Mss Eur F126/30

Journal of the journey which the British Government requested that Lewis Pelly take overland through Persia and Afghanistan in returning to India in order to ascertain the situation throughout the country, to visit the rulers of key places such as Herat and Cabul [Kabul] with a view to the re-establishment of British relations with them, to attempt to gain a sense of how the British might now be received there and to attempt to ascertain details of the Persian expedition to Mero [Marv].

The journal covers the period 10 September to 16 November 1860 and documents the geography and landscapes of the regions travelled through, with where known the names of hills and plateaus, the locations of water sources and the distances between each place visited and the overall distances travelled each day.

For each village, town or caravanserai visited Pelly recorded its size, any known history, information on the local ruler and his allegiances, observations on trade and agriculture, with particular interest paid to gardens and orchards, and the hospitality they offered to him at each stage of his journey.

The journal also records the people who travelled with him, the equipment and provisions they took with them and the gifts and letters they had been requested to take and present to various local rulers.

Information of particular interest within the journal includes details of the situation in Candahar [Kandahar] and Cabul (folio 4), his conversations with the Khan of Khaff [Khaf] about England (folio 15), his visit to Herat and discussions with the ministers and ruler there (folios 19-20), information on the Turcoman's victory over the Persians at Mero including Pelly's intentions of aiding the Prince Hurnza Mirza [Hamzeh Mirza "Heshmat ed-Dowleh"] and desire to rescue a French photographer who had been travelling with the Persian forces (folios 20-21), the Sirdar of Sebpur's plans to seize power in Candahar (folios 25-26), a meeting with some Russians travelling in the area, and the civil war in Seistan [Sistan] (folio 26), information on the official reports that Pelly submitted to Government during his journey (folios 32 and 43) and an ink sketch by Pelly of a post house similar to the ones he stayed in during his journey (folio 45).

The cover label for the journal states: 'Journals (including Afghan mission 1860)' and is numbered 3, implying that this was originally the third series in Lewis Pelly's papers when they were donated to the Foreign Office in 1925 and that all of his journals were originally contained within the leather bound cover. The Pelly collection was reorganised at some point after it was donated to the Foreign Office in 1925 and the other journals removed and placed elsewhere with only the Afghanistan journal being kept within the original journals cover.