'The Russians in Akhal' [‎28v] (8/68)

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•well as to win over the Turcomans to a Russian
allegiance, while they were even at that period
opening an intercourse with the Chief of Bujnurd.
Notwithstanding Colonel Shiel’s representations
and Mr. Thomson’s later reports, the Russian hold
on Ashurada and her naval power in Astrabad Bay,
were gradually strengthened.
A Russian Consul was established at Astrabad in
1846, and in the year 1866 the Shah was induced
to go on board one of the ships of the Russian
flotilla off Ashurada, which circumstance seemed to
give a sanction to the Russian establishment on
that island.
1845,
Vide Sir E. Herstlet’s summary of corre
spondence on this subject in his Memorandum
on Russian Encroachments in Western
Turkestan, and in the direction of Asterabad
(Ashoorada, &c.).—Foreign Office, 1st Feb
ruary 1873 (Confidential).
1846.
1866.
The activity of Russia in the far East having
been suspended on account of the Crimean war
(1854—1856), she redirected her attention to that
quarter soon after the termination of that cam
paign, and in the year 1858 General Katenin of
Orenburg, and Field Marshal Prince Bariatinski,
commanding in the Caucasus, reopened the question
of the military occupation of a site in Balkhan
Bay.
In the year 1859, the project of erecting a fort in
that bay received the Imperial sanction. Colonel
Eandevil accordingly headed a surveying expedition
to the East coast of the Caspian.
Starting from Gurief, the survey was conducted to
the Bay of Astrabad, the whole of the Caspian flotilla
being engaged in the sendee, with land forces and a
numerous stall of officers, aided by Turcoman Chiefs
brought over to the interests of Russia, whose in
fluence with the tribes w r as calculated to facilitate
the surveying operations carried inland and to pro
mote the object of winning the Yomud and other
Turcomans from Tuik-Karagan to the Gurgan river
over to Russian allegiance. To this end also Baron
Wrangel was deputed by the authorities of the
Caucasus to join the expedition with cargoes of
various merchandise, by means of which, through
opening a trade with the Turcomans at Krasnovodsk
and at other points farther South, the tribes were
to be drawn into mere intimate relations with the
Russians and general information concerning them
and the trans-Caspian regions was to have been
acquired.
It appears from the diary kept on the occasion of
this expedition and published by Captain Galkin, one
of the officers attached to the survey, that all the
tribes, including even the Adayef Kirghizesof Man
gyshlak, headed by their Chief, Baimambet Mayev,
vigorously opposed the Russians, the Kirghizes
placing impediments in the matter of the supply of
camels and the Turcomans organizing armed re
sistance to and attacking the detachments escorting
the land surveying parties. The Russians held
numerous hostages on hoard the sloops which main
tained communications with the parties ashore; yet
such was the inimical bearing of the Turcomans
that Colonel Dandevil, commanding at Ashurada,
after communicating with the Russian Consul at
1858.
1859.
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