CHAPTER XII.

Return of Lords Beaconsfield and Salisbury to London-Order of the Garter Conferred on Them-Observations on the Constitution of Bulgaria and Eastern Roumelia-Departure of Emperor for Livadia-Leave of Absence Granted to Me-Visit to and Conversation with Prince Gortschakoff-Mission of General Stolietoff to Cabul-Observations Thereon to Prince Gortschakoff-Proposal of Shere Ali to Visit St. Petersburg Declined by Emperor-Pacific State of Central Asia-Death of Emir of KashgarSuccession of his Son-Kashgar Reconquered by Chinese-Return on December 4th of Emperor-His Toast at Fête of St. George-Interview with Prince Gortschakoff-Death of Grand Duchess of Hesse-Circumstances of Russian Mission to Afghanistan--Internal State of RussiaMy Appointment as Governor of New South Wales--Succeeded by Lord Dufferin Presentation of Letters of Recall-Audiences of the Empress and Members of the Imperial Family-Sorrowful Parting with Prince Gortschakoff-Departure for London.

THE treaty between Great Britain, Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Russia, and Turkey, for the settlement of affairs in the East, was signed at Berlin on July 13th, 1878, and this peaceful result was received in Europe with joyful acclamation, removing from the public mind a weight of care and anxiety which had long oppressed it. Nor was it less favourably received in Russia, which, although victorious in arms, had suffered severely from the miseries and losses produced by the war.

Immediately on the termination of the Congress of Berlin, Lords Beaconsfield and Salisbury returned to London, the fortunate bearers of " peace with honour."

The Order of the Garter was conferred on Lords

Beaconsfield and Salisbury, in recognition of the services they had rendered to their country, and no members of that illustrious order had more eminently deserved it. Other distinctions were conferred on the members of their respective suites.

At the time of the Congress of Berlin it was not sufficiently known, or, rather, experience had not proved, as the past sixteen years have now proved, that in creating into independent States the provinces liberated from Ottoman rule, it was desirable to give them that independence and internal efficient force which would enable them to resist any attempt of Russia to exercise a predominating influence, and to draw them within her political sphere. In their formation it was also advisable to take into consideration their separate nationalities, and to unite them into one corporate body, and under one head. This was not done as regarded Bulgaria, for it was evident, when it was decided to separate Eastern Roumelia from Bulgaria, and to form it into a separate autonomous tributary State under the suzerainty of the Sultan, that on the first opportunity the Bulgarians of Roumelia would join their co-brethren in Bulgaria, and thus form one State. There is no

doubt that their ultimate union was foreshadowed to the English Plenipotentiaries, but the first object was to break up the colossal Bulgaria of the San Stefano Treaty, which swallowed up the greater portion of Turkey in Europe, and commanded a large sea-board on the Black and Egean Seas.

This the English Plenipotentiaries succeeded in

doing, and although Eastern Roumelia has since the Congress been united to Bulgaria, the Principality is far smaller than was provided for by the Treaty of San Stefano.

After the close of the Congress, there was a lull in the political world; the Emperor went to Livadia, and he was attended by M. de Giers. The Foreign Office at St. Petersburg, I may say, was bodily transferred to Livadia.

Being anxious to recruit my health after many months' residence at St. Petersburg, I was granted leave to repair to Marienbad. I accordingly left St. Petersburg on the 27th of July, having previously presented Mr. Plunkett, Secretary of Embassy, as Her Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires during my absence.

On my return passage through Baden-Baden I had the pleasure of meeting Prince Gortschakoff, who was then residing there. His Highness appeared to be in good health, although complaining of rheumatic gout. He said that he had represented to the Emperor that he required rest from the cares of office, and that he had given orders that no affairs should be referred to him. He had arranged that M. de Giers should accompany the Emperor, and that the business of the Foreign Office should be conducted from Livadia; but, added the Prince, "S'il y aurait une grande bataille diplomatique," he should be immediately at his post.

On my referring to the mission of General Stolietoff to Cabul, the Prince used the same terms as used by M. de Giers in his note to Mr. Plunkett (his professed ignorance of passing events was therefore more "feigned"

than real), stating that the mission to Cabul was purely one of courtesy, and of a provisional character, observing that the Emperor could never forego his right of sending complimentary missions to any foreign Sovereign or neighbouring Princes. "Do not forget," said His Highness, "that the Emperor is an independent Sovereign, ruler over 80 millions of subjects." I replied that I was quite aware of this fact, as also that my Gracious Sovereign the Queen was ruler over more than 200 millions of subjects. "Yes," said His Highness, "but they are dispersed and scattered: the Russian Empire is one and united."

In regard to Afghanistan, I was returning from a short excursion to Italy, and was accordingly without any official knowledge as to past or passing events, but I could not help observing in respect of a mission to Cabul to which he had referred, that it was not in conformity with the engagement which Russia had taken with England, adding that it was the more incomprehensible to me, inasmuch as on a late occasion, and before leaving St. Petersburg, M. de Giers had expressly denied to me that there had been, or was, any intention of sending a mission to Cabul.

Prince Gortschakoff merely repeated what he had previously stated, that the mission was one of courtesy, adding that, probably, M. de Giers, at the moment he gave me the assurance, had not himself been informed of it.

Prince Gortschakoff further observed that it was true that military measures in the direction of Afghanistan

had been devised when war between England and Russia appeared to be imminent, but that those measures had been countermanded and the troops recalled. The Prince then explicitly stated that the Imperial Government would maintain their engagements with England in regard to Afghanistan; that they had no wish to interfere in the affairs of that kingdom; and that the Ameer of Afghanistan, in the event of war, would receive no assistance, either in arms or money, from Russia.

Prince Gortschakoff was very conciliatory in his language, and he appeared to me to entertain no fear that the question of Afghanistan would create any disturbance in the relations between England and Russia.

The ex-Ameer Shere Ali proposed visiting St. Petersburg, but the Emperor strongly objected to his visit. Shere Ali was at the time in a very critical state of health, suffering from an incurable disease, of which he shortly after died. After his death, and on the conclusion of the Afghan War, Abdul Rahman, who on the accession of Shere Ali had been exiled, and had lived many years at Tashkent, and who was a near descendant of Dost Mahommed, was placed on the throne by the British Government, and is still the ruler of that kingdom.

In the Khanates of Central Asia, now annexed to Russia, there was peace and tranquillity. Yakoub Beg, the ruler of Kashgar-or, as he was called, the Atiligh Gazee had died, and was succeeded by his son. He