On the side of Azarbaijan, the principal persons of Shirwan and Daghestan have submitted themselves to his Majesty, and have most earnestly besought his Majesty that he would turn his arms and thoughts towards taking Georgia and driving out the Russians. Alexander and Teimouras Meerza, the late Prince of Georgia's sons, that are here, have requested to march on this business with the King's troops; but, as the Prince Royal has been appointed to conduct this affair, and has been directed to hold his forces in readiness, it has been declared to the principal persons of Shirwan and Daghestàn to await his approach.

In regard to the arrival of the European ambassador, notwithstanding it is your part to give me information on such affairs, nevertheless, as in these times, a letter from Ally Khan Nasacchi Basti, who was appointed the Mehmandar to the said ambassador, has arrived; and in order that you be fully informed of its contents I enclose his letter, by which you will understand the whole; it is directed that I, your friend, am to attend to the affairs and reception of this person on his arrival at Tehran.

Ally Khan to Meerza Bozurg.

Your honour will understand that, on the 10th of this month, Ramazan, a letter from Mr. Lovett, the ambassador, that is at Bunder Bushire, to Mohammed Nebu Khàn, and another from Aga Baba Khàn to Cheraug Ally Khàn, arrived

the contents of both which were, that the journey of Mr. Lovett has been postponed; and that Mr. Manesty, the Resisident at Bussora, had been appointed to proceed to Eràn; and, according to Aga Baba Khàn's letter, the baggage of the new ambassador had arrived at Bushire, and himself expected to arrive in three or four days more. But, as the day of his arrival at Bushire is not exactly known, I have not written an arze dasht to the Prince Royal on this subject; when he arrives, I shall not fail to do so.

Extract of a Letter dated Tehran, the 6th February, from Owannes Pitcairn to the Resident, and received the 25th February, 1804.

Two days ago, Nadir Meerza, his three brothers, and five sons, arrived here as prisoners in irons, and were immediately strictly confined.

We have now accounts that the Russians have taken Pandja; in consequence, Peer Kooli Khàn has been despatched in haste to Azarbaijan, where he is ordered to take the command of 12,000 troops, march to Pandja, and retake it.

Joût Khan, who was in rebellion, and is with the Koor Oglus, has by force taken possession of Kooë, the Governor of which place, a Khajar, fled, and yesterday, with a few horsemen, arrived here. By report, Joût Khàn was enabled to seize on Kooë by the assistance of the Russians.

To-day, persons have arrived from Ibrahim Khàn, the Governor of Shushah, beseeching assistance, adding from him, that if this is granted it will be well; otherwise, to prevent his becoming in his old age a slave to the Russians, he shall submit to them on terms. This intelligence was immediately despatched to the King, and, it is to be supposed, will hasten his Majesty's return to Tehran.

The Russians have reduced Erivan to great straits, and have informed the Governor, unless he delivers the city to them, they will take it by force. To such straits is Erivan reduced, that the inhabitants are obliged to get provisions from the Three Churches; for which purpose the Khan's agent here told me his master had made a present of a chandelier to the Convent.

To-day, 6000 troops have been sent from hence to the assistance of Erivan. The son of the late Wali of Georgia has also despatched a horseman to obtain certain intelli

gence.

Notes of a Letter from Mohammed Ibrahim Khàn, the King of Persia's Commander-in-Chief at Bebehàn, to Mohammed Ameen Aga, the Mussaleem of Bussora, despatched by the hands of Moosa Khan, and read to the Resident by the confidential Minister, on the 3rd inst.

of

Bagdad, March 3, 1804.

That his Persian Majesty, finding the Ottoman Emperor and the Pacha of Bagdad, either from want of inclination or power, slow in punishing the Wahaby, who still continued to threaten the sacred tombs, and actually greatly annoyed the Persian pilgrims, had despatched him, Ibrahim Khàn, with twenty thousand men, to march against the Wahaby, by way of Bussora, and chastise them. That the King had also put all the forces of the different Persian ports of the Gulf under his, Ibrahim Khan's orders, for effectuating the same purpose; that he was arrived at Bebehàn; that he desired the Mussaleem to prepare the necessary craft, to enable him and his troops to pass the Shat al Arab, and, from the good understanding which subsisted between the Persian and Turkish Governments, to afford him every assistance in his power. That a person had been despatched to the Pacha from Tehran, with letters to the same purport.

