THE MAGMAHON MISSION. 143 



Helmund formed so important a part of it. So far 

 back as the end of 1900, when I was myself in Sistan, 

 both Afghans and Persians were indulging in hostile 

 incursions into the disputed tracts of the rapidly dis- 

 solving border, which led to highly strained relations, if 

 not, indeed, to actual bloodshed; and early in 1903 a 

 Commission under Colonel MacMahon, who had dis- 

 tinguished himself in defining the Afghan - Baluch 

 boundary in 1896, proceeded from India, via the Hel- 

 mund, accompanied by an escort and a large number of 

 followers, to meet the Persian Commissioner on the 

 scene of actual dispute. 



The susceptibilities of the Russians were of course 

 grievously outraged, and it was whispered that when 

 they found themselves unable to adduce any adequate 

 reason for being represented upon the Commission them- 

 selves, the Persian delegate received telegraphic instruc- 

 tions to fall ill, and to summon to his aid a E-ussian doctor 

 residing at the Russian consulate at Nasratabad ! The 

 immediate result was that a deadlock ensued, and the 

 Persian Government, realising that the situation had 

 become absurd, issued instructions for the recovery of 

 their commissioner once more. Like most thing's in 

 Persia, the operations have proceeded — if indeed such 

 a word may be used — with appropriate dignity and 

 delay ; and the summer of 1904 has come round, to find 

 the Commission still biding in Sistan, in thorough en- 

 joyment, no doubt, of the attractions of that place as 

 provided by the inconceivable variety of the insect 

 world which it displays and the distracting persistency 

 of the "wind of 120 days." 



In other parts of the kingdom ways and communica- 

 tions seemed to be attracting some attention — not before 

 it was needed, would be an appropriate comment. The 

 difficulties between Messrs Lynch and the Bakhtiari 



