326 A HISTORY OF PERSIA. after having encountered so much toil and expense in subduing a refractory province of his own dominions, the people of which have been incessant in slaughtering, plundering and carrying into slavery the inhabitants of Khorassan and Seistan ; who never observed a treaty, and who have been in the habit of selling the people of these two provinces in Khiva and Bokhara." The Persian Minister went on to say that his government had full hope and expectation that Russia would relieve her neighbour from the burden of so obvious a tyranny, which had been exercised towards her on the plea of her friendship for Russia. In conclusion, the Persian government expressed its willingness to act in the matter according to the arbitration of Count Nesselrode. The Russian Minister being thus satisfied of the sub- mission of the Persian government, and being unwilling to see Karrack in the hands of the English, instructed the representative of the Czar in London to endeavour to induce her Majesty's Government to resume its amicable relations with Persia. On the whole, indeed, the Emperor had cause to be contented with the aspect of affairs in Central Asia. Great Britain had gained for the present her point of preventing Persia from taking possession of Herat ; but, on the other hand, she had lost all her in- fluence in Persia. She had shown herself in the light so odious to the Persian Sheeahs that of the well- wisher of Affghan Sunis. If Russia or her ally had not done all she wished to have seen accomplished, she had yet the satisfaction of being able to reflect that immense strides had, in the course of a few years, been made by the Czar towards the realization of the projects of Peter the Great, and which have been kept in view by his sue-
