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 Oxus, had not been carried into execution: not even as far as to Merve had the arms of Abbass penetrated; but yet he was now in some sort enabled to carry out the instructions he had received from the Shah. Five thousand prisoners of the tribe of Saloor still remained in his camp, and for their ransom the Khan of Khiva offered to pay the sum of fifty thousand tomans. Abbass Meerza consented to liberate them only upon the condition that he should receive, besides the ransom-money, a paper wherein it was stipulated that Persian merchants proceeding to Central Asia should be conducted as far as to the Oxus by guards of the Saloor tribe, who should be responsible for their safety; that that tribe should undertake to prevent the Turkomans of the tribes of Tekeh and Saroock from making incursions into Khorassan; that if they could not in all instances effectually prevent these incursions, they should at any rate give timely notice to the nearest Persian authorities to take measures for their own defence; that they should agree never to receive or have any dealings with slave-dealers of any country; and finally, that they should consent to furnish tribute and horsemen to the Shah at stated intervals. These conditions were accepted by the Turkomans, who probably had no intention at all of adhering to them; but the document in which they were embodied remained in the hands of the prince, and the honour of the Persian government was vindicated.

After this, Prince Abbass Meerza, elated by the success which had attended his arms in Khorassan, turned his attention to the scheme of conquering a portion of Affghanistan. Yar Mahomed Khan, the