1 70
2 in this state he is left for a whole night. A decoction of bran
3 is also said to be a good sudorific, but considered as a mild one,
4 and is not generally in use.
5 To cure the guinea-worm, the natives of the East make use
6 of many curious remedies, which will be found in the second
7 volume.
8 At Bokhara, I met two unfortunate Armenians from Astrakhan,
9 who requested me to use my influence in their behalf. Three
10 years previously, when Count Suchtelen was Governor of Oren-
11 burg, they had laid claim to a considerable sum due to them as
12 their legal portion of an inheritance at Bokhara ; to which place
13 they received letters of recommendation from the governor, and
14 were sent thither to urge their claims, with directions, should
15 they not succeed, to return to Orenburg, and the Russian
16 government would assist them. On their arrival there, the
17 settlement of their affairs presented some difficulty, as the
18 government had confiscated the legacy, under various pretexts.
19 The two heirs — who, in their endeavours to obtain their property,
20 seemed not to have lost all hope, in spite of the evasive promises
21 they had for many years received — thought it requisite to use
22 their utmost energies to get their rights at last; for which
23 purpose they solicited my assistance, representing to me their
24 awkward situation, and saying that the Russian ambassador,
25 who had recently arrived, refused to interfere, but by my
26 influence they hoped to obtain a happy result. I could not
27 reject their application, and by so much the more, as I was
28 informed that the Russian government was desirous to negociate
29 for the liberty of its subjects then in slavery at Bokhara. These
30 two Armenians were indeed in a state worse than slavery, because
31 they were not accidentally flung on this territory, but were sent
32 hither to obtain their rights. I resolved therefore to interfere
33 for them. I felt myself, in fact, compelled, to do so; for had I
34 refused my assistance, the poor men would have been detained, in
35 consequence of the heavy debts they had contracted during their
36 three years'* stay at Bokhara. I accordingly addressed myself in
37 this affair to Hoshbegi, begging him to take pity on these men,