834 Itinerary from Yezd to Herat. [No. 154. 



men and children, that are subsequently sold at Bokhara. It is not 

 only the prospect of plunder which induces them to undertake these 

 forays, but also the desire to satisfy their hatred to the Persians ; being 

 Soonees, they believe they are performing a meritorious action in the 

 eyes of the Prophet in taking the Persians into slavery, and in obliging 

 them to abandon the sect of Seeahs to which they belong, to adopt their 

 own. The dangers from the Turkomans commence on the terri- 

 tory of Koon, and only finish at the gates of Herat ; the worst part 

 is between Kain and Kauf. To avoid this part, our caravan conductor 

 took another route more to the South, and which led through the district 

 of Birdjan, but this precaution nearly proved fatal to us, for about 

 three days' journey before reaching Herat, we were attacked by a band 

 of Beloochees, that were only driven off by an obstinate resistance on 

 our part. 



The inhabitants of these countries have neither security or repose, 

 the poor wretches in cultivating their land are always kept in a state 

 of alarm, and often obliged to abandon the fruits of their labour, that 

 they may not fall into the hands of the Turkomans. To live* in 

 some sort of security, they are forced to build small watch towers in 

 their fields, to which they fly in case of pressing danger, which can only 

 be entered by ladder. Not a family to be met with, but has to com- 

 plain of one of its members being carried off into slavery by the Turko- 

 mans ; but what is surprizing to learn is, that those who have been so 

 taken away, make no exertion to return to their native land, on the 

 . contrary they write to their friends, that finding themselves comfortably 

 settled, it would be madness on their part to make any sacrifices in at- 

 tempting to restore them to liberty ; some of them even act -as guides to 

 the Turkomans on their expeditions. At the time we travelled this route, 

 the greatest ravages were being committed by them. The district of 

 Herat was so infested, that Prince Kamran was obliged to seek the alli- 

 ance of the Prince of Khorassan for them, in common cause, to attempt 

 to put down so great a scourge. To avoid this danger, I parted from 

 the caravan at Sedik, and went to Birdjan to see if I could not procure 

 an escort from the governor, whom I had known well at the Persian 

 court at Tehran. He was astonished to see me, received me with great 

 kindness, and loaded me with presents. I learnt from him, that Mr. 

 Oms, who had left the Persian service in 1824 to go on to India, had 



