1834.] Persia, and Mesopotamia. 171 



was a Yorkshireman, though not a Utile of a rogue, Was a great gowr* 

 mand. His constant prayer was to get plenty to eat and drink, and ba 

 sent safe home to his wife. " Well Thomas, where have you been to. 

 day ?" said I, as he entered the apartment. " Only to the bazar, Sir. 

 to get something to eat." — " And what did yOu procure there ?" " A 

 kabobed goose, half of which I ate, and the rest I have put into my 

 pocket for to-morrow's march." 



Ganja contains five thousand inhabitants, who are all Mahommedari* 

 of the Shiah sect. The language is a dialect of the Turkish, but the 

 people read and write the Persian. The manufacture of silk is carried 

 on to a great extent. This is for exportation, and a supply is regular- 

 ly sent to the Russian market, though as yet little encouragement is 

 held out. A small quantity found its way to Bombay, where it has 

 been justly appreciated. The people of Ganja are very hostile to the 

 Russians from a religious feeling, but the peasantry are favourably 

 disposed, as they evade various taxes which were exacted by their 

 Mahommedan rulers. 



Before proceeding further with a description of this interesting 

 Country, it may not be improper to bring into view some observations 

 (derived from unquestionable authority) with regard to that period when 

 the Russian and Persian armies were opposed to each other, since thii 

 very plain is celebrated for the last decisive victory gained by the for- 

 mer troops over the latter during the campaign of 1826. 



In 1795, Aga MahommedKhan, uncle to the present Shah, assembled 

 a powerful army at Teheran, and moving rapidly into Georgia, defeated 

 Heraclius near Tiflis, and entered that city before General Goodwitch, 

 who commanded the Russian troops in the Caucasus, could arrive to 

 oppose him. Determined to intimidate the Georgians by making an 

 example of their capital, he abandoned it to the rapine of his soldiers ; 

 while the religious enthusiasm he excited in his army, and the natural 

 ferocity of his troops, prepared them to take every advantage of the 

 licence he had given. 



The Empress Catherine II., irritated by the vengeance which hadfal- 

 len on Georgia, in consequence of its having transferred its allegiance to 

 Russia, immediately declared war against Persia; and in the following 

 year, Count Zuboff, at the head of a powerful force, marched upon 

 Durbund, and took that fortress by assault. He subsequently captured 

 Ganja, Lankeran, and the island of Saree on the Caspian Sea. At 

 this period, Paul ascended the throne of Russia, and recalled his 

 army. 



Aga Mahommed Khan was at this time in Khorasan, and on 

 tearing of the Count's successes, hastily returned to oppose him ; but - 



