a duplicate packet, to the address of the Honourable the Court of Directors, which I received from Bussora, by express Arab messengers, on the 26th February, in the morning. I have now also the honour to enclose, for your information, translations of notes to me from Meerza Bozurg, received on the 22nd ult., and the extract of a letter from a person employed by me at Tehran, which reached my hands on the 25th following.

The King has proceeded, some time since, towards Mazanderan, and I have been told the principal motive of his Majesty's journey is to possess himself of a considerable treasure secreted in that province by his late uncle Mohammed Khan, and disclosed to his Majesty by his mother on her death-bed.

About the 28th and 29th of last month, the Government here received information of great importance from the Mussaleem of Bussora; and on the 3rd instant, the Pacha directed the confidential Minister to communicate the contents of these despatches to me. I have now the honour to enclose a copy of the notes I took for my own satisfaction, after the Minister left me, as well as a copy of a note from me to Meerza Bozurg, written at the earnest and express desire of this Government, on the subject of the Mussaleem's despatches.

I have now the honour to enclose a copy in cipher of my address of the 19th February to his Excellency the Most Noble the Governor-General, which contains a full account of the affair alluded to in my last address, about which I was called to conference with the Pacha on the 17th February. I shrewdly suspect, although the Government here affirm the contrary, that the request therein made to his Excellency is somehow or other connected or rather has originated in hints or information it had previously received of the march of the Persians; and, therefore, though I am still of opinion that, under certain circumstances, it would be good policy to render the hands of this Government as strong as possible, yet it is certain no measure which might embroil us or bring on disagreeable discussions with Persia should be adopted. I shall,

therefore, take the liberty of submitting to his Excellency the Governor-General, supposing he should feel inclined to comply with the Pacha's wishes, the propriety of declining to do so until the disposition of the Court of Persia to this Government shall be better ascertained.

I have detained the duplicate packet to the address of the Honourable the Court of Directors, now enclosed, to the present day, in the hope of being thereby, as I hourly expect. the arrival of a Tartar from Constantinople, enabled early to acknowledge the receipt of public despatches from London, of probably receiving original advices from India, and thereby saving the expense of an express Tartar, and of the arrival of the person mentioned to have been despatched to the Pacha from Tehran; which would have enabled me to have afforded you some certain lights respecting the Persian troops at Bebehàn.

The monthly accounts of the mission in December and January are now transmitted.

I have the honour to be, &c.,

HARFORD JONES.

[Enclosures from Mr. H. Jones.]

Translation ad Sensum of a Note from the Pacha to the

Be it known

Imaum.

It has reached us, that a person has arrived, with your honour, on the part of the French, the purport of whose coming was to obtain leave from you for a Balios to reside at Muscat; and that your honour made excuses on this point, and did not consent thereto, so that the French messenger returned unsatisfied.

This prudent conduct, on the part of your honour, has afforded us the greatest satisfaction; as we easily perceive therein that you exercised great penetration in sending away the Frenchman without complying with his request. We, indeed, have no doubt that your resolution to refuse the requests of this agent is a particular favour shown to you by

VOL. V.

R

God for your protection in this world and salvation in the next; for, time out of mind, the French have conducted all their business by stratagem and falsehoods, which has been exemplified in their behaviour to the Sublime Porte, between whom and these people there had been neither war nor coolness, as had often happened between the Porte and other European powers. The Sublime Porte, therefore, perhaps at one time placed particular confidence in their friendship and alliance; and they, indeed, professed themselves to be such friends to the Sublime Porte, that they desired to be numbered amongst the Osmanlies, and to be ranked as Janissaries, whose uniform they put on. This went on until their schemes were ripe; and then they seized on Egypt, where they did whatever pleased them; which most certainly your honour knows.

And it was not possible to expel them from Egypt but at an enormous expense and trouble; so that the desire they have expressed to have a Resident with you at Muscat is only deceit, for their numbers are very great and their resources very small; and, therefore, they are always ready to seize on the possessions of others: not like the English, who have India in their hands, and are contented and satisfied therewith; as their numbers are small, and revenues very great. The French are, in all respects, the exact reverse of the English, for they get into countries on various pretences; and, when once there, they never rest until they have made themselves masters of them. Now, they regard Muscat as a most strong port, of which, if it once falls into their hands, no one can dispossess them and this is very true, that, if they once get there, no one will be able to drive them out; and, by God, they will do this, if you are not on your guard, little by little, and become masters of all your ports! and from thence they will proceed to others, which will be a great affliction to all Muslim Governments, and affect equally their temporal and spiritual interests. Repentance will then avail nothing;

:

counsel will be useless; therefore, the very meaning of our addressing your honour is contained in three points :-First, to counsel you in regard to religion; second, to advise you in the way of friendship; and third, to tell you from experience what the Sublime Porte has suffered from French ambassadors and French emissaries.

God willing (and we repeat it)-God willing, a person like your honour will not loosely regard a business of this consequence; for to your wisdom the deceit, falsehood, and bad faith of these people must be apparent; but if your honour should be strongly pressed to admit this French Resident, and you should be inclined to do so, thinking, if the friendship of the English is not sincere, it may be a kind of balance to them, you have nothing to do but to inform us, and we will become a mediator between you and them; and procure such friendly arrangements from the English Government, between you and them, as shall last for ever. The English are the most perfect in their friendship of all other European powers; for they are a satisfied people, and do not envy the possessions of others, for their revenues are very great; but the French, as we have said before, are the reverse, and have now turned their thoughts towards plundering distant countries. Besides which, the English are become your neighbours, and the seas and India are in their hands, and a great commerce is carried on between you and them; and, therefore, if now or hereafter you permit a French establishment with you, it will certainly lead to a war, between you, the Sublime Porte, and the English; and this, most assuredly, will be very bad for your honour. A French establishment at Muscat can be no advantage to you in this world or the next.

Our motive in saying all this is no other than affection to your welfare; and, we repeat, should the French make a second proposal of this sort to your honour, on no account listen to their speeches, nor comply with their solicitations: separate yourself from their detestable proposals, and count it a peculiar

mark of God's providence that you, I, and all the Mussulmans, are at present secure from these diabolical rascals.

ALLY,

Governor of Bagdad, &c., &c.

Translation of a Note from Meerza Bozurg to the Resident, received on the 22nd February.

My dear friend-I must repeat to you, as you have been the cause of so intimate a connexion and friendship between this Court and the Government of Bagdad, that, in respect to the delay which has taken place in the despatch of the Pacha's proposed envoy, it is necessary for you to know that a longer procrastination of this affair will be considered here as ill according with the friendly dispositions and sentiments which you have assured us are entertained towards this Government by that of Bagdad; being informed of this, I am sure you will do all in your power to hasten the departure of the proposed

envoy.

2nd Note received at the same time.

Before this, I sent you some particulars of what has passed in Khorassan: what has newly reached us from thence is, that Nadir Meerza, and all the sons of Shahrokh Shah, have fallen into the hands of the King's troops, and will shortly arrive at Tehran. The Governors of certain of the fortresses of Khorassan, which held out against the King, such as Kalaat, Chenaràn, and Derejez, have also lately arrived, with the Prince Mohammed Veli, the King's lieutenant in those parts, and have delivered up their fortresses to him.

Shahzadeh Ferouzeddin, the son of Teimour Shah, who is at Herât, has also directed the Khotbeh to be read in the King's name, and coins to be struck in the same; and has sent certain persons of consideration as hostages to Meshed, and has desired of the King to appoint him Governor of those countries; so that, God willing, in a short time Candahar and its dependencies will acknowledge the Government of his Majesty.