bashies_, the heads of thousands; the _yuz bashies_, the heads
of hundreds, the _on bashies_, the heads of tens; and all the officers
commanding the troops, were seen hurrying over the camp in various
directions, attending upon their khans, and receiving their orders. The
tent of Namerd Khan was filled with the chiefs of the expedition, to
whom he distributed his directions, giving them the order of march, and
allotting to each division its station in halting at the villages on
the route. My duty was to precede the troops by a day, accompanied by a
detachment of nasakchies, to make arrangements for billeting the men in
the villages. This was a duty requiring activity and exertion; but at
the same time accompanied by great advantages, which, had I chosen to
avail myself of, might have increased the weight of my purse. However,
the recent example of Shir Ali Beg was too strong before my eyes not
to repress any desire I might have of levying contributions, so I
determined for the present to keep my hands pure, and to quench the
flame of covetousness by the waters of prudence.

I set off with my detachment, and reached Erivan several days before
the troops could arrive. We here found the serdar, who, after his attack
upon Gavmishlu, had retreated, to wait the reinforcement of the cavalry
under our chief. The army under the prince royal had proceeded to
another part of the frontier, with the intention of attacking the
fortress of Ganja, of which the enemy had recently acquired possession,
and unable to spare any of his troops, the serdar had solicited
assistance from the Shah.

As soon as Namerd Khan and the serdar had met and consulted, it was
determined that spies should immediately be sent forwards in order to
ascertain the position, and the movements of the Russians; and I was
fixed upon to head a detachment of twenty men on the part of the chief
executioner, whilst a similar number was sent by the serdar, who at the
same time were to be our guides through such parts of the country as
were unknown to me.

We assembled at the close of day, and began our march just as the
muezzins called the evening prayer. Proceeding at once to the village of
Ashtarek, we passed Etchmiazin, the seat of the Armenian patriarch,
on our left. It was scarcely dawn of day when we reached the bridge of
Ashtarek, still obscured by the deepest shade, owing to the very high
and rocky banks of the river, forming, as it were, two abrupt walls on
e