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CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
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Copyright law, Cornell University
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replacement volume on paper
that meets the ANSI Standard
Z39.48-1992 to replace the
irreparably deteriorated original.

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CORNELL
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SKETCH MAP

SHEWING

_THE ADVANCES oF RUSSIA
CEN TRAL ASIA.

Authors Route

 

Enghsh Statute Miles.
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‘London; Cassell, Petter & Galpin.
A RIDE TO KHIVA:

Travels and Adventures in Central A sta.

BY

FRED BURNABY,

Captain, Royal Horse Guards.

WITH MAPS AND AN APPENDIX,

CONTAINING, AMONGST OTHER INFORMATION, A SERIES OF MARCH-ROUTES,

TRANSLATED FROM SEVERAL RUSSIAN WORKS,

SEVENTH EDITION.

CASSELL PETTER & GALFPIN:

LONDON, PARIS & NEW YORK.

 

1877.
[ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ]

La

aD ys
HENRY VILLEBOIS, Esq,

OF MARHAM HOUSE, NORFOLK,
THIS BOOK IS AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED

BY HIS NEPHEW,

The Author,
PREFACE,

——

Tue title explains the nature of this work. It is
merely a narrative of a ride to Khiva. I have added
a short account of Russia’s Advance Eastward.

In the course of my journey I had the opportunity
of conversing with many Russians in Central Asia.
India was a topic which never failed to produce
numerous comments.

A work has been lately published in St. Peters-
burg. The author dilates at considerable length on
the Russo-Indian Question. His opinions on this
subject are similar to those which I have heard
expressed. The author's remarks are as follows :—

“ Another advantage which we have gained consists
in the fact that from our present position our power of
threatening British India has become real, and ceased
to be visionary. In this respect our Central Asian
possessions serve only as an ¢éfage on the road to
further advance, and as a halting-place where we can
rest and gather fresh strength. If in the time of
Paul I. an overland expedition to India was con-
sidered feasible, it is certainly much more so at the
vi PREFACE.

present time, when we have shortened the interval by
such an immense stretch of country.

“ Asia will not of course ever form the avowed
object of dispute between England and Russia, but in
the event of a war produced by European complica-
tions, we shall clearly be obliged in our own interests
to take advantage of the proximity to India which is
afforded by our present position in Central Asia.

“ Besides the English,” the author continues, “there
is another nation whose attitude is also one of expect-
ancy for the Russians—namely, the natives of India.

“The Last India Company is nothing less than a
poisonous unnatural plant engrafted on the splendid
soil of India—a parasite which saps away the life of
the most fertile and wealthy country in the world.

“ This plant can only be uprooted by forcible means;
and such an attempt was made by the natives of the
country in 1857, though it failed for want of sufficient
skill.

“Sick to death, the natives are now waiting for a
physician from the North. Some time will naturally
elapse before they care to repeat the experiment of
1857; and, as far as can be foreseen, the English will
have to deal only with disconnected outbreaks ; but it
cannot be said with any certainty that such small
sparks of rebellion may not, if supported by an impetus
from without, produce a general conflagration through-
out the length and breadth of India. In this case the
PREFACE, Vil

British Government will be unable to reckon on the
support of the native troops, numbering 124,000 out of
a total of 200,000, and the small remnant will barely
be sufficient to guard the most important points.”

Such are the observations of Captain Terentyeff
in his recent work called “ Russia and England in the
East.”

In my own opinion Russia, from her present
position, has not the power of even threatening
British India. However, she has the power of
threatening points which, should she be permitted to
annex them, would form a splendid basis for opera-
tions against Hindostan. Merve, Balkh, and Kashgar
would make magnificent é/ages. The former locality
is richer than any of the most fertile corn-growing
countries in European Russia. Merve is close to
Herat; and should the Afghans join with Russia, a
direct advance might be made upon India through the
Bolan Pass. If Kashgar were permitted to fall into
the Tzar’s possession, we should lose our grestage with
the Mohammedans in Central Asia; whilst the occupa-
tion of Kashgar would prove a disagreeable thorn in
our side, and give rise to endless intrigues.

Balkh, from Bokhara, is only a twelve days’ march,
and from Balkh to Cabul, through the Bamian Pass, it
is the same distance. This road, though blocked by
the snow in winter, can be traversed by artillery in the
summer and autumn months; whilst Bokhara could
supply Balkh with any quantity of provisions which
viil PREFACE,

might be required. Should Russia be permitted to
annex Kashgar, Balkh, and Merve, India would be
liable to attack from three points, and we should have
to divide our small European force.. We have learnt
how much trust can be placed in a Russian statesman’s
promises. Russia ought to be clearly given to
understand that any advance in the direction of
Kashgar, Balkh, or Merve, will be looked upon by
England as a casus belli, If this is done, we shall no
longer hear from the authorities at St. Petersburg that
they are unable to restrain their generals in Tur-
kistan. At the present moment Great Britain, without
any European ally, can drive Russia out of Central
Asia. If we allow her to keep on advancing, the same
arms which we might now employ will one day be
turned against ourselves,

THE AUTHOR,

Somerby Hall, Leicestershire,
September, 1876.
CONTENTS.

= 6+
PAGE
INTRODUCTION ’ i Se. Be YS oe of a cL AL
CHAPTER I.

Information about Khiva—Cold in Russia—East Wind—Russian Authorities
—Count Schouvaloff—General Milutin—Christianity and Civilization—
Anglo-Russian Railways in Central Asia—Preparations for the Journey
—The Sleeping Bag—Cockle’s Pills—Arms—Instruments—A pparatus
for Cooking . $ . . ° 7 ° 3 2 . - 8&

CHAPTER II.

