entrenched position. According to the Persian accounts this movement was executed by seven Persian divisions, who inflicted considerable loss upon the enemy. The same mode of attack was in turn adopted by General Seeseeanoff, but an intimation of his intended movement was conveyed to the Persian camp by the prince's spies. The Shah upon this withdrew his forces to a neighbouring hill, on which his guns were placed in such a position as might enable them to pour a murderous fire on the camp beneath, so soon as the enemy should have entered it. But the Russians in this night march lost their way, and only arrived at their destination in time to discover by daylight the advantageous position in which the Persians were posted. An engagement took place between them which ended in both parties returning to their former camps. General Seeseeanoff in the meantime made but little progress in his operations against Erivan, and he began to be severely pressed by the want of stores and of ammunition. An expedition which he sent out for the purpose of conducting into his camp a convoy of provisions of war from Tiflis, was opposed by the Shah and forced to return to before Erivan. All the roads leading to that place were strictly watched by the Persians, and the failure of an attempt to bring a second convoy from Tiflis into his camp forced the Russian commander to raise the siege and to depart by night from before the city. His hurried retreat was followed by the corresponding advance of the Persian cavalry, who were able to inflict considerable annoyance upon his shattered divisions. Thus the Shah was for a time again master of the province of Erivan. Before proceeding to recapitulate the subsequent events of this
