572 Hon. G. N. Curzon [May 10, 



Amir's landaus, with a cavalry escort, to the gates of the Bostan Serai, 

 or pavilion, in which he was then residing. At the doors I was met 

 by the Master of the Ceremonies — a very handsome and charming 

 individual, who I hope wilJ come to London next week — by the 

 Captain of the Bodyguard, and by the Amir's private secretary and 

 right-hand-man, bearing the title of Mir Munshi, and by other officials. 

 Escorted by these personages, always in uniform, I walked through 

 the garden to the building, passing through a room in which was a 

 piano, with a case painted by Burne-Jones, and came to an inner 

 apartment where the Amir, who had not then completely recovered 

 from his recent severe illness, and who was, moreover, a victim to 

 chronic gout in his lower limbs, was seated at the upper end on a 

 charpoy or low bedstead overspread with silken quilts. I was invited 

 to a chair at the right hand of the Amir. The only other persons 

 seated were Sir S. Pyne, Miss Hamilton, the lady doctor who was at 

 that time looking after the health of the Amir ; and on one occasion 

 his eldest son, Prince Habibulla Khan. I have often been asked by 

 what means our conversations were conducted. Persian is the society 

 and court language of Afghanistan, as of all the neighbouring Central 

 Asian states, and though the Amir can also speak Turki and Pushtu 

 (which is the dialect of the ordinary Afghan and Pathan), it is in 

 Persian that he transacts all business and correspondence. My own 

 knowledge of Persian is not adequate either to initiate or to understand 

 a sustained conversation, and our interchange of views was effected 

 through the capable agency of the Mir Munshi before mentioned, who 

 has a thorough acquaintance with both Persian and English. I may 

 here say that in prolonged interviews with an Oriental potentate, where 

 time is of no great importance, and in which words have to be weighed 

 rather carefully, I regard it as of great service not to be too closely 

 acquainted with the language of the country. Such knowledge of an 

 Oriental tongue as a European, even by considerable study, is likely to 

 acquire, is not adequate to enable him to conduct a political or abstruse 

 discussion with any ease, w T hile he is apt to be betrayed by un- 

 familiarity into blunders of which he is himself unconscious. Given 

 a competent and faithful interpreter, I would sooner converse with 

 any Asiatic potentate in this circuitous way. During the time that 

 he is speaking one has ample opportunity for reflection and considera- 

 tion of the proper reply ; while it is in the power of the interpreter, 

 if skilful, to present the questions or answers of a European in a light 

 which commends itself to the Oriental intellect. The Amir is 

 extraordinarily precise and exacting in his own demands upon the 

 accuracy of the translator, pausing after nearly every word or group 

 of words, to see that it is exactly rendered, and fixing his deep and 

 searching eyes upon the person who is answering or arguing with 

 him. 



I regard the Amir Abdur Eahman Khan as a firm and convinced 

 and loyal ally of the British Government. Though he has often had 

 differences with the Indian Government, and though there have been 



