Page:Historyofpersiaf00watsrich.djvu/182

 Erivan, to which city he laid siege, while he sent forward a separate force to occupy the crown-prince of Persia in the direction of Khoi. The prince, on his part, sent reinforcements to Erivan, and prepared to advance to the Araxes. He encountered a Russian force at Nakhtchivan, which, being unable to make any sufficient impression upon his battalions, retreated towards Mount Ararat and pressed the siege of Erivan. The fidelity of the governor of that place was tried by the agents of Russia, but as he still held out, orders were given for a night assault on the city. Of this intention the Persians received timely warning, and their soldiers were instructed to maintain a dead silence until the moment when the Muscovite troops should attempt to scale the battlements of the fortress. At that moment a simultaneous discharge from the muskets and matchlocks of the Persian infantry threw the ranks of the assailants into confusion, and, after having undergone a heavy loss, the Russian general withdrew his forces to their camp. After this he only remained before the city sufficiently long to admit of preparations being made for his retreat; when he marched upon Genja, being annoyed by the way by the light troops of the Persians who followed in his wake.

The Persian king and the crown-prince were most anxious to obtain the aid of General Malcolm and of his officers in the prosecution of this war. His advice to them was to avoid attacking the Russians in line or in their strong posts, but to keep their newly-raised infantry and ill-equipped artillery in reserve; and to limit the employment of these to the defence of forts and difficult passes, whilst they pushed forward every