Behader, who was the leader of my advance guard, to ascertain who they were; he soon returned and informed me, that it was Sadyk Berlas, who, with one hundred warriors, was come in search of me, I therefore advanced towards him, as he had been one of my intimate companions; as soon as he saw me, he was much affected, I was also much affected, as were all the persons present, and I prayed devoutly to God that he would grant me power to deliver Maveralnaher from the oppressions of the Jetes.

We then left our encampment, and proceeded towards the valley of Arsuf; during our march, a messenger arrived from Amyr Hussyn, requesting me to send some troops to escort him, and that he would rejoin me; I immediately sent off Sadyk Berlas with forty troopers to protect him, and requested that he would meet me at the valley of Arsuf. I then proceeded on my journey, and soon after saw a large party of troops, who had taken post on the top of a hill, and their numbers appeared to be constantly increasing; I therefore drew in my reins, and arranged my people in order of battle, resolving if they were enemies, to attack them; at the same time I sent off the leader of my advance guard with a party, to ascertain who they were; as he was a courageous fellow, he galloped up to the hill, and called out to them, "whose troops are you;" they replied," we are the servants of Amyr Timur, and are in search of him ;" on this, my officer went and visited the chief, and shortly brought me word, that it was Keranchy Behader, one of my old servants, who with one hundred troopers had deserted from the Jete army, eighteen days ago, and was come to join me. I prostrated myself in gratitude to God for this favour, and gave orders for the chief being admitted. When he approached, I considered his coming as an auspicious omen, I therefore embraced him and placed my own turban on his head, we then proceeded towards the valley of Arsuf.*

During the march, two lions made their appearance, one of them a male, the other a female, I resolved to kill them myself, and having shot them both with arrows, I considered this circumstance as a lucky omen; that night we encamped in a wood abounding with grass and water, and having marched the next day, we arrived at some broken ground in the valley, adjoining to which, was a hill; I took up my quarters on the hill, from whence I could see a great distance all around, and as there was a rivulet running round the bottom of the hill, I ordered the troops to encamp on its bank. In this situation we remained for three days, constantly expecting the arrival of Amyr Hussyn. During this period, my warriors lived upon the game which we killed; at length I sent a party towards Balkh, with orders to search for a flock of sheep, and to bring them with their owners to me.

* Institutes, page 51.

After two days, my people having found several flocks of goats and sheep, brought them with their owners to my encampment. The poor fellows were dreadfully frightened, but I paid them for the animals, with some Durusts (a small gold coin) that I had by me, and divided the males among the soldiers, but ordered the females to be kept for their milk and butter, of which I gave a daily portion to each person. When this trait of my justice was made known to the farmers of Balkh, they brought to my encampment, grain and all kinds of provisions, by which my troops were much refreshed.

Whilst we were waiting here in expectation of Amyr Hussyn, my people enjoyed themselves under the shelter of the hill and the bank of the rivulet, whilst I with my confidential friends, had a tent pitched on the top of the hill: on the fourteenth night, when the moon shone bright, I could not sleep, I therefore walked about, and when I returned to the hill, the day was beginning to break ; I therefore prostrated myself in prayer, and as I was much affected, I supplicated the Almighty to deliver me from these toils, and render me successful and victorious;* I then employed myself in prayers to the Prophet and his descendants. After this I fell asleep, and dreamt that I heard some person say, "be patient, for victory is at hand;" I was so much rejoiced by this, that I awoke.

