in the morning by a Russian party, who offered assistance; but he had determined never to be taken alive, and cut down the officer who attempted to raise him. A report was sent to General Kutlerousky that there was a wounded English officer who refused to surrender; orders were sent to disarm and secure him at all hazards. Christie, however, made a most desperate resistance, and is said to have killed six men before he was despatched, being shot by a Cossack.

Thus fell as brave an officer and amiable a man as ever existed. His great bodily strength was combined with perfect mildness of disposition, while his courage and kindness endeared him to the whole army, both English and Persians. The party of his own regiment who attempted to bring him off never appear to have entertained the slightest idea of abandoning him, and were found by Dr. Cormick, the English physician, clustering around where he lay. He declared, both before and during the action, his determination of standing by his men, saying that if he was to be brought to a court-martial, it should be for fighting, and not for running away; he also declared his firm resolve not to be taken prisoner, a determination he unfortunately adhered to. Dr. Cormick went to ascertain his fate as soon as the

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Russians had left the camp; and his body was found, and buried near the spot where he fell.

Twelve out of fourteen English guns were taken by the Russians, having fallen into the unfinished intrenchments; but the artillery suffered less in men than any other part of the army; and Captain Lindesay rejoined the Prince Royal in the pass, where he had recommended the troops should reassemble after the surprise of the camp. The state of the Russian provinces did not allow of the victory over the Persians being followed up; but a great point had been gained by them; for as all fear of a Persian invasion was for the present at an end, all their disposable forces could be directed against the revolted Georgians under Alexander Mirza, and against the Lesghis, who had made several inroads into the Russian provinces. Napoleon's expedition to Moscow does not appear to have made any alteration in the disposition of the army of the Caucasus, and nearly about the same time when Alexander Mirza and the Lesghis were totally defeated, the French commenced their disastrous retreat.

Russia's next object was to drive the Persians out of the post they had established at Lankeran, and reinstate Mustapha Khan in his government of

Talisch, and accordingly General Kutlerousky advanced through Mogan in the month of December, and was met on the great plain by a fine body of Kurdish cavalry. The Russians formed their three battalions into an echelon of squares, flanking each other; and the Kurds actually charged through the intervals, and made a desperate attack upon the infantry. They met with great loss, and the Russians continued their march without opposition to the entrance of the forests, where a body of irregular infantry was stationed, which had been entrusted by the King to the command of his Shater Bashi (head of the running footmen), a man who had never in his life carried anything but a white wand. It is not surprising therefore that he took to his heels, and never ceased running until he reached the capital.

On reaching Lankeran, General Kutlerousky slightly cannonaded the intrenchments; but finding his artillery inferior to that of the Persians, he resolved on an assault on the 12th of January. His first attack, however, was repulsed with such loss that it was considered impossible he should make a second attempt. The Persians abandoned their works, and busied themselves in cutting off the heads of the killed and wounded, by whom the ditch was

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literally filled: Kutlerousky did make a second attempt, however, leading the assault himself; and the place was carried, and many of the Persians killed; but the advantages gained by the Russians were dearly purchased by the loss of their brave commander, the best officer in the Caucasian army. Kutlerousky was shot through the head, and though by a miracle he survived for some years, he never was fit for service again. Half of the Russian force was killed or disabled; the Persian loss amounted to 3000 men, including two battalions of infantry, and 100 artillery. Many of the irregular troops found their way back to Ghilan and Mazanderan, assisted by the people of the country, without whose aid not one of them would have got out of the forests of Talisch.

After the first panic had subsided, so that it was possible to ascertain the amount of the Persian losses, it was found that about one-third of the army had been disabled or taken prisoners; but the ranks were quickly filled up by new levies, and by the spring the army was as numerous as ever ; whilst at the same time arms arrived from India, and a sufficient number of guns was provided by the foundry at Tabreez to double those that had been lost; but the morale of the

H

army was entirely changed, deprived as it was of the officers whom the soldiers had been accustomed to respect and obey.

In the months of March and April, 1813, the Russians made an irruption into the Erivan territory for the purpose of collecting provisions, and they laid waste sixty villages, carrying off about 500 cart-loads of grain and 30,000 sheep. The Persian troops were commanded by Hussein Khan, brother of the Sirdar, a most timid and incompetent chief, who allowed two favourable opportunities of attacking the enemy to pass, and harassed his troops until they were completely exhausted, by keeping them continually in motion night and day. I was at the time in command of a battery of six guns and some cavalry, when he sent me orders to retire from the ford of the Arras; but I refused to obey, as while I remained there the Russians could not cross the river without being under fire. Hussein then sent an order to the artillerymen to bring away the guns; they replied they only received orders from their own officers: the other troops, however, having fallen back, I thought it advisable to retire sufficiently to enable us to feed and rest our horses; orders to change our ground were even then sent us twice during the