Journal of the Royal United
Service Institution
VOL. XIX. 1875. No. LXXX.
LECTURE.
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This
latest accession to general Oriental cartography,
notwithstanding scarcely unavoidable inaccuracies and
occasional vagueness of detail, merits attention as
embodying much new matter. But, in asking you to accept
for our present purpose a crude production, I may add
that it will be my endeavor to prepare for the printed
paper a map containing routes and places which have
heretofore never appeared in a collective form.
Major-General James Abbott, the same Officer whose
journey to Khiva is now a standard reference, has kindly
retraced in memory his work of 35 years ago ; and only
yesterday I had the great pleasure of receiving from him
a paper of almost historical value, which may be turned
to account in entering new, or checking heretofore
recorded stations. It is an extract from his original
Field Book of a rude survey made from the saddle in
1839-40; and supplies an interesting detail of his
twenty-seven marches from Herat, accomplished from the
24th December to the 19th January inclusive.
There is, no doubt, much of truth in the charge laid
against England of indifference in availing herself of
opportunities to advance Science, readily presented in
her political field; and, as a case in point, we have
been told that the presence of our Officers in Persia
through very recent years, was not utilized for acquiring
that knowledge of the geography of the country, notably
on the Northern and North- Eastern Frontier, which we, of
all nations, should seek to possess. But in blaming
ourselves, as we not infrequently do, for political
failures and shortcomings, might we not, at the same
time, take credit for having acquired by the above-named
or similar agencies, a good deal of information about
Eastern and South- Eastern Persia, and Persian
Baluchistan within the last ten or twenty years ? The
labors of the Engineer Officers and others, attached, or
otherwise associated with my late Missions, have yet to
be made public, and I trust that in two or three months
more, their relation in print will afford proof that the
pursuit of political objects and achievements of
political results have not occupied the undivided
attention of British employees in Makran and Seistan. And
even where opportunity has not been afforded for out-door
survey and research; it is believed that a residence of
so many Englishmen, and for so long a time, in Persia has
not been barren in fruits of observation.
That the subject is not a popular one is no fault of
theirs; nor is the fact that knowledge stored, is not
knowledge used, to be visited on their heads. I can only
say that so far as I can bear testimony, from some five
years' experience in the superintendence of the Persian
Telegraph and 2^- years in Perso-Baluch and Perso- Afghan
Boundary Missions, I should have no fear for the Officers
employed in either department, were they called upon to
pass a competitive examination in knowledge of the
country and people, with the Officers of any other
service whatever. In the meanwhile, I would take the
opportunity of noting that important contributions to
Persian Geography •will be found in Major St. John's
map in course of publication, and in the map1
illustrative of Colonel Baker's and Lieutenant Gill's
explorations about to appear, I believe, in the Journal
of this Institution.
1 Since published. Vide No. 79 of the Journal, Plate
XVIII. — ED.
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