338 A HISTORY OF PERSIA. and through their exertions the troops which had been assembled near either frontier, and which for some time were held back like greyhounds in the leash, were at length withdrawn into the interior, leaving the commis- sioners to do their work. At this time the usual state of petty hostilities between the Persians of the province of Astrabad and the Yemoot Turkomans of the Goorgan desert was varied by the despatch of a large force sent by the Shah to compel payment of tribute by the tribes, and to obtain the restoration of slaves. The result of the expedition was that of all similar ones. The Turkomans gave way, and were pursued, and consented to pay tribute and to restore slaves ; but when the Persian battalions had begun their retrograde movement, the tribesmen once more issued from their deserts, and recommenced their system of marauding. So incensed was the Shah at the injury done to him in carrying off his subjects into captivity, that he determined upon undertaking a military expedition against the Khan of Khiva, whose capital was one of the chief markets for Persian captives. In order, if possible, to avert renewed war in Central Asia, the English charge-d'affaires at Tehran had offered to send a member of the mission to Khiva, at the same time that an envoy proceeded thither on the part of the Shah. This mission * had not been attended with success, the Khan of Khiva refusing to promise any- thing further than that he would exchange some of the Persian captives for an equal number of such Turkoman captives as might be in the hands of the Persians. A Khivan envoy was, however, subsequently sent to Tehran,
- Mr. WILLIAM T. THOMSON proceeded to Khiva on this occasion.
