shewing any sign of perturbation: when night came on, my chiefs wished to storm the camp of the Jetes; but as my army was so much inferior in numbers, I did not approve of a night attack, but trusting in the Divine aid, I spent the time in prayer.

Early in the morning, the enemy came down in three divisions, with an intention of surrounding me. Amyr Hussyn and I drew up our forces in two divisions, ready to oppose them; whilst in this situation, a horseman came at full speed to inform me that Amyr Soleyman Berlās, and the other chiefs, who were disgusted with the Jetes, had crossed the river higher up, and would join me immediately with one thousand five hundred horse; on hearing of these tidings, I prostrated myself on the ground, and returned thanks to God. I then mounted my horse, and proceeded to meet my allies; when we met, I saluted them in the most friendly terms, and raised their hopes of success. The next day my adversaries seeing that my force was daily increasing, became enraged, and advanced against me with twenty thousand men, drawn up in three divisions.

The arrangement that I made for opposing the Jete army, was this; I divided my three thousand men into six regiments, and having advanced to the brink of the rivulet, took possession of the bridge, and having crossed the bridge, drew up opposite the enemy; I then resolved to attack them in three points.

At this time they were advancing, I therefore ordered the three first regiments to salute them with a shower of arrows; I then sent the fourth regiment to their assistance, and commanded them to charge sword in hand; the flame of battle soon rose between the contending parties; from morning till late in the day, the contest continued with alternate success, and determined obstinacy, neither side giving way; at length both parties being much fatigued, Amyr Hussyn and I ordered our standards to be unfurled, our trumpets to sound, and calling out Allah Yar, (God is with us) charged sword in hand, with our own divisions, from the bank of the rivulet amongst the enemy; on the first and second attack, they began to give way, however their chiefs keeping their ground, actually exchanged some blows with us, but at length took to flight, and gave up the contest, leaving their camp to be plundered by us.*

I advanced into the middle of the plain, when all the chiefs and nobles came up, and congratulated me on our success; I ordered the camp to be pitched and halted there for some days.

When Alyas Khuaje (son of the Khan) heard of the defeat of the three chieftains, he ordered a large force under the command of Aljun Behader, the brother of Beg Chuck, to march against me, whilst I being puffed up with my victory, took no pains to get intelligence of their proceedings.

* See Institutes, page 63.

At this time, I resolved to leave Amyr Hussyn with his troops in the vicinity of Balkh, and to proceed with my own forces towards Kehulkeh.

In consequence of this determination, I marched along the bank of the Jihun, and having crossed the river in boats at Termuz, encamped on its bank, and sent my advance division towards the fortress of Kehulkeh.

The situation where I encamped, was nearly an island, being surrounded on three sides by water, and I waited there in expectation of the return of my advanced legion; but the advanced party being as negligent as I was, took no precautions for our safety, so that Aljun Behader, with the Jete army, passed them while asleep, and came unexpectedly on me; it was very fortunate that I had taken post in the peninsula, for all the tents that were pitched outside of it, were instantly plundered, and their owners compelled to retreat to the island.

I had luckily secured all the boats, in my rear, and therefore gave orders to send all our baggage and followers across the river, while I kept possession of the island, and annoyed the enemy with our arrows; till at length all the baggage and people having re-crossed the river, I got on board a boat and went over; I first gave orders to sink all the boats, and then encamped on the bank of the river, and remained opposite to the Jete army for a whole month.*

Amyr Hussyn having heard of my retreat, offered again to join me, but I desired him to remain at Khulm, and continued on my guard, while in the vicinity of the enemy. At length they marched off, and I proceeded towards Balkh; when I reached Khulm, Amyr Hussyn drew out his army, and advanced to meet me, and we encamped together in the plains of Khulm, and passed ten days more in feasting and rejoicing.

At this time, we deemed it advisable to unite the Princes of Badukhshan with us, in order to drive the Jetes out of the country; all the chiefs having agreed in opinion with me and Amyr Hussyn, we collected all our troops, and proceeded towards Badukhshan: when we reached the vicinity of the town of Kundez, the chiefs of the horde of Buraltay, came and joined us with one thousand horse; I spoke very kindly to them, and gave each of the chiefs a dress of honour, and considered their coming as a favourable omen.

When intelligence of our approach reached the Princes of Badukhshān, they were much alarmed, and drew out all their forces to oppose us; I at first determined to make a sudden attack on them, and subdue them before they could collect their strength; but when we arrived at Talkhan, we were met by an Ambassador from the Princes, who brought a number of presents, and opened the gates of peace and concord; as the proposals he brought, were founded on * See Institutes, page 67.

union, not on discord, we consented, provided they would promise to join us in expelling the Jetes from Maveralnaher, for which purpose they should immediately furnish two thousand horse.

When the Badukhshān cavalry had joined us, Amyr Hussyn and I resolved to cross the river at Saly Seray, and enter the country of Khutelan, and compel the people of that place to join us against the enemy.

A. D. 1363.

CHAPTER XV.

In the year 765, when I attained my twenty-ninth year, we entered the province of Khutelān, and the Prince of that country immediately came and joined me, as they and all our new allies had shewn a preference to me; this circumstance roused the envy of Amyr Hussyn, but he had no remedy but silence.

