DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.15174#0061
CHAP. XIII. PRECARIOUS SITUATION.
45
Hajee, one of our people, to attend him, near enough
for me to overhear their conversation. He com-
menced a long list of interrogatories regarding us,
and stated that he had heard from persons in the
caravan that we possessed great wealth, and had
travelled into the remotest parts of Toorkistan.
Such being the case, continued he, it was impos-
sible for him to grant us permission to prosecute
our journey, until the commands of Ullah Koli,
Khan of Orgunje, were received concerning us.
This formidable announcement would even have
appeared more frightful, had not the Toorkmun
added, on his departure, that his fellow chiefs were
ignorant of our presence in the caravan, and that
we might perhaps consider his good wishes not un-
worthy of being purchased. The matter was, how-
ever, serious, since it discovered that there were
persons in the caravan who were ill-disposed towards
us, and it was certain that the Toorkmuns had the
power of enforcing all which the person in question
had threatened. Immediate measures were neces-
sary, and I lost no time in adopting them. There
were five or six merchants of respectability in the
caravan, and I went to the two principal persons,
whom I have before named, and related the affair
to them with perfect candour. I should have gone
to Ernuzzer, the Toorkmun, but he had in former
days lived at Shurukhs, and, in his change to the
life of a citizen, had forfeited much of the influence
he might be suppossed to possess among his coun-
trymen ; nor did I even unfold to him the circum-
stances till we reached Meshid. I observed that
45
Hajee, one of our people, to attend him, near enough
for me to overhear their conversation. He com-
menced a long list of interrogatories regarding us,
and stated that he had heard from persons in the
caravan that we possessed great wealth, and had
travelled into the remotest parts of Toorkistan.
Such being the case, continued he, it was impos-
sible for him to grant us permission to prosecute
our journey, until the commands of Ullah Koli,
Khan of Orgunje, were received concerning us.
This formidable announcement would even have
appeared more frightful, had not the Toorkmun
added, on his departure, that his fellow chiefs were
ignorant of our presence in the caravan, and that
we might perhaps consider his good wishes not un-
worthy of being purchased. The matter was, how-
ever, serious, since it discovered that there were
persons in the caravan who were ill-disposed towards
us, and it was certain that the Toorkmuns had the
power of enforcing all which the person in question
had threatened. Immediate measures were neces-
sary, and I lost no time in adopting them. There
were five or six merchants of respectability in the
caravan, and I went to the two principal persons,
whom I have before named, and related the affair
to them with perfect candour. I should have gone
to Ernuzzer, the Toorkmun, but he had in former
days lived at Shurukhs, and, in his change to the
life of a citizen, had forfeited much of the influence
he might be suppossed to possess among his coun-
trymen ; nor did I even unfold to him the circum-
stances till we reached Meshid. I observed that