The Minister told the Resident, the Mussaleem of Bussora had despatched Moosa Khàn with an answer to Ibrahim Khàn, first of all stating the impossibility of marching against Dereya, by way of Bussora; and second, informing him, without the Pacha's express orders first obtained, it was impossible for him to admit the troops under his command into the Turkish territories.

Notes from the Resident to Meerza Bozurg.

Bagdad, March 4, 1804.

My dear and noble Friend—A few days before I received your note on the subject of the English Ambassador, I learnt

from Mr. Manesty that he was about to proceed to Tehran in the place of Mr. Lovett. It gave me, however, the highest satisfaction to hear that the affairs and treatment of this gentleman are left to you to conduct, as I am confident you will pay the most friendly attention to the former, and endeavour that the latter shall be as honourable as possible.

My dear Friend-About two days ago, I was shown a letter from the Mussaleem of Bussora, to the Pacha, enclosing a letter from Mohammed, Ibrahim Khàn, the Commander-inChief at Bebehàn, to the Mussaleem, and delivered to him by Mooza Khan the contents of which last-mentioned letter were, that as the Ottoman Emperor and this Government had delayed to punish the Wahaby, his Persian Majesty had ordered him, with twenty thousand men, to cross the Shat al Arab, and march by way of Bussora against the Wahaby, adding, that the whole forces of the different ports in the Persian Gulf were also put under his orders.

This letter of Ibrahim Khan's has surprised me more than I can express; and I do not hesitate to say, the more I revolve its contents in my mind, the more inexplicable they appear.

In the first place, about two years ago, I had the honour, in writing, to state to you, one by one, the difficulties which a Persian army must encounter in marching against the Wahabies by this route, besides which, verbally I distinctly stated them to Mohammed Reza Khàn, and it appeared, by your answer to me, that you and the Court of Tehran were perfectly satisfied of the correctness of my statement.

Therefore, when I bring to my recollection the statements those letters contained, and the verbal information Mohammed Reza Khan gave you on the same subject, and add to them the further consideration that the heats are fast approaching, and the favourable season for military operations in Neged is almost passed, it appears scarcely possible to believe this detachment designed to march against the Wahaby, particularly

as, if this were the case, it could not have escaped the Persian Ministry that the Mussaleem, who is only the Pacha's servant, has it not in his power, of his own head, to permit an army of 20,000 men to cross the Shat al Arab; and therefore is it not most strange that the first intelligence the Pacha receives of the march of these troops is from the Mussaleem of Bussora?

I must repeat that I wrote you before, it was impossible for you to march against the Wahaby by this route; and I am now firmly persuaded it is not only impossible for you, but for the Pacha also; however, for the sake of argument, we will suppose it possible, and then, did not friendship require that immediate notice of your intentions should be given directly to the Pacha, instead of the Mussaleem of Bussora? According to the established forms of all Governments, if such a body of troops were despatched, without any sinister design, was it not necessary previously to obtain the Ottoman Emperor's permission for their entrance into and march through his territories? and, as one cannot suppose these troops are provided with provisions, &c., for their march from Bussora to Dereya, was it not necessary, supposing the Ottoman Emperor's permission obtained, that you, some months previously to their departure from Tehran, should in friendship have desired this Government to prepare at Bussora what might be necessary for them, and by that request have ascertained whether it had the means of doing so or not?

The neglect of these things considered, what is it possible to make of Mohammed Ibrahim Khàn's letter, and the march of these troops? Thank God, there has hitherto been neither dispute nor enmity between the two States; but, if I must speak the truth, this proceeding ill accords with friendship, though it is to be hoped, from the past conduct to each other of both Governments, it is not meant as a designed act of hostility. I can only therefore return to what I mentioned at first-the affair as it stands is inexplicable.