THE POLICY OF THE COURT OF ST. PETERSBURGH. 
641 
Art. IV — Notes on Persia, Tart ary, and 
Afghanistan. By Lieut. Col. Mon- 
TEITH, K. L. S. of the Madras 
Engineers. — Madras Journal of Li- 
terature ana Science, 1836 . 
Defence of British India from Russian 
Invasion. By Captain C. F. Head, 
Queen's Royal Regiment. 
(Continued from page 574.^ 
It appears that the Court of St. Peters- 
burgh have directed their attention to an ap- 
proach to India without touching on the ter- 
ritory of Persia ; but through nations whose 
arms could be turned against the latter if the 
policy of the northern autocrat should adopt 
such a course of proceeding ; and Capt. 
Head shows that any attempt of an Euro- 
pean power to oppose the designs of Russia, 
by a movement in the west of Persia, would 
be totally useless. The whole weight of 
such opposition, it is obvious, should be 
made on the banks of the Indus. 
“ But if the independence and disposition 
of Persia were such as to promise, in conjunc- 
tion with a European nation, to assume a 
strength likely to put at defiance a combined 
attack of Russians and Tartars, the reasoning 
would be otherwise. More attention would 
be due to this subject if Russia did not com- 
mand the means that have been pointed out 
of an advance to India through Khorassan, 
and which route will be seen to be equally, 
if not more practicable, as also, under exist- 
ing circumstances, it appears the most de- 
sirable. There may, however, be advantages 
in the eastern routes that will render them 
the most advantageous when the localities of 
the districts they pass through become better 
known. The Russian government may be 
presumed to be in possession of the necessary 
details on which to determine the best line of 
advance, and enough has been divulged by 
their officers to create much speculation, and 
to demand investigation on this point 
Envoys were despatched from St. Peters- 
burgh to the principal towns on the river 
Oxus, and the reports published of them 
have been ably discussed by a military 
author,* and by others in this country. From 
the Russian authorities the few hints that 
have been thrown out tend greatly to illustrate 
this inquiry, and there is here added such 
information as must shew how desirable it is 
to be better informed on the resources the 
Russians would have at command, should 
they attempt, by pursuing the course of the 
Oxus river, to pass from their frontier to the 
Indus. History points out the propensity at 
all times inherent in the demi-savage nations 
of Tartary to overrun and plunder their less 
powerful neighbours. And it will be evident 
that the tide of prejudice and superior enter- 
prise would in this instance flow with Russia 
ft-om the north, towards the less warlike 
inhabitants of Hindoostan. 
Should it be determined to prosecute an 
advance to India by this line of route, a 
landing would be effected on the eastern 
side of the Caspian Sea, where there are 
harbours now in use for merchants trading by 
caravans with the naiion occupying the terri- 
tory bordering on the Oxus river. The Tar- 
tar havens best suited to this purpose are 
those of IMangushlac Bay, and Balkan Bay, 
either of which are within a week’s sail of 
Astracan. Mangushlac is the one that 
affords the most secure harbour, and is gene- 
rally preferred.* 
It has already been mentioned that a Rus- 
sian force may be broxight into the Caspian 
Sea by means of the Volga river; it will also 
be found that a force may be detached from 
Orenburgh, which city carries on a consider- 
able trade with the Turkomans, who inhabit 
the countrylying between the Caspian and the 
Oxus. At Orenburgh there is a garrison of 
10 or 15,000 men. andthat city communicates 
by means of the Oral river with the Caspian, 
from whence it is distant about 300 miles. 
At either of the specified havens a force would 
assemble and prepare for further operations 
in the direction of the Oxus. The country 
to be crossed over is included in the province 
of Khaurizm. It is that already named as 
lying to the north of Khorassan, and inha- 
bited by tribes of Turkomans. They are 
not united, or strong enough to become for- 
midable, but possess a predatory disposition, 
that causes them to be considered trouble- 
some neighbours. These tribes are often at 
war with each other, and acknowledge no 
power but that of a patriarchal chief, whose 
territory comprises steppes and meadows, 
covered with prodigious droves of cattle 
which belong to his clan.” 
” A high authority, whom we have fre- 
quently quoted, remarks on the inhabitants 
of this country. ” Although the hostility of 
these barbarians was a serious evil to the 
districts which they visited, they had no col- 
lective strength that could render them for- 
midable as an enemy to Persia.”'!' The 
situation, the importance, and even the name 
of these tribes, often change, and prevent any 
estimate being formed of their real strength \ 
about 60,000 families of the Kirgees hordes 
swear fidelity to the Emperor of Russia. 
If a Russian force assembled at one of the 
harbours on the east side of the Caspian, 
and thereby threatened the kingdom of 
Khaurizm on the south, while a demonstra- 
tion to the same effect was made from Oren- 
burgh and the Russian territory that borders 
Colonel De Lacy Evana. 
• Coxe’s Travels in Russia, 
t Sir JoUu Malcolm. 
