan, and who is well acquainted with the names, position, and seals of the parties. The genuineness of some of the seals is, in his opinion, questionable, but the last of the series seems to be genuine. If, as I strongly suspect, these letters are either forged or written at the secret instigation of the Persian Government, then it is only a clumsy attempt on their part to entangle me in some correspondence or negotiation with the Affghan Chiefs, by the interception and disclosure of which they might justify their own march upon Herat, and also the falsehoods which they have spread, and are spreading, far and wide, to the effect that Her Majesty's Government and this Mission have violated the agreement entered into with Persia, in respect to the non-interference in the internal affairs of Affghanistan.

Whatever may be the real history of these letters, the only reply that I have given to them is the inclosed letter to Mr. Stevens, of which I send him a Persian translation, which I authorize him to give to the Affghan messenger.

The Earl of Clarendon.

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CH. A. MURRAY.

Khan to Mr. Murray.

In the first place, I pray for your welfare; and secondly, I beg to represent to you that I, your devoted servant, am exceedingly desirous to serve your Government with heart and soul. In this country we have a multitude of followers; thanks be to God, and, by the kind. ness of your Government, we can command about 10,000 men, horse and foot; and as we knew that your Government desired this country, we seized Syed Mohomed Khan (late Ruler of Herat), and now our eyes are open in expectation, we being ready to serve in any way you may point out. As we had no chief, we brought Prince Mahomed Youssuf and set him over us, but now his intentions are changed, and this is the reason we have sent the bearer to you; so that in any way you are pleased to command we may serve.

Khan is the bearer, and whatever he says may be depended

upon.

Khan and

Khan to Mr. Murray.

(Translation.)

MAY God always preserve you perfect health. I beg to state that I, your servant, am one of the tribes,* but am at present resid* Eeliat tribes.

ing in the city, praying for the prosperity of your Government. Being ourselves in difficulty, and having created for ourselves our present position, if your Government has any favour for us, and will give us any instructions, we are quite able to face them all here. We are in expectation, and if you will silence them there (at Tehran), we are a match for them here. There was a person here who said he was connected with your Government, but we did not feel confident of the truth of what he said. In short, we have sent

to you, and whatever he says, you may consider as said by us; and let the Government be informed of the matter, for if they desire it, let them show us favour and feel quite confident in us, for affairs have now taken a very serious turn.

*After Compliments,

to Mr. Murray.

(Translation.)

I BEG to inform your Excellency that we have taken certain steps, relying upon your assurances that it was for our good; but some persons have now changed their manner of behaving (meaning Prince Mahomed Youssuf), and our affairs do not prosper here. Some of your people are here, but we have not ventured to speak to them about our business. We have, therefore, sent these letters to you to explain the matter. We have been the cause of these proceedings, being the Chiefs of the different tribes; we did it in accordance with the desire of your Government. Now affairs are in confusion here, and if it be the wish of your Government, we can command about 10,000 men; if you show us favour, we can get the better of them all here. One is on his side (Prince Mahomed Youssuf, apparently) and all the others are with us. Be good enough to let us know if you have any request. Every one is devoted to you and your Government, and considering you as their friend, they have sent a messenger to you, so that they may receive answers to their communications, and feel confidence in you, when they will serve your Government. You can determine as you please. As it was requisite, I have written this letter. The bearer will mention to you verbally all other matters, and his word is deserving of credit.

(Inclosure 2.)-Mr. Murray to Consul Stevens.

(Extract.) Tabreez, January 17, 1856. I HAVE received and read the three letters which were placed in your hands, and which you forwarded to me. They bear the seals of Heratee Chiefs of high rank. You may, therefore, convey to them the following reply to their communication:

• Autograph of the author.

In the first place I must observe, that the letters contain several serious misstatements, which require correction: such, for instance, as "We know your Government desired this country;" also that, "We have taken certain steps relying upon your assurances that it was for our good." Now, it should be known to the Chiefs who sent these letters that I never gave them any assurances, neither have I recommended them to take any steps whatsoever. It is equally incorrect to state that the British Government desires their country. These Chiefs should know that the British Government, some time ago, made an agreement with the Persian Government that neither party should meddle in the internal affairs of Affghanistan. So long as there is peace between Great Britain and Persia, the British Government cannot, and will not, break this agreement; neither will we permit the Persian Government to break it on their side. If they do, they must take the consequences that may follow. What the British Government desires is to see Affghanistan prosperous and independent; we wish to have sincere friendship and extended mutual relations of commerce with the Affghans, and that they should arrange their own affairs of internal Government without any interference either on the part of Great Britain or of Persia.

As to the tale of there being now in Herat an English subject connected with our Government, it must be a mere fable; at least I know of no such person.

After I heard that the Government of Herat had fallen into the hands of Prince Mahomed Youssuf, who bore the character of courage and ability, I hoped that the affairs of that city and country would improve and prosper in his hands. It seems from these letters that I have been disappointed in this hope, and that all is again intrigue and dissension. I regret this on account of the Affghans themselves; for all history shows that a country, however brave and warlike may be its population, which is divided by internal broils and dissensions, and solicits foreign intervention, is sure to be ruined in the end.

I repeat what I have before stated, that so long as we are at peace with Persia, we cannot interfere in the internal affairs of Affghanistan; neither will we permit the Persians to do 80 impunity.

I send you a translation of this letter. R. W. Stevens, Esq:

with

CH: A. MURRAY.

No. 68. Mr. Murray to the Earl of Clarendon. (Rev. at Paris, Mar:2.) (Extract.) Tabreez, January 22, 1856. I HAVE the honour to inelose herewith a translation of a paper lately drawn up by the Persian Government, and sent, or about to

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