Page 464 - Gulf Precis(VIII)_Neat

4°
The arras trade between the Persian Gulf and the North-West
Frontier, 1901.
73. The following extra'ct from the Meshed Confidential Diary for the
Secret E., November 1901, Nos. 58— week ending the 2nd August 1901 is
60. worthy of note as showing the trade in
arms existing between Bunder Abbas and
the Afghan Frontier.
11 Eleven Martini-Hcnri rifles and over 1,000 rounds of ammunition have been captured
by the Customs Department at Karez, from information I was able to supply to them.
This makes 26 rifles and a large quantity of ammunition, captured from one caravan from
Bunder Abbas. All of these arms would probably have found their way to our frontier.
A full report will shortly be submitted to the Government of India, giving details of how
these rifles are brought from Maskat to Bunder Abbas, or a small place on the Persian
coast from which place the Afghan traders, who go to Bunder Abbas, bring them to Meshed
from where they arc sent to Afghanistan and the Indian border."
73. In further discussion of the question
External A., April 1902, Nos. 61—68.
of arms finding their way from the Persian
No. 17 of 1902. Gulf to the North-West Frontier, the
Secretary of State was addressed on the
33rd January 1 902, as follows
"In previous despatches we have expressed the opinion that arms and ammunition
imported into Maskat and the Persian Gulf ports reach the tribesmen on our North-
Western Frontier. During the course of the blockade of the Mahsud-Waziri tribe,
and the punitive operations which we have been and are still carrying out against them
we have obtained convincing proof that this is the case.
“ In reporting on the proceedings of the punitive column despatched from Jandola
during the first' week in December, Mr. Merk, Commissioner on Special Duty, states that on
the body of one Jan Khan, son of the principal Mahsud Malik, who was killed, were found
a revoler marked “made for Fracis, Times and Compay, London"; also Martini*Henry
cartridges bearing the initials F. T.C., which we presume to be the mark of the same firm.
Mr. Merk adds that he has seen cartridges similarly marked in the possession of Darwcsh
Khel tribesmen during the past year ; and the Commandant of the Dera Ismail Khan Border
Military Police reports that among the arms deposited this winter as usual by Powindahs
on entering British territory, there are 15 Martini-Henry rifles evidently imported from
the Persian Gulf. We send for your Lordship’s inspection a cartridge, bearing the F. T. C.
mark, which was used by one of a gang of Mahusd raiders, who were surprised by our
troops between Sarwekai and Girni during the past summer.
“ Major E. W. Maconochv, Assistant Quarter Master General, Intelligence Branch, who
has been on tour in the Gomal and Tochi, writes that, while at Sarwekai early in December
he took the opportunity of inspecting the bandoliers of some of the Darwesh Khel who
were there, and that of four men selected at random, three possessed solid drawn Martini-
Henry cartridges bearing the mark F. T. C. The Political Officer at Wana told him that
be could procure 5,000 such cartridges in a week from local men. The Wazirit all
spoke of these cartridges as coming from Meshed. "
74. Captain Bowring, Assistant Commissioner at Dera Ismail Khan, in
Secret E*. December 1901, Nos. [ 111. “S* JK.Vj.12!
in use among the Mahsuds said that the principal person who obtained
rifles for sale to the Powindahs was one Haji Amin, a resident of Bunder Abbas.
He had two or three shops for rifles, none of which, however, were in that town.
His son-in-law, agents and shops, were located in Maskat. His direct interme-
diaiy with the trade was a prominent citizen in that town, a Bilochi by tribe.
The rifles were imported by ships sailing by way of the Cape. These ships had
had to proceed secretly during the last two years owing to watch set on this
trade.
The principal traders of Khorasan were of the Mian Khel, Dotanni and Maji
tribes of Powindahs. At the time of the Powindah exodus from British territory
in April and May, members (not the same every year) of these tribes proceed
to*Karachi where they take ship to Bunder Abbas. These men made arrange­
ments for camels and boxes to proceed also to that town.
On arrival they paid Haji Amin at the rate of Rs. 40 to Rs. 50 per rifle,
each with 100 rounds (formerly the number of rounds had been 400 per riflg)’,