himself to the people in the city, it is always in great state, accompanied by two oudaitchi-bachi, and his guard, and preceded by mikharam-jessaouls, or officers on horseback, who in a loud voice announce the approach of the sovereign. This prince is dressed in the same manner as the Bucharians who come to Russia, except that his attire is more costly. He wears a robe made of shawl or silk, enriched with gold and precious stones; he proceeds at a slow pace, on a beautiful Turcoman horse, magnificently caparisoned. Whoever is on the road, either on foot or on horseback, must, as soon as he hears the voice of the mikharam-jessaouls, stop, dismount, and wait with his arms folded, till the Khan passes, when he is to exclaim: "Assalam alikom!" (God bless you!) A Salam Agassi who immediately precedes the sovereign, replies with a loud voice. "Ou alikom salâm!" (God be with you.) In summer, the Khan goes sometimes to his gardens near the capital, where he passes his time with his women and his favourites.

He has four wives, and a great number of concubines. The wife to whom he is most attached, is Khanakma, the daughter of Seit Bii, Governor of Issar; the one who holds the second rank in his affections, is the daughter of Moumin Khan, who was sent as Ambassador to Saint Petersburgh, in 1820.

Mir Haider Khan is of the race of Genghis Khan, for the sovereign cannot be taken out of any other family. He was twenty-five years old when he ascended the throne, and by his equity, his rigorous observance of the laws, and his goodness, has made himself universally beloved by his subjects; he lives in a regular manner, strictly adheres to the principles he has adopted, and maintains peace with his neighbours. If any one disturbs the public tranquillity he has him punished with the cruelty which characterizes the Asiatics. His subjects love him, and his neighbours esteem and fear him. Though the Khan of Chiva is also a sovereign prince, and has troops, still he is subject to the influence of the sovereign of Bucharia, who has more than once humbled his pride, and obliged him to fulfil his obligations. A striking instance occurred on occasion of the plundering of the caravans. The Bucharian merchants suffered no less than the Russians, by the conduct of the Kirghis, who encouraged by the people of Chiva pillaged them; but they always obtained full and prompt satisfaction, through the interference of their respective governments. The Kirghis, themselves, a ferocious and untamcable people, and who recognize no law of nations, fear, the Bucharians; I mean, however, to speak only of those who live a wandering|life on

the frontiers of Bucharia. On the south-west of this country are the cities of Mary and Serakhs, belonging to Persia. The continual disputes of the Bucharians with this kingdom, led to a war, in which the former made themselves masters of those two cities; this conquest was facilitated by the assistance of the Turcomans, who lead a roving life on the banks of the Amou Deria; it took place under the reign of Mir Manzoum, the father of the present sovereign. The Khan has a garrison there; a great number of the inhabitants have been removed to towns in the interior of Bucharia.

Mir Manzoum Khan had three brothers; Oumour Kchou Bii who was commander-in-chief, and two others who lived in retirement.. Mir Manzoum had also three sons: Mir Haïdar, the present Khan, who, during the lifetime of his father, was governor of Kartch; the two others were governors of Marv and Samarcand. Outkar, the father of the present Vizier, a sensible and active man, devoted to his prince, was Kissoubeghi, before the death of Mir Manzoum. This prince being dangerously ill, and all hopes of his recovery being lost, Outkar, who desired that the throne should fall to Mir Haidar, the eldest son, as the lawful heir, sent an express to Kartch, desiring him to come with an army to Bucharia, as soon as possible. Meantime the Khan died. To avoid an insurrection, Outkar concealed the death of the monarch, even from his nearest relations. According to law, the public functionaries must come every morning, to pay their respects to the Khan. Outkar dismissed them three days in the name of the prince. People began to conceive suspicions, for this had never happened before: on the evening of the third day, Outkar summoned the most considerable persons in the state, to assemble the next morning in the audience chamber. When they were assembled, and each had taken his place, Outkar coming from the interior apartments of the palace, entered the hall, and placing himself before the throne, declared aloud that the Khan's will was, that before they learnt the subject of their convocation, they should lay aside their sabres and daggers. When this order had been executed, Outkar told them that the Khan ordered them to go home, and return again the next day to hear an extraordinary communication. They were then convinced that the Khan was no more; but being disarmed and surrounded by soldiers, they dared not to undertake any thing, and separated. A report was immediately spread in the town, that the Khan was dead, and that the Vizier intended to usurp the throne, and that he ought to be prevented; but nobody ventured to undertake any thing. The Khan's brother, Oumour, considering himself as the

:

lawful heir, resolved to act; being generalissimo, he assem bled all the commanders of the armies, communicated to them his suspicions of the Vizier, declared his right to the throne, proposed marching to the palace with his troops, and demand of Outkar to be admitted into the presence of the Khan; and, in case of refusal, to enter by force. Several generals approved of his proposals, others on the contrary, opposed it saying, that such conduct, would be a manifest violation of the law, and an act of unpardonable rashness. These arguments did not dissuade Oumour; he went to the palace with his partizans, entered it, desired to see Outkar, and called upon him to conduct him into the Khan's presence. The Vizier kept him back, represented to him that he violated the obedience he owed to the monarch, in attempting, with a handful of rebels, to disturb the peace of the Khan and of the people; and declared to him, that if he did not disperse his band and go home, he would repel him by force. Oumour, in spite of his remonstrances, persisted. Then Outkar, turning to the soldiers, cried with a threatening voice, "I order you, in the name of the Khan and in mine, as your supreme chief, to retire immediately, otherwise, I declare you rebels, and will have you fired at.' Some confusion appeared among the followers of Oumour; all his people abandoned him, and he fled to the province of Kata-Kourgan, the inhabitants of which took him under their protection. Meantime, the people, by Outkar's order, pillaged his house and all that he possessed. The same day, at midnight, Mir Haïdar arrived from Kartch with his army, and was received by Outkar, as his Sovereign. The following morning, the most important persons in the state were convoked in the audience chamber, where they were informed of the death of Mir Manzoum; and that, according to the laws, Mir Haïdar, his eldest son, was to ascend the throne. The new Khan, in the presence of the whole assembly, took the solemn oath, to govern with equity, to make the laws respected, and to love his subjects. All the persons present took the oath of allegiance.

