Sykes' History of Persia Vol 2 (pdf) - Heritage Institute

406 HISTORY OF PERSIA
tested. It is stated that he had made remarks which
tended to lower the dignity of the Governor-General..
But inasmuch as he represented the Crown and had to
explain to the Persians, when his bills were protested, the
relation of the East India Company
to the British Government,
it would have been difficult for him to avoid giving
offence, if offence was looked for. 1 After the lapse of
years the good work done by both Malcolm and Jones
remains, and the friction which was almost inevitable may
be forgotten.
The preliminary treaty was taken to England
by James Morier, the author of the immortal " Hajji
Baba," who was the secretary
to the mission. Lord
Minto accepted the arrangements which had been contracted
with the Shah while condemning the behaviour
of the negotiator, but insisted that the execution of the
treaty should be entrusted to an officer nominated by
himself.
Malcolm s Third Mission^ 1810. Malcolm was accordingly
sent on a third mission which was brilliant in the
extreme. It was magnificently equipped, and the envoy
was accompanied by a large
staff of officers, among whom
were Monteith and Lindsay. The latter, a giant standing
6 feet 8 inches, was an artillery officer, and such was
his influence with the Persians, who compared him to
Rustam, that he subsequently became Commander-in-
Chief of the Persian army, a post which, under the name
of Lindsay Bethune, he rilled for many years with much
credit. Malcolm was received with extraordinary marks
of esteem and friendship, and his fine character, his justice,
and his knowledge of the world impressed the Persians
so much that all
Englishmen
in Persia still benefit from
the high qualities displayed by
their great representative.
It was in his honour that the Persian
" decoration, the
Lion and the Sun," was inaugurated. At the same time,
it must not be forgotten that Sir Harford Jones retained
the control of diplomatic relations with Persia throughout.
Actingon Malcolm's instructions, Pottinger and Christie
made a daring journey of exploration through Baluchistan ;
and Pottinger's
Travels in Baluchistan^ recording the results
1
In his Mission, etc., p. 209, Jones explains the whole circumstances of the case.