'The Russians in Akhal' [‎46v] (44/68)

allow their caravans to proceed
wherever they liked. Several
members of their caravans went
to Boojnoord, and Yad Mahomed
Khan, the Elkhanee of Boojnoord,
seized them, and took all their
horses and arms. An arrange
ment must be made so as to
encourage them, and make them
observe their arrangements.
It has been arranged that they
are to send 20 horsemen as
Gholams, to be always in atten
dance upon your Boyal Highness,
and receive their pay from the
Persian Government. Whenever
your Boyal Highness thinks
proper to relieve them on fur
lough, 20 others will come in their
place, so that 20 of their horse
men may be in constant attendance
upon your Boyal Highness as
Gholams.
The lands which lie between
Koochan, Shadloo, Boojnoord, and
the Teke country, and extend
from the frontier of Boojnoord to
the eastern frontier of Deragez,
have for a number of years re
mained unsown, and neither side
have cultivated them. The Tekd
Turcomans now request that as
much as the Zaaferanloo tribe,
the Shadloos, and the people of
Heragez can cultivate should be
allotted to them, and the remainder
given to the Turcomans for their
cultivation and pasture lands, and
they will give one tenth of the
produce of their harvest to the
Persian Government. Eor the
present, I have given no answer
on this subject, awaiting your de
cision on the matter.
Apparently such a step would
not be without advantages, if the
said lands be granted to them by
degrees, five families and ten
families at a time, and will come
and settle there, and begin cul
tivating the fields, and an inter
course will spring up between them
and the people of this side. In
time they will become familiar;
and our people will derive the
benefit thereof.
They will also give a tenth of the
produce of the lands granted to
them, and little by little they will
be made to pay heavy taxes and
I'evenue.
but the pay of the 1,000 watchmen
he said he could not fix until he
had had an interview with the Shah,
adding that he would at once dis
burse the money for 400 men, and
requesting us to employ, while he
was at Teheran, 1,000 men to guard
against depredations by turbulent
people, and to prevent them from
attacking Khorassan and Khiva,
and from endangering the traffic
on the Krasnovodsk road. Nur-
Yerdy Khan hereupon observed
that if the monthly payment were
made with regularity, ail this
should be done, but that otherwise
he could not guarantee security
(against the Turcomans), and
would not hold himself responsible.
“ After this all who had as
sembled at the conference dispersed
to their several aiils, having ap
pointed 40 ketkhuds to accompany
Abdul-Hassan Khan to Teheran.
“ Eater on, four men with Oman
Geldy brought 5,000 krans, of
which 1,500 were paid to the
farash of the tribe of Sigmash ;
1,500 to the fai'ish of Yakshi-Tash-
Ayak, 1,000 to the farash of the
Vakil Elected representative or attorney, acting in legal matters such as contracting marriage, inheritance, or business; a high-ranking legal official; could also refer to a custodian or administrator. (Nur-Verdy Khan’s) tribe,
and 1,000 to the farash of the Bek
tribe (Hraz-Mohmed Khan’s). Eor
the ketkhuds and other farash,
Abdul-Hassan Khan promised to
send money from Kuchan. AVe
did not receive any more of the
promised money besides the krans,
which were duly distributed, there
fore the plan agreed upon was not
carried out, and since then we have
been plundering the Persians as
usual, and they have been plunder
ing us.”
“We report accurately to your
Excellency as above, and if any
one sends you another communica
tion disagreeing with ours, we beg
you not to put any faith in it.
“ We agreed to the proposition
made by Abdul-Hassan only be
cause our people are in captivity
in Persia, whom we wish to recover.
In reality we and our land are
yours. We belong to and serve
the Khan of Khiva, which is tan
tamount to serving you, since the
Khan of Khiva cannot manage his
own affairs, let alone us. We Tur
comans are simple people, and shall
obey your commander. Eurther