invited by the insurgents to undertake the invasion of Persia, advanced towards Khorassan, where he found the Shah's authority to be already reestablished. He had committed himself very openly to hostilities against the King of Persia, but Oriental potentates, judging of the conduct of others by what, under similar circumstances, they would do themselves, look with a lenient eye upon any infringement of neighbourly duties which may be likely to be attended with successful results; and Fetteh Ali listened with complacency to the explanations offered by the envoy of the Ameer of Bokhara, who declared that his master had been beguiled by the protestations of the rebellious chiefs of Khorassan. The Shah then sent a force to Meshed, which defeated the troops of the rebellious chiefs, who were thus forced to return to their duty. About the same time the Turkomans again rose in arms against the Shah, being headed by Mahomed Zeman Khan, one of the chiefs of the upper branch of the Kajar tribe. This leader and his son were made prisoners, and the Turkoman tribes, as is their custom after a defeat, retired into the dreary recesses of the deserts of the Attreck. The Khan of Khiva, or Khorassan, had advanced towards the Persian frontier at Astrabad to the support of the chiefs of Khorassan, but he unexpectedly found himself opposed by a Persian force superior in strength to his own. Of this superiority its commander was fully aware; and when the terrified Oozbeg potentate sent an envoy to deprecate the vengeance of the Kajar chief, the latter compelled the Oozbeg diplomatist to pass the night in the undignified occupation of playing on the harp for the delectation of the Persian generals. This insult naturally fired with wrath