Just at this time, I saw from the hill at the distance of an arrow's flight, a number of soldiers, who appeared to be coming from Balkh, and going towards Kumrūd; I feared they were enemies, but resolved I would go alone, and inquire who they were; I therefore mounted my horse, and having approached them, I asked, "whence come ye, and whither are ye going;" they replied, " we are the servants of Amyr Timur, and have come out in search of him, but cannot find him, although we have heard that he has left Kumrud, and is come to the valley of Arsuf;" I said, "I am one of the Amyr's servants, if you wish, I will guide you to him :" when they had heard my words, one of them galloped up to the officers, and said to them, "we have found a guide who will lead us to the Amyr." They then drew in their reins, and gave orders for my being brought to them; they consisted of three troops, the first of the officers was Tughluck Khuajē Berlās, the second, Syf Addeen, and the third, Tubuk Behader; when they saw me, they were overwhelmed with joy; they alighted from their horses, bent their knees, and kissed my stirrup; I also came down from my horse, and took each of them in my arms, and I put my turban on the head of Tughluck Khuajē, and my girdle, which was richly embroidered, I bound round the loins of Amyr Syf Addeen, and I clothed Tubuk Behader in my coat, and they wept, and I also wept, and the hour of prayer was arrived, and we prayed with tranquil

* Institutes, pages 53 and 55.

minds; we then mounted, and came to my encampment, where we remained for some time; I assembled my principal people, and gave a feast, and having killed a quantity of game, we had abundance of meat, for which we returned thanks to God.

Having made the valley of Arsuf my head quarters, I sent out detachments on all sides, to gain intelligence, and enjoyed myself in the society of my friends. One day my spies brought information that a party of troops were advancing rapidly from Kumrūd; I immediately ordered my people to draw up in order of battle, and took post myself on the top of the hill, from whence I could clearly see a large party advancing rapidly: I said to myself, " God help us,” and having formed my troops into three divisions, I advanced at the head of one of them; presently I saw a horseman coming towards me at full speed, when he drew near, he alighted, and having bent his knee, said, "that the troops were those of Shyr Behrām, one of my old servants, who having left the army with an intention of going to Hindustan, had repented, was on his return to me, begged pardon for his offence, and requested permission to pay his respects." I accepted the apology, and advanced to meet him; when he came near, he hung down his head through shame, but I embraced him, and placed my own cap on his head, and bound my quiver about his loins; having reached my habitation, we alighted, and I made a great entertainment.

Four days afterwards, intelligence was brought that Sadyk Berlās, whom I had sent to escort Amyr Hussyn, was approaching the camp; I therefore mounted my horse, and went out to meet the Prince, having embraced, I led him to my tent, and we conversed on all the events that had occurred since our separation; after which, I gave him an entertainment: we remained for some time in the valley of Arsuf, and I sent spies to bring me intelligence of the Jete army.

At this time, I determined to seize the fortress of Aulaju, which was commanded by Munguly Bughai Selduz, to deposit my superfluous baggage there, and then make a sudden attack on the army of the Jetes. As Munguly Bughai was an old acquaintance of mine, I sent Shyr Behram to him, to persuade him to come over to me; when Shyr Behram came near the fortress, the governor sent a messenger to him to say," although Amyr Timur is my old acquaintance, yet as Alyas Khuaje (the Jete Commander) has entrusted me with the command of this fortress, how can I possibly be ungrateful for his Salt, and deliver the place to the Amyr."*

So much good was however effected by this measure, that three hundred men of the tribe of Dulan Jun, who had formerly been in my service, came out and joined me, which induced Munguly to abandon the fort. From this place we

* Institutes, page 57.

marched to the valley of Suf, and encamped there; at this time Aulum Aly and Mahmud Shāh Kabuly, with two hundred well mounted cavalry, who were coming from Kandahār, encamped within two Fersukh of me; they immediately informed me of their arrival, and of the state of their affairs, in consequence of which, I mounted, and went out to meet them; they also mounted, and came towards me; as soon as they came near, they alighted, and bent their knees, I also alighted and stood till they had made their obeisance, after which, I bestowed a (Jamēh) coat on each of them, and brought them with me to my camp.

