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Inclosure 3 in No. 1.
Government of India to Sir E. Satow.
Fort William, March 25, 1904. I AM directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, dated the 16th November, 1903, to the address of his Excellency the Viceroy, regarding the disputed rights formerly enjoyed by the Kanjutis in the Raskam Valley.
2. I am to convey his Excellency's thanks for the précis which you have furnished, and to inclose a copy of it in print, completed from the records of the Government of India in the Foreign Department. I am also to inclose, for your information, a copy of the papers cited in the accompanying list, and to invite your attention to the final paragraph of the Government of India Secret despatch of yesterday's date, which expresses the views of this Government regarding the use of the term "ousted" in the telegram to his Majesty's Secretary of State for India, dated the 13th March, 1901,
Inclosure & in No. 1.
Government of India to Mr. Colvin,
(Telegraphic.)
Simla, April 20, 1904. KASHGAR diary ending 10th March, 1904. Proceedings of Mir of Hunza's Envoy at Kashgar. Please inform Macartney at once of present position of Raskam question as set forth in inclosure to my telegram of 15th April.
Inclosure 6 in No. 1.
may
Inclosure 4 in No. 1.
Extract from the Kashgar Diary for ten days ending March 10, 1904.
March 1-Nazar Ali, the Hunza Vakil, with the present of gold arrived, He asked me if he could speak to the Taotai about the cultivation in Raskam. I said I saw no. objection to this, but that my name was not to be mentioned. I told him I had written about this when in Yarkand last December, but no reply has been received as yet, but this be due to the Chinese New Year, when for a mouth the Chinese do no business. March 5.-Nazar Ali, the Mir of Hunza's Vakil, presented the present of gold yesterday. It was said to be under weight, but Nazar Ali at once made good the deficiency. I am afraid the Vakils are disappointed, as they are only being given a bare subsistence.
Nazar Ali spoke about the cultivation said to be going on in Raskam, but said that the Thotai paid very little attention to anything he said.
March 7--Nazar Ali, Hunza Vakil, yesterday was given his leave to return by the Taotai. He seems to have been given much the same presents as usual, except that there was a shortage in the "kham" (country cotton cloth) which Nazar Ali thinks not quite right.
He expressed a wish to discuss the Raskam question. Mahmood Beg, the Taotaî's interpreter, who also was interpreter to Huan Taotai, in whose time the Raskam question was fully discussed, was told off to talk to Nazar Ali. Mahmood Beg knows all about: the question. Nazar Ali appears to have pointed out that, pending a final settlement of the question, it was arranged that no one was to cultivate in Raskam, whereas this arrangement has been broken, as Sarikolis are caltivating there. Mahmood Beg reported the conversation to the Taotai, who sent out a reply, asking why the Mir had not drawn attention to this in his letter. Nazar Ali replied that the Mir had told him to represent this question verbally. The Taotai replied that he would write two letters-one to the Taotai and one to the Amban of Sarikol-directing the latter to prohibit cultivation in Raskam. The Taotai added that next year he hoped some satisfactory arrangement would be arrived at.
All this conversation was brought by an interpreter, and was not in front of the Taotai. Mention was also made of the Russians having interfered to prevent Raskam being returned to Hunza. Nazar Ali appears to have had some difficulty in getting Blahmood Beg to get an answer about this question of Raskam.
(Telegraphic.)
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Mr. Colvin to Government of India.
Srinagar, April 22, 1904.
I visit
MY telegram of 22nd March. Political Agent, Gilgit, wires ---
Approximate value of annual Chinese present to Hunza is 1,250 rupees, Hunza on 3rd May, and would prefer to submit report regarding assistance to Hunza from there after I have made further inquiries on spot regarding condition of people." As regards your telegram of 20th April, I had already ordered Macartney to be informed of position.
Inclosure 7 in No. 1.
Mr. Colvin to Government of India.
Srinagar, April 27, 1904. WITH reference to the diary of my Special Assistant for Chinese Affairs at Kashgar for the ten days ending 10th March, 1904, entry dated 10th March, regarding the Raskam question, I have the honour to report that I have instructed the Special Assistant (now His Majesty's Consul at Kashgar) not to move further in the
matter.
Inclosure 8 in No. 1.
Extract from the Gilgit Diary for the week ending April 23, 1904.
HUNZA.
THE Vakil of the Mir of Hunza, who was sent to Kashgar with the annual present of gold for the Chinese Government, returned to Hunza on the 15th April. The Vakil states that he was well treated by the Chinese authorities. He also states that be reminded the Taotai of Kashgar regarding the Raskam question. The Taotai promised to again bring the matter to the notice of his superior, and undertook to send instruc- tions to his subordinate at Tashkurgan that he should prohibit the Sarikolis from be may cultivating the tract in question until the case had been definitely settled. It noted here that information was recently received by the Mir of Hunza that some Sarikolis had settled in Raskam.
• Not printed.
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