On the Yamud and Gokldn Tribes of Turkomania. 209 



t)lace, and stole near to the ramparts of the town, in order to 

 gain the plain, dragging along with him his captive by the 

 arm, who dared not scream for fear of being put to death. He, 

 however, recollected that he had a knife in his right pocket, 

 and complaining that his right arm was quite benumbed from 

 the Turkoman*s grasp, he entreated him to release it for a 

 while and take hold of the left ; to which the robber acceded. 

 As soon as he had found his right arm free, he thrust it into 

 his pocket, seized the knife, and with all his force hit a blow 

 on the hand which held his left arm. The man let go his hold 

 from pain, and the boy dashed into the thicket. The night 

 was dark, the town too near for the Turkoman to tarry long ; 

 he soon gave up the search, and fled to the Gurgan river, while 

 the boy ran to the city-gates, and knocked for admittance. 



The Yamuds, as well as the Goklans, have a very high opi- 

 nion of their own race, and never grant their daughters in 

 marriage to strangers foreign to their respective tribes, like 

 the Rajputs in India. 



To prove how great is their susceptibility on this point, I 

 shall state a fact which took place during the reign of the late 

 Feth Ali-Shah. 



Mirza-Naghi-Khan, of Fenderis, father to Mir-Sadullah- 

 Khan, the present chief of this district, fell in love with a 

 young Turkoman girl, and demanded her in marriage from 

 her parents. They resisted for a long time, but at last, by 

 money and fair promises, yielded to his importunities, and 

 their daughter became his wife. This event exasperated greatly 

 the whole tribe against Mirza-Naghi-Khan; but as he was a 

 powerful and dangerous neighbour, they stifled their feelings, 

 made peace with him, and feigned to have forgotten the af- 

 front. At the expiration of a year, the young Turkoman wo- 

 man expressed a wish to visit her parents, and as the Persian 

 Khan felt no apprehension in her going, he granted her re- 

 quest. But no sooner had she entered the encampment of 

 her tribe, than the Turkomans seized on her, dragged her to 

 the top of an artificial barrow, and there, in the presence of 

 her parents, cut her to pieces. Foreseeing the vengeance 

 which threatened them on the part of Mirza-Naghi-Khan, and 

 not feeling themselves sufiiciently strong to resist him, the 



VOL. XXXVII. NO. LXXIII. JULY 1844. O 