The following day the deceased Khan was buried with all the honours due to his rank. After Mir Haïdar had ascended the throne, he sent to Katakourgan for his uncle; the inhabitants refused to deliver him up. A general was sent with five thousand men to seize him by force. After a resistance of two days, the inhabitants were obliged to open their gates, and deliver up Oumour to the general, who immediately caused his head to be cut off, and sent it to the new Khan. This barbarous act is called by the Bucharians justice.

Mir Haldar's brothers, who, as we have said above, com

manded in Marv and Samarcand, incurred the disgrace of their brother, and were obliged to fly beyond the frontier.

No. III.

JOURNEY TO TURCOMANIA AND CHIVA, BY CAPTAIN MOURAVIEW.

General Jermolow, governor of Georgia, having conceived the plan of sending an expedition to the east coast of the Caspian sea, in order to establish a friendly intercourse between the Turcomans and the Russians, wished to form upon the coast, an establishment where the Russian merchant vessels might anchor and land their goods without danger.

In the year 1813, Mr. Rtichtchew, general of infantry, and commander-in-chief of Georgia, sent to Turcomania John Mouratow, an Armenian merchant of Derbend, who carrying on trade at Astrabad, had correspondents in those countries. Mouratow communicated the proposals of General Rtichtchew to Sultan-Khan, who commanded a party of Turcomans, and who hoping that he might one day become the legitimate chief of the Turcomans, who at that time did not acknowledge any master, received with joy the promise of protection given him by general Rtichtchew; he sent him a deputation composed of persons the most respected for their age and character. They were commissioned first to ask that Russia would cast an eye of pity on the Turcomans, whom the Persians had severely chastised for the robberies they had committed.

These envoys, among whom was Kiat-aga, whom I shall have frequent occasion to mention in the course of my narrative, did not reach General Rtichtchew at the camp of Gulistan, till he had just concluded a peace with Hussein-Khan, plenipotentiary of the court of Persia. The latter knowing how dangerous the Turcomans, supported by the Russians, might be to his country, required that our government should have no connexion with that people. General Rtichtchew consented to this, and dismissed the deputies loaded with presents. The Turcomans much vexed at this disappointment, and feeling themselves unable to resist Persia, submitted to that power, and gave hostages. Those who would not submit, went to settle upon the bay of Balkan, where they were secure from the power of the Persians, others went to Chiva, where they were welcomed by Khan Mohamed-Rahim, the declared enemy of the dynasty of Kadjar, which fills the throne of Persia. Sultan Khan alsowent to Chiva, where he fixed his residence.

General Jermolow wishing to renew the attempt to form a connexion with the Turcomans, gave the commission to Major Ponomarew, commanding the district of Elizabethpol, I received orders, as an officer of the staff, to visit with him, the eastern courts of the Caspian sea, and to go to Chiva to negotiate with the Khan, and to describe that country. Such were the reasons for my journey to the coasts of the Caspian sea, and to Chiva.

General Jermolow having delivered to us the papers relative to our mission, set out on the 17th of June, 1819, for the Caucasus, where military operations rendered his presence necessary. The Armenian Mourotow, was to attend us, to act as interpreter.

On the 18th I left Tiflis, with captain Rennenkampf, and joined Major Ponomarew, at Soganloughi. On the evening of the 20th, we arrived at Elizabethpol, a pretty town on the Ganginka. We remained here till the 1st of July.

On the 2nd we passed the Kur at Minghit-chaour, upon a raft. We had hitherto passed only naked Steppes, crossed here and there by saline marshes; but the country now assumed a different appearance. The banks of the Kur are adorned on both sides by woods and gardens, on the left bank are lofty mountains, while on the right you have a view over an immense cultivated plain, in which are the ruins of an ancient city called Arevcha.

On the 3d we were at New Chamakhi. On the 4th, we began to ascend the steep mountains which separate it from the old town. From the summit of the mountain I beheld the vast and rich plain that extended behind us. Armenian villages were grouped on the summit, and in the ravines of the chain the labours of the harvest, in which the inhabitants were engaged, gave animation to the scene.

We entered Bakou on the 6th. From an eminence in front of the town we saw the fortress, the city, the sca, and the vessels. The town is surrounded by a double wall, flanked with towers, with battlements and cannon. The environs are mountainous and naked, both water and wood are scarce; it is not well situated. The streets are narrow, with high buildings, but pretty clean. The population is numerous, the bazaar well supplied, and the caravansaries in good order. Bakou carries on a considerable commerce with Astrachan.

The vessels being ready for us, we embarked thirty soldiers of the garrison, with an officer; Major Ponomarew took Mr. Polétaew for his secretary.

Our two vessels were the Kasan, of 18 guns, commanded by G. G. Bassarghin; and the Saint Policarpe, a merchant