After we had remained some days in the valley of Suf, I resolved to send Amlis Behader with two hundred cavalry to scour the country in the vicinity of Balkh, till my arrival; having despatched him, I sent Temuke Behader with three troopers towards Khulke, to bring intelligence of the Jete army; that brave fellow attempted to swim his horse across the river at Termuz, but the horse having been drowned, he still effected his purpose, for having joined his relations, he obtained a very particular account of the Jetes, and without staying to visit his children, returned immediately to me in the valley; the information he brought was, that an army of twenty thousand Jetes had plundered all the country about Termuz; when I heard this news, I mustered my army, and found that it only amounted to one thousand cavalry; it therefore appeared to me advisable to go and encamp in the valley of Guz, on the bank of the river Jihun (Oxus). In consequence of this determination, I marched from Suf; the first day I encamped at Guz, but the second day I proceeded to the plain of Ilchy Bugha, which is situated on the bank of the Jihun, and halted there. At this time, Amlis Behader, whom I had sent to plunder the country about Balkh, rejoined me.

At this time, I received letters from the Amyrs Soleyman Berlās, Jakū, Musa, Jelal Addeen, and Hindukeh, stating, " that upon hearing of my arrival at the "valley of Arsuf, they had quarrelled with the Jete chieftains, and had arrived " with one thousand cavalry at Termuz; that they had sent Tukul Bughā across "the river to obtain information respecting me." On hearing of the junction of these five celebrated officers, my troops were much exhilirated.

During this period, I received intelligence, that Munguly Bughai, who had abandoned the fortress of Aulaju, with Abu Saib, and Hyder Indekhūdy, had offered the Jete Prince Alyas Khuajē, that if he would detach them from his army, they would come and seize both me and Amyr Hussyn, and bring us bound to his presence; that in consequence Alyas Khuaje had promised each of them the government of a country, and had detached them with six thousand cavalry; that they excited by cupidity, had arrived in the vicinity of Termuz, and had plundered and ravaged the country, thence they had proceeded to Balkh, where

they had much oppressed the Muselmans; on this account, all the hordes and tribes of that district had fled and crossed the river Jihun, and were on their way to take refuge with me.

CHAPTER XIV.

After three days, early in the morning, the three chiefs, with their six thousand cavalry, arrived on the bank of the Jihun, opposite to our encampment; as the river intervened between us, neither of us had an opportunity of attacking the other; I therefore thought it advisable to send to them Timur Khuajē, who was a very clever man and good orator, to make them these three proposals. 1st. "As you and I are countrymen and relations, it is highly improper that there should be any enmity between us. 2ndly. It is reported that the object of your coming is to take Amyr Hussyn and me prisoners, and to possess yourselves of the fortress of Shadman and Balkh, here we are, come take us, and bind us if you can, but remember that in so doing, you will unjustly cause the deaths of thousands. 3rdly. The Jete army will not always remain in these countries, I will shortly send them about their business, then you and I must dwell together in this country." When Timur Khuajē had delivered my message, the fire of their anger was quenched; the next morning I went to the bank of the river, and requested a conference with the chiefs, when they came, I used such arguments (on the impolicy of their conduct), that they were convinced; I then returned to my tent, and remained all that day in that encampment. The following day the three chiefs disputed among themselves, saying, "we bound on our quivers with a promise of seizing Amyr Hussyn and Timur, how can we now hold up our heads among the Jete officers, not having even attempted any thing." At length they renewed their threats against me, and marched along the bank of the river in search of a ford, or favourable place for crossing the river, that they might attack me. Hearing of their intentions, I also marched along the bank of the river opposite to them; when they had reached Balkh, they again encamped, I did the same.

On the following day, the three chiefs formed their army into three divisions, and having discovered a ford, crossed the river, and encamped, with a rivulet in their front.

At this time, I mustered my army, and found it amounted only to one thousand five hundred cavalry; but as they were all excellent soldiers, and vastly superior to those of the adversaries, I was not alarmed; I therefore allowed the whole of the enemy to cross the river without moving from my encampment, or

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