210 PURCHASE OF CAMELS FOR MILITARY PURPOSES. 



armed, undoubtedly, but who, however, do not always succeed in 

 capturing them ; for at the approach of danger^ the Beloutchis rapidly 

 retreat, taking off everything they can carry. If they cannot escape, 

 they fight to the death. The Persians have several times endeavored 

 to subjugate these troublesome neighbors, but always unsuccessfully. 



In 1838, Mehemed Shah sent against the Beloutchis the Emir Top- 

 Khane, (commander of the artillery,) with a corps of 500 cavalry, 

 2,500 infantry, and four field-pieces. Arrived at Bampour^ after en- 

 countering a thousand difficulties, the soldiers found no enemy. They 

 had dispersed. The army, in the midst of those vast deserts, before 

 a deserted town,* had to retrace its steps to save itself from destruc- 

 tion, although it was partly supplied by the province of Kerman.f 



These facts have been stated to show of what utility the dromedary, 

 mounted with armed men, has been in all ages, and the conclusions 

 we should draw from them in considering their applicability to artillery 

 purposes for the defence of an exclusively desert frontier of 480 /ar- 

 sengs (1^800 miles) in extent, 



* This extreme measure has been rcsoited to by the Persians from the earliest ages. If 

 they did not follow the advice given to them by Memnon, the Rhodian, at the lime of Alex- 

 antler's expedition, it was either because they had great confidence in the number of their 

 troops, or, which is most probable, because they wished to destroy that skilful general in the 

 opinion of Darius. — {Jlrrian, Voy., chap 4.) 



Pietro del Valle tells us that Shah Abbas, on the 30th of August, 1619, ordered the inhabit- 

 ants of Tabriz to desert it, and to betake themselves to a place of safety, with all their furni- 

 ture and property, abp.ndoning their houses empty to the Turks, with whom he was at war. 



The present King, upon the news of the death of his father, Mehemed Shah, set out from 

 Tabriz, at the head of 20,000 men and s x field-pieces, for Teheran, to take possession of his 

 throne. Having been in attendance upon him in his father's lifetime, and having known 

 hiip since he was five years old, I thought it my duty to go out to meet him, and, accord- 

 ingly, set out on the 9th October, 1848, for Casbin. Upon my route I found only deserted 

 villages. The houses empty, and the doors unhinged. (Such is the fear which the march of 

 a corps iVarmee inspires, that the unfortunate villagers, knowing by sad experience that they 

 are pillaged and robbed by the troops of the country as they would be by those of an enemy, 

 run awav, carrying off their movables, or concealing them in places prepared expressly for 

 such contingencies. The houses which they abandon, being built of sun-dried bricks, are 

 I easily repaired ; and, besides, they prefer to run the risk of losing their houses, which they 

 can again rebuild in a few days, than the loss of what they have laboriously acquired by 

 years of toil.) A few fields of standing crops, which there had not been time to harvest, 

 alone remained. Meeting with no villagers, and perceiving the impossibility of procuring 

 provisioHs for myself and escort, I went some leagues out of my way to the house of Me- 

 hemed-Kherim-Khan, brother of the begkr-begui (prefect) of Teheran, who offered me hos- 

 pitality, and gave me provisions to continue on my road, assuring me that for four leagues 

 around I would find only deserted villages. Inderd, until arriving at Kichlah I met no one. 

 This town being surrounded by a crenelated wall, its inhabitants had entrenched themselves 

 within it, and barricaded the gates against marauders. I had to parley a long time before I could 

 gain an entrance. Explaining to them my rank in the army, and that I was a European, 

 which always inspires them with confidence, they greeted me as a liberator, and asked me to 

 defend them until the arrival of the Shah. I was so foitunate as to succeed, by threats, in 

 dispersing the troops which had collected around desiring to pillage the town. The arrival 

 of Nasraden Shah put an end to this petty siege. The town of Casbin, to avoid the heavy 

 losses always sustained by the march of troops through the country, offered to the young 

 monarch a considerable sum if he would be so good as not to stop there. The King accepted 

 the offer, and only passed through it. A month after these events, I repassed the same place. 

 They had resumed their usual appearance, and were as popu'ous as ever. 



t This is the same country of the Gedrosians, in which a portion of Alexander '.<? army was 

 destroyed by hunger, thirst, and disease. Dromedaries were employed by the governors of 

 Carainania to carry provisions to the troops, and so saved the remains of the army. — {Plu- 

 arch, Book IX, chap. 10.) 



