it probable that the property will ever be difputed. Many travellers, it is said, have perished in this track, from the intense heats and a scarcity of water, which in the course of the first stage, is procured but in one spot, by digging fmall wells,

WE learned that a party of fifty Turcoman horfe, had yesterday paffed under the walls of Towrone, in the way to their own country. These fierce free-booters who wage a common war on the Perfians, enflave as well as plunder those who fall into their hands. To prevent an escape, the captives are fent into the interior parts of the country, where they are employed in tending the numerous droves of cattle and horses, with which Tartary abounds. They are also occafionally fold to the Kalmucks, the most rude and favage of all the Tartar race.* A slavery with these is spoken of with horror,

One of the names of a native of Tartary, in the language of his country, is Tatter and Tattaur. Having often indulged a curiofity in fearching for the etimology of Afiatic names, which though not tending to the developement of any important facts,. may reflect fubordinate lights, I have been induced to infert fome of them in this place..

The term, Ferung or Feringhee, a name commonly applied at this day among moft of the nations of Afia, except the Chinese, seems to be derived from Frank, an appellation by which the Crufade Chriftians were indifcriminately defcribed by the inhabitants of Afia Minor.

Saracen one of the names formerly given to the people of Arabia, may on a ground. fair enough be deduced from Sahara, which in the Arabic, fignifies a defert, and may with equal propriety be given to the inhabitant of a barren region, as the term Highlander, among us, to the refident of a mountainous country; and I am the more induced to adopt the probable truth of this derivation, as it was pointed out to me by the moft accurate fcholar the prefent Archbishop of York) of our Country.

The

horror, and accounted worfe than death. The Turcomans of this day, are a tribe of no important note; and their military operations are directed chicfly to the attack of karavans and defenceless villages. They are no longer that great and powerful people which produced a Zinjis and a Timur; the conquerors of Afia, whose pofterity were feen in this country, feated on the most fplendid throne of the world. It is now received as a general pofition of history, that those immenfe bodies of foldiers which spread over and ultimately fubdued the dominion of Rome, under the name of Goths and Vandals, were the Tartars of Bochara, Kheiva and the shores of the Cafpian. The present chief of the Turcoman tribe, refides at Bochara, where he keeps a moderate court, and exercises a very limited power. The Tartars of the more eastern regions, the modern conquerors of China, who may be ranged under the common defignation of Kalmucks and Monguls, are divided into various roving herds, and would seem to be no longer a cause of dread to the fouthern nations of Asia.

PREPARING this morning to proceed, I could neither find the horfe I had ridden yefterday, nor its mafter, who it appeared had proceeded alone an hour before the departure of the party. The

The Mahometan fubjects of the Ottoman empire, are known in Europe by the common name of Turks, which immediately accords with one of the grand defignations used by the Tartars, who wrefted that region from the Arabian khaliphat. And a caufe of a fimilar nature has probably induced many of the Hindoo traders, to apply the fame denomination to the Mahometans of India.

road

road being covered with a deep fnow, it was with great fatigue and exertions I could overtake the deferter, who frankly said, that he was apprehensive of not being paid by the hadji, but, that if I would answer for the payment of the hire, I might immediately mount his steed. The adjustment being speedily made, I rode on to Towrone; from whence I fent back this fame person, on whom money had irrefiftible force, to bring the hadji's tired horfe, which I learned from fome of the paffengers, was fcarcely able to crawl. Fearful of being altogether abandoned by Hadji Mahomet, I found it neceffary to speak to him in unreserved language, which was ftrongly supported by a Perfian merchant, whofe notice I had acquired, and after much oppofition, became fuccessful.

On the 3d, the kafilah halted in a defert, eight furfungs, at a fmall stream, the only water feen in the courfe of this day's journey; the Ghilan feid and I had filled our bottle for mutual ufe, and the bread, cheese, and onions, which fupplied our evening meal, giving me a violent thirst, I made frequent applications to our water flock. The feid, feeing that I had taken more than a just portion, required that the refidue fhould be referved for his ceremonial ablutions.

WHILE the feid retired to pray, I went in fearch of fuel, and returning first to our quarter, I haftily drank off the remaining water, and again betook myself to wood-cutting, that I might not be difcovered near the emp y veffel by my affociate, who had naturally an irafcible temper. When I fuppofed he

had

had returned from his prayer, I brought in a large load of wood, which I threw on the ground with an air of great fatigue, and of having done a meritorious fervice. Aye," fays he, " while "I like a true believer have been performing my duty to God, "and you toiling to procure us firing for this cold night, “some hardened kaufir, who I wish may never drink again in "this world, has plundered the pittance of water which was "fet apart for my ablutions." He made ftrict fearch among cur neighbours for the perpetrator of this robbery, as he termed it but receiving no fatisfactory information, he deliberately delivered him or them to the charge of every devil in the infernal catalogue, and went grumbling to fleep.

ON the 4th, at Khanahoody, eight furfungs, a fortified and populous village, the refidence of Ifmael Khan, who poffeffes a fmall independant territory in this quarter. The road from Towrone, led in a western direction, through a defert track, Interfperfed with low and bare hills.

ABOUT three miles to the caftward of Khanahoody, a chain of mountains, of the medium altitude, extends in a north and fouth direction, whose western face is confiderably higher than that to the eastward. This branch of hills, which feem to have a long scope, has effected a grand change in the courfe of the running waters. The ftreams on the western fide, have a fouth-west current, and flow, I imagine, into the Caspian sea, or into the head of the gulf of Perfia, while thofe on the

eaftern

eastern fide, are probably carried to the more fouthern fhores of the Gulf.

FROM the fummit of the Khanahoody hills, is feen, to the west and north-weft, a wide extended plain, thickly covered with villages and arable lands; nor does a rifing ground in this direction interrupt the utmost scope of the eye. Here I muft note, that this quarter of Perfia has now affumed its most unfavorable appearance; it being the depth of winter, when little vegetation is feen on the ground, and not a leaf on the trees: This day died an old man of our party, who had been long ailing; and what was rather fingular, his death happened while he was on horseback.

On the 5th, at Bearjumund, three furfungs, a populous village in the districts of Ifmael Khan. Halted on the 6th, on account of the fickness of our kafilah director. Two of the pilgrims who were carpenters, made a litter for him, which was furnished with poles like a fedan, and carried by two mules, one of which was yoked before and the other behind the feat.

ON the 7th, at Nafirabad, nine furfungs, a small fortress in ruins, fituate on an eminence. We paffed at about midway through two uninhabited villages near each other, Kow and Kauff, noted places of rendezvous of the Turkoman banditti, and ftanding on one of the grand roads from Perfia into Tartary. On approaching Nafirabad, I obferved numerous bones of a large fize ftrewed on the ground, and which I learned were VOL. IL

the