'Collection of journals and reports received from Captain the Hon G C Napier, Bengal Staff Corps, on special duty in Persia, 1874. Includes revised index. London: HMSO, 1876' [‎39v] (82/409)

Karakilla.
66
intended that I should carry away a correct impression of the
substance and wealth of the Lord of the tribes. ^
The whole of these, besides tea and dinner services which I after
wards saw, were, I heard, presents from the Russians, and they
certainly were not Persian. .
14£/i November. Bujnoord. — The Eelkham and several of
his principal officers visited me. The position of the Russians ^on
the Attrek was touched upon, and the chief deplored the cession
to them of the Attrek boundary. It brought them, he said, to his
border, and, in the event of hostilities, his people would be the first
to suffer. Many of the Yamoots, formerly on the Persian side of
the river, have threatened to go over to the Russian side, and would
do so if the Persian Government were to attempt to take posses
sion of the country up to the Attrek. I could not learn that this
would be any disadvantage to the Koord chief, except as depriving
him of one pretext for keeping up a large band of professional
robbers, who add to his importance, while supporting themselves
at the expense of their Turkoman neighbours, who in turn prey
on the defenceless Persian subjects of the southern districts and
of Mashad. The Goklan refugees from Khiva settled at Kara-
kalla, a fort on the Ab-i-Sunt, tributary of the Attrek, about 60
miles north of Bujnoord, said to number 1,000 families, have made
overtures to the Eelkhani, and will, he says, make use of him if
pressed by the Russians or the Tekkah. Meantime they pay no
tribute. The Goklan tribe, governed by an officer, one Hoosein
Beg, appointed by the chief, appear to be in good order, and to
pay their tribute regularly. They are in a state of constant
hostility with the Yemoots and the Tekkah, and are greatly de
pendent for protection on the Shahdillo or Bujnoord Koords
They can turn out 300 to 400 horse, said to be well armed and
mounted. Colonel Markosoff was joined in his attack on the
Tekkah at Kyzil-Arvat by them, and repaid their services with a
portion of the plundered cattle of the Tekkah.
. The Attrek route from Bujnoord to Asterabad appears to be
impossible quite impracticable, at least from the Persian side and under
protection* 1 m their protection. For 50 miles there are no villages, and the
wilderness, it is by no means a desert, is constantly swept by
large “ Allaman” of Yamoots and Tekkah, en route to the Goklau
settlements, or the border districts of Khorassan. A thousand
horsemen would hardly ensure safety. Caravans pass occasionally
by travelling at night, and with great expedition.
I see little hope of prevailing upon the Khan to assist me m
the matter, the letter with which I was furnished at Mashad
imposing no obligation on him, and in fact leaving the question of
routes so open that I decided to withhold it, and trust rather to
negotiation and the good-will of the chief. There can be little
doubt that a guard of 100 or 200 men would ensure safety, but
there would still be some risk, and it is hardly to be expected
that the chief, however, well disposed, will take that risk without
any compensating advantage to himself. It would be more prac
Goklans.
Attrek route