1833.] and Dr. Gerard, from Péshdwar to Bokhdra. 13 
the very same place, in his flight from Morad Bég, and for the safety 
of his life, made his remarkable journey to Talikan upon a single 
horse, with grain in his saddle bags; the distance, as then stated in the 
Government Gazette, 130 miles, seems to be excessive. Previous to this 
final result of Morad Bég’s curiosity, we thought of escaping to Mazar; but 
we were watched, and this would have been a feat of senseless heroism; 
as we were liable to certain danger on the road from robbers. Morad 
Bég’s courtesy and attentions to us as Armenians, in ordering an escort 
of 50 horsemen to see us beyond his frontier, did not allay our apprehen- 
sions for our liberty ; and as the scheme, as well as ourselves, were noto- 
rious throughout thecaravanserai, we made every haste, and next morn- 
ing’s dawn saw us on the way to Balkh. Our own people, scarce 
aware of our plans, had provided us but meagrely, for a ride of 30 miles 
under a burning sun, and I had neither clothes nor any thing else. We 
were now literally flying from ourselves, and the protection of a man 
whose very name we dreaded, and whose treatment of us is veiled in an 
obscurity, that leaves it doubtful, whether we at this present moment 
stand towards him in the relation of friends or enemies. Subsequent 
travellers may remove the uncertainty, which is of more consequence 
than appears to the eye, but in this respect our experience can prove to 
them no guide. 
The journey to Mazar was rather trying, over a bare, baked soil, 
without shade or water; thetemperature of the air was 100°, and that of 
the sun’s rays much greater : my face at least was completely burnt. Our 
escort left us at what appeared the most dreary point of the road, and 
it was actually the most dangerous; our horses were wearied, and that 
which I rode stood still in a place where our kAfila-bashi said it was 
imprudent even to look around us. We entered Mazar unknown and 
unsuspected, and it was perhaps fortunate, as the people are intolerant 
bigots and disreputable in every way. Piles of snow, and the most 
delicious apricots were in abundance. It was here that Moorcroft’s 
property was seized and plundered: we felt extremely anxious to ascer- 
tain if any papers or memorials still remained, and the fate of his books, 
which we heard were in the possession of the chief; but prudence con- 
strained us to pass over the scene in silence. 
We had here a contention with our guide, who enacted a scene on 
the occasion, partaking at once of the pathetic and the furious.— 
Burnes was fortunately on horseback, and had the whip hand in 
case of necessity—I mean, the advantage of escaping from an 
irritated Muhammedan, who had only to proclaim us infidels and 
revilers of the prophet, and there would have been tragedy indeed, 
