198] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1813. 



and particularly the British terri- 

 tories, appear to have enjoyed an 

 uncommon degree of tranquillity. 



A petty war between the Rus- 

 sian and Persian empires on the 

 Georgian frontier has continued to 

 subsist, attended with events in 

 which the Asiatic inferiority in 

 military affairs has been conspi- 

 cuous. It has unfortunately hap- 

 pened that some British officers, 

 employed to discipline the Persian 

 troops, have found it necessary to 

 act against the power with which 

 their country was closely allied in 

 Europe ; but their engagements 

 admitted no alternative. By a 

 dispatch from sir Gore Ouseley, 

 received in India, it appears, that 

 in October 1812, the prince of 

 Persia, attended by major Chris- 

 tie and captain Lindsay, with the 

 corps disciplined under their di- 

 rection, together with the main 

 body of the Persians, amounting 

 in all to 14,000 men, was en- 

 camped on the banks of the Aras, 

 within a few miles of the Rus- 

 sian army. The prince was re- 

 peatedly admonished by the Bri- 

 tish officers to attend to the se- 

 curity of his camp, by placing 

 proper outposts ; but with little 

 efiFect. On October the 30th, he 

 crossed the river, in order to hunt 

 in the enemy's country, taking 

 with him, in spite of captain 

 Lindsay's remonstrances, the whole 

 corps of horse artillery-men, 

 mounted, in order to rouse the 

 game. He had not been more 

 than two hours absent, when a 

 body of Russians, 3,000 in num- 

 ber, approaching, tiok possession 

 of the Persian camp, before a 

 sufficient force could be assem- 

 bled for its defence. Captain 

 Lindsav arrived in time to save 



his guns, which he drew off to 

 a commanding position; and he 

 afterwards boldly entered the 

 camp, and recovered a part of 

 his ammunition. Major Christie, 

 in the mean time, with his single 

 corps, maintained a skirmishing 

 fight with the Russians, and re- 

 peatedly drove them from a jun- 

 gle which they occupied. In the 

 evening the prince withdrew his 

 troops to a disadvantageous posi- 

 tion full of holes, where infantry 

 and cavalry were huddled toge- 

 ther in the greatest confusion ; and 

 he refused major Christie the 

 permission of marching his bri- 

 gade to a neighbouring height, 

 where he might securely wait the 

 expected attack of the Russians. 

 Of captain Lindsay's guns, eleven 

 in the darkness of the night fell 

 into a ditch ; and the outposts 

 of the army being as usual neg- 

 lected, the enemy effected a com- 

 plete surprize two hours before 

 day-break. Major Christie call- 

 ing out, Who goes there ? was 

 answered by a volley from which 

 he received a shot in his neck, 

 and had his horse killed under 

 him ; his corps was totally routed 

 and chiefly put to the sword, and 

 the whole field was a scene of 

 carnage. The Persians lost 2,000 

 killed, .500 wounded, and 1,500 

 prisoners, with 11 pieces of can- 

 non ; and the prince narrowly 

 escaped falling into the hands of 

 the victors. The body of major 

 Christie was found two days after 

 on the field, stript and covered 

 with wounds. The Russians, af- 

 ter this exploit, returned to their 

 former encampment. They after- 

 wards meditated an attack upon 

 Tebriz, but their design was pre- 

 vented by a formidable insurrec- 



