'Collection of journals and reports received from Captain the Hon G C Napier, Bengal Staff Corps, on special duty in Persia, 1874' [‎80] (93/396)

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valley. Up to the village of Toolbin the valley is open enough
and the gradients easy, thence a low easy pass leads to the iNardin
plateau, from whence either Jah Jerm or Mayomay might be
reached without crossing any difficult country. There is no other
line offering anything like similar facilities. Coal of good quality
has already been found in the mountains to the west.
th November. To Ramayan, 12 miles. —Marched to Eama-
yan, a large village of 400 houses, 12 miles west from Nowdeh,
lying in a glen enclosed by two forest covered spurs of the
Khushyeilak Mountain. The road lies for a mile or two through
old clearings, overgrown with cane-brakes and dense .thickets of
bramble matted with wild vine and wild hop, beyond and around
the clearings is a heavy forest of oak, elm, and beech. The
village is a large one, and can turn out from 700 to 800 armed
men, including those of the outlying hamlets. As at Nowdeh, the
villagers have little to fear from the Turkomans, for a belt of
four or five miles of forest and cane-brake effectually protects
them ; a few head of cattle are at times driven off and the herds
men captured, but this is not of frequent occurrence, and there is
a good deal of friendly intercourse, buying and selling of horses,
and exchange of manufactures. I was assured by the Nayeb, or
Yamoot Governor of the Belook, that the Yamoots, the " Choomoors," or
Choomoors. cultivators, were quite inclined to become peaceable subjects of the
Shah, and that the few robberies that occurred were chargeable to
a few bad characters who were well known. As to their removing
to the Russian side of the Attrek, he considered it utterly im
possible ; they were as much tied to the soil as the Persians
themselves. Some respectable men of the neighbouring u obahs "
were with the Khan, and confirmed what he had said. They subse
quently offered to take me to their settlement and forward me on
to the " Charwars" or nomads on the Attrek, who would be
delighted to see an English officer, for they had always looked
upon them as their protectors. I replied that I was merely
travelling to Asterabad, and had no business among the Yamoots
Lamakyn 's on the Attrek. At the same time I learnt the truth of a rumour
force. I had heard at Nardin that a force of 300 or 400 Russians had
marched out on the Attrek and were encamped near a " dam,"
about which there was a dispute between the Jaffir Bai and Atta
Bai tribes. The Yamoots had offered no opposition, but the
Turkomans believed that the force was likely to go up as far as
Kyzil Arvat and Karakilla to punish the Tekkah. The carriage
of the force was all hired from the Jaffir Bai, a portion of whom
were subjects of Russia.
28^ November. To Katool, 22 miles. —Marched shortly after
daybreak with a strong guard for Finderisk and Katool. Clearing
the glen of Ramyan the road lay for some miles through wide
clearings opening on to the plain, on which a couple of miles
distant, but hidden by tall cane-brakes, were the " obahs " of the
Forest village Yamoot " Choomoors." At Finderisk the guard was changed,
ot Mazauderan. an( j a of a couple of hours enabled me to see something of the
picturesque village, which at a distance looks like a rambling