302 HISTORY OF PERSIA. officer accordingly entered Herat, and delivered his message to the Yizeer ; but his Highness stated in reply that he had once, in the time of Abbass Meerza, pro- ceeded to a Persian camp, and had been seized and imprisoned, and that therefore he would not trust again to Persian good faith, nor place himself in the power of the Shah; but he desired the Persian to inform his master that should he withdraw his troops to Meshed, a present, as large as the men of Herat could afford to make it, would be sent to him to that place, and that he might satisfy himself as to the capabilities of the Heratis in this respect by sending accountants into the city to examine the lists of revenue. The Vizeer of Herat took advantage of the same opportunity to offer to supply provisions to General Samson, the commander of the Kussian regiment in the Shah's service, who had afforded him kindness when he had been a prisoner in the camp of Abbass Meerza. During this dreary winter the Shah's army was only kept alive by means of continually sending out large parties of soldiers to plunder the surrounding country far and wide. The atrocities which were then committed were such as to excite the commiseration even of many of the hardened Persians who had accompanied the king to Herat. The fate of the men of the villages who remained to watch over their wives and property was usually to be ruthlessly slain, while that of the women of all ages was to be violated. Even little children were not secure from death and blows. I read that they were generally sent out with copies of the Koran in their little hands, as being the messengers best fitted to awaken feelings of humanity in the breasts of the approaching
