1833.] From Bokhara to Meshid. 147 
that would purchase at least a dozen of females in the Himalayan re- 
gions. When this infernal traffic is so profitable, can we expect that 
the hungry Tiirkomans of the desert will restrain their cupidity for 
human flesh ?—but this is a subject for sages in their closet, and not for 
travellers. 
Our detention at Shiraks till the roads were cleared of lingering 
robbers was necessarily prejudicial to us, as we were still in the Ur- 
ganj territories, though virtually subject to Abbas Mirza: but you 
may judge of his authority bythe successful obtrusions of the Turko- 
mans even to the gates of this holy city. Our protests against imposi- 
tion on the previous occasion of paying taxes had given umbrage to 
several of the merchants, who seemed to have leagued together to make 
what they could of us; and finding us still self-confident, had recourse 
to the mean tricks natural to the trade, and betrayed us. We were now 
to be locked up in the fort till the Khan of Urganj sent for us ; and 
at first we saw nothing but certain misfortune, slavery at the very least, 
and we prepared for flight with the evening’s twilight at the risk of 
falling into the hands of the Allemans, or half perishing for thirst in 
the desert. When thus turning over our thoughts, one of the mer- 
chants, a Persian, whose state of health had made him extremely grate- 
ful for our curative attentions, relieved us from our suspense, and, toge- 
ther with the avaricious Russian trader, offered to conciliate the Tur- 
koman chiefs, and pass us off as pilgrims or any other species of wander- 
ers. A couple of tilas anda little tea and sugar, with sweet words, 
satisfied their expectations ; but fortune favoured us more than our 
presents, as it happened that our friend the Persian was a most inti- 
mate acquaintance of the very people who pressed us so closely. Hav- 
ing got out of this snare, we divested ourselves of every comfort we 
might have had over our fellow travellers, sat in the sun or in our 
creels, and ceased to cook our dinner as usual, as the fire collected 
a swarm of Tiirkomans as acandle does insects. Still delayed, new 
difficulties arose, a plot to extort money or tea was again begun, and 
our apprehensions of rumours of our disguise reaching the chiefs of the 
Urganj army were too well grounded. A fresh body of Allemans had 
issued from Mdwar, and were approaching Meshid; our consternation 
was further raised on learning that Abbas Mirza’s Elchee (ambassador) 
on his way to Herat was seized by the very people we were amongst, 
and was actually a prisoner in irons in the village, so that on every 
side we were environed by difficulties of one sort or other; at last a 
Kafila from Meshid made its appearance, and our irresolute associates 
got under weigh, much to our satisfaction, after nine days of the most 
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