commercial pivot, not only of the trade of North-eastern
Persia, but also of Western Afghanistan. The commercial supremacy of this
town will decide whether we are able in the future to hold our own in the
south or not; but once driven back from this centre we may as
well--commercially--say good-bye altogether to the northern and central
Persian markets; while even the southern markets will be very seriously
attacked, as far as goods coming overland are concerned.

Umar-al-din has made a most careful and serious study of the trade of
Eastern Persia, and I am certain that if we were to encourage a number of
other Indian traders of the same type to establish themselves in Birjand,
with possible branches in Meshed, England could make rapid headway
against any foreign competition. Being an Asiatic himself, although
Umar-al-din has travelled, I believe, in Australia, England, etc., and
speaks Hindustani, Persian and English perfectly, he is able to deal with
the Persians in a way in which a European would not be so successful. He
is on most friendly terms with H. E. Shan-kal-el-Mulk, the Governor, and
all the local officials, by whom he is held in much respect and who have
at various times made most extensive purchases in his shop to the amount
of several thousand tomans' (dollars) worth of British goods.

On one occasion he imported for the Amir and his son a first-class double
barrel English gun of the latest type, some revolvers, a bicycle, with a
lot of European furniture for which he received immediate payment in cash
of 4,000 rupees.

Umar-al-din was the first Indian trader to open a shop in Birjand. By
this means he has exercised great influence over the Persian merchants of
the place, and has induced the leading ones to trade with India, in
preference to Russia, by the Nushki-Quetta route. His good work has been
reported to Government by Major Chevenix Trench, then H. B. M. Consul in
Sistan, now Consul in Meshed, by Lieutenant-Colonel Temple, Major Benn,
and others.

On his arrival in Birjand he acted as Agent for the British Government,
and was for ten months in charge of the Consular postal arrangements from
Sistan to Meshed, while advising the Government on the best ways of
promoting trade in those regions, a work which he did mostly for love and
out of loyalty.

He has experimented a great deal, and his experience is that indigo is
the article which commands the greatest sale at present, then plain white
and