When we reached the plain of Kulek, my followers amounted to six thousand: at this time, owing to Amyr Hussyn's parsimony and misconduct, Shyr Behram and Bulad Bughū came and complained to me; soon after this, Amyr Hussyn requested to see me, when we met, he made grievous complaints against these two chiefs; I endeavoured to pacify him, but all in vain; I also exhorted them not to allow any private quarrels to interfere with the common cause; they promised me to meet him, but as soon as they left the assembly, they joined their own hordes. Whilst we were encamped in the plains of Kulek, I sent spies to bring me intelligence of Alyas Khuajē, and the Jete army; after ten or twelve days, the spies returned and reported that Kāch Timur, son of Beg Chuck, was at the head of the army, which under various chiefs, amounted to twenty thousand horse, and were encamped in a line reaching from the villages of Helany and Seryany, to the stone bridge; that Tugluc Selduz and Ky Khuseru, who had deserted from me, and had now the command of six thousand Jete cavalry, were coming down upon me to take me by surprise.

I immediately ordered a review of my troops, and found that I had only six thousand horse, and that Amyr Hussyn had not that number, as many of his troops had deserted in consequence of his parsimony and improper treatment of them, and had joined my standards.

At this time, I received information, that a body of six thousand of the enemy's cavalry, having preceded the main body, had advanced one day's march from the stone bridge towards us; I therefore resolved to leave Amyr Hussyn in charge

of the main body, and with a select corps, make a forced march, take the enemy by surprise, and cut them to pieces.

But reflecting that the army of the Jetes consisted of thirty thousand men, whilst I had only six thousand to oppose them, I sought in the Koran for an omen, and this verse opened to me; "how often has a small army defeated a superior one, by the permission of God:" I was much encouraged by this favourable presage.

The advanced division of the enemy having arrived one day's march on this side of the stone bridge, were informed, that I had retreated with my army towards Khutelan; they therefore called me a coward and run-away, and began to feast and rejoice.

Being hurt at their exultation, I returned from Khutelān, and making a long march with only two thousand cavalry, reached their encampment at the dawn of day, and found them asleep; my advanced guard soon drove in all their picquets, and the salt of ingratitude having laid hold of the skirts of Ky Khuserū and Tugluc Selduz, they were seized by my troops, and brought prisoners to me, but I did not punish them. My advanced party having defeated the first line of the enemy, compelled them to fall back on their second line, but before the latter was drawn out, I arrived with the remainder of my division, and after a slight opposition, they all fled towards the stone bridge.

I pursued them, and continued beating them, and capturing their horses till I had forced them across the bridge, when they disappeared, and joined their grand army under the personal command of Alyas Khuaje. I halted that night on the banks of the river, and sent off a messenger with information of my success to my ally, Amyr Hussyn.

The next morning, having said my prayers, I marched along the bank of the river, and having sent out scouts and a strong advanced guard, I encamped in the desert of Khutelän, which was composed of hill and dale, and where my people and their horses rested. I halted there the next day, which gave Amyr Hussyn an opportunity of joining me: I then blocked up all the roads in such a manner, that not even a single animal could pass.

All my troops being now collected, amounting to nine thousand horse, the officers agreed, with all their hearts, to fight the Jete army; it was determined that the first line should consist of six thousand, under my command, and the remainder to form the second line, under charge of Amyr Hussyn.

When the Jete Commander first heard that I had gone to Khutelān, he resolved to send an army in pursuit of me, but his officers calling to mind how I

had beaten Tukel Behader in the plain of Khuarizm, with only sixty horse, were afraid, and not one of them would take the command of the detachment.

The determination I came to with respect to fighting the Jete army, commanded by Alyas Khuajē, was this; I said to my officers," there is no use in our skirmishing, or having drawn battles with the Jetes, we must lay such a scheme that we may have a general engagement, and purify the land of Maveralnaher from the defilement of their oppressions." I then ordered Muvyd Arlāt, Kera Behader, and Amyr Musā to take post, during the night, with five hundred horse at the head of the stone bridge, opposite to Alyas Khuajē, whilst I having crossed the river with five hundred horse, took post on a hill which overlooked the enemy's camp; my tent having been pitched on the skirt of the hill, I entered it, and gave orders to light fires on the sides of the hill; when the Jetes saw the numerous fires, they were much alarmed.*

I spent the whole of that night in my tent, in prayer, and besought the Almighty that he would punish these oppressors. At the dawn of day I fell into a slumber, I was not awake, neither was I asleep, when I heard somebody say, "Timur, victory and conquest is thine;" I was roused, and looked about, but there was no person in the tent, nor any one on the outside of it; but to be certain, I called aloud, is any one there, I received no answer; I was then convinced it was the voice of an angel, (Hatif Ghayb) I prostrated myself on the ground, and returned thanks to God, and felt strong of heart; when the day broke, I performed the morning prayers with my friends.

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At this time I heard the drums of Alyas Khuajē, and as soon as the sun rose, I saw his army going off in troops; my chiefs requested permission to pursue, saying, we shall have an easy conquest;" but I replied, " this is a stratagem of the enemy to induce us to come down into the plain, that they may attack us to advantage, be patient, till we ascertain what is their real object." When they had marched four Fersukh, (twelve miles) finding we did not move from the hill, they encamped; Alyas Khuaje then sent for and abused the chiefs that I had defeated. The next day, Alyas Khuajē finding that I had fortified the hill, drew out his army, and made several attacks on the skirts of the hill, but I kept my post on the top of the declivity, and stationed the troops all around the foot of it.

When the enemy approached us, my people showered down arrows upon them, so that many of them being wounded, they began to take shelter in the crannies, and behind large stones. When the night came on, they relinquished the attack, but continued drawn up in a circle around the hill.

* Institutes, page 79.