On the Yamud and Gokldn Tribes of Turkomania, 201 



whose father, Yamdd, is looked upon as the founder of their 

 race. 



All these tribes encamp on the borders of the Gtirgan and 

 Attrek rivers ; extending to the NW., they roam with their 

 herds in summer in the hilly country of Balkhan, and many 

 families are settled in the Khan4t of Khiva. The average 

 number of the Yamtids amounts probably to 40,000 or 50,000 

 families. The principal distinction among the Yamuds is 

 their division into Chomur and Chorvd ; it is founded on the 

 difference of their mode of occupation, and the relative dis- 

 tance of their encampments in respect to the Persian territory 

 of Asterahad, 



The Yamtid Chomur occupy both the banks of the Gurgan 

 river, and even stretch as far south as the river Karasti, where 

 they have their corn-fields, their rice plantations, and vege- 

 table gardens. They are less wild than their neighbours to 

 the north, the Chorvd ; give themselves up to agriculture, and 

 are on much better terms with the Persians than the latter. 

 They often visit the bazars of Asterabad, bringing into the 

 market for sale the produce of their industry — such as felt, 

 and woven carpets, wheat, (which is much superior to that of 

 Asterabad), barley, butter, sheep, horses, &c., and receive in 

 exchange the coarse manufactures of that province, consist- 

 ing of different sorts of alijeh or silk stuffs from Anezane and 

 other districts, kadek or cotton from the looms of Shahrud, in 

 Khorasan, of Burujird, (near Hamadan), and of Isfahan. 

 This friendly commercial intercourse with their neighbours 

 does not prevent them from committing plunder whenever a 

 favourable opportunity offers ; but the principal charge lodged 

 against them by the Persians, is, that they give refuge and 

 screen from pursuit the foraging parties of the Attrek Ya- 

 muds, in their incursions into the territory of Asterabad. 



The Yamud Chorva encamp to the north of the former, on 

 the banks of the river Attrek. They are the same Yamuds 

 as the Chomur, composed of the same tribes ; the only differ- 

 ence is the mode of life they lead, which is essentially pas- 

 toral ; they have more numerous flocks of sheep, herds of 

 camels, and droves of horses, than their agricultural neigh- 

 bours of the Gurgan river, and, living nearer the desert, and 