Waist-belt for Gold—A Servant an Encumbrance when Travelling—Cologne
—Russian Diplomatic Agent—The Word Newspaper—Mr. Disraeli— The
Suez Canal Shares—Baron Reuter—Strausberg—Examination of Passports
—Of Sleeping Bag—Railway Travellingin Russia—Refreshment Rooms—
Russian disregard of Time—Officials easily Suborned—St. Petersburg
—Sleigh Drivers—No Russian Piece in any Theatre—A Russian’s
Dislike to his own Language—His Contempt for anything purely
Russian—Military Rank—A Village Drinking Establishment—Jonka—
Table d’héte—Fish Soups—India and Education—Agitators—General
Kauffmann’s Dislike to Publicity—Mr. Schuyler—Bismarck and the
Russian Language—All have their Price—Gold an Open Sesame—
Letter to General Milutin—Count Schouvaloff’s Brother not in St.
Petersburg . . ‘ . . . 5 - : . » 16

CHAPTER III.

The Volga Frozen—Navigation Stopped in the Caspian—The Russian
Boundary Line in the East—Reports are rife in Russia—The Press is
Gagged—General Milutin’s Regard for my Safety—Ignorance of Clerks
at Railway Station—Cartridge Case—Insurgents in Herzegovina—Sub-
scriptions—England bent upon Money-making—Austria allied with
England—The Baltic Provinces—The Russians’ Hatred of Austria and
Germany—Bismarck’s Policy—Mr. Leslie, Her Majesty’s Consul in
Moscow . . . . . . . . . . . + 31
x CONTENTS.

CHAPTER IV.

Railway Officials—Unpunctuality of Trains—Frauds on the Railway Com-
panies—Old Spirit of Serfdom—Socialistic and Nihilist Tendencies—
The Emperor Alexander and the Religious Influence in Russia—The
Ecclesiastical Hierachy more powerful than the Tzar—Waiting-rooms at
Riajsk—Superstition nd Dirt—Sizeran ; . ‘ *

CHAPTER V.

Twenty Degrees below Zero—Provisions—Wolves in the Neighbourhood—
Our Troika—Driving along the Volga—Price of Corn—Bridge being
Built over the River—The Sterlet—The Cossacks of the Ural—How to
Catch Sturgeon —The three kinds of Caviare é s 5 .

CHAPTER VI.

A Hole in the Ice—The Two Alternatives—Being Dragged through the
Water—Preparing for the Leap—Price of Land—Qur First Halting-
place —Winnowing Corn—Russian Idols ‘ . . 7 5

CHAPTER VII.

Pins-and-Needles—Spoiled Horses—Driver’s idea of Distance—The Halting-
place—Our Fellow Travellers—A Devout but Unwashed Pedlar—A
Glorious Sunrise—A Bargain isa Bargain +. . . . , .

CHAPTER VIII.

The Guardian of the Forests—No Sleigh Bells allowed in the Town—Hotel
Anaeff—A Curiously-shaped Vehicle—Law about Libel—Price of Provi-
sions at Samara—Rate of Mortality amongst the Infant Population—
Podorojnayas, or Road Passports—The Grumblers’ Book—Difference of
Opinion between my Horses and the Driver . . = ‘ F -

CHAPTER IX.

Delayed by a Snowstorm — Tchin — Russian Curiosity —A Conservative
Inspector—General Kryjinovsky—He tells me that I speak Russian—
The Interest the Paternal Government takes in my Movements—Russia
and China—A Newly-married Sleigh Driver—A Camel in Love

CHAPTER X.

Sleigh Sickness—A Happy Family—Orenburg—Nipping—Gas from a Char-
coal Stove—A Professor of Eastern Languages—The Chief of the Police
—Special Order Prohibiting Foreigners from Travelling in Turkistan—
Messrs. MacGahan and Schuyler—In Search of a Servant—Friendly
Interest Russian Officers take in India—Exhibition of Maps—Map of
the Punjaub—March Routes—General Bazoulek . 5 é 5 :

CHAPTER XI.

The Ural Cossacks— Dissenters— Two Thousand Five Hundred Men
Banished—Exiles Flogged—A Battue—Reports about General Kanff-
mann—The Tzar’s Officers in Turkistan ‘ z 5 ;

PAGE

40

46

54

61

69

77

86

94
CONTENTS. xi

CHAPTER XII.

A Supply of Provisions—A Grocer’s Shop—An Elastic Piece of Goods—
Schuyler and MacGahan—A Russian Bank—Gold and Paper—Coutts’
Circular Notes—Cox’s Letter of Credit—What is the Paper Value of a
Half Imperial ?—Russia on the verge of Bankruptcy—A Dinner Party
—German Military Railway Carriages—The Russian Railway Gauze—
Christmas Day—The Chief of the Police—An Intelligent Thief Catcher
—A Podorojnaya—Arrival of the Prisoner—‘‘ Women, women—there
were two with him!” . 7 ‘ e s ‘ 6 3 . 102

PAGE

CHAPTER XIII.

A Sheepskin Suit—Servant Hunting—A Tartar Dwarf—Nazar—Packing the
Sleigh—Kirghiz Camels—Ural Mountains—Krasnogorsk—Bouran—Off
the Track—Harness Broken—Driver Loses his Way—Nazar Famished
—Keeping Awake under Difficulties—The Rescue—Nazar’s Culinary
Composition—Benighted Travellers—The Courier—An Officer and his
Wife—The rvs Roane ere aa ae Bi Heat or Extreme

Cold, which is the worst to bear? . * x 5 . IIL

CHAPTER XIV.

A Start with the Courier—Tea-money—A Breakdown—The Book for
Complaints—Improvement in Scenery—Trade in Shawls—An Eastern
Tale—Podgornaya—A Precipice—‘‘Oura!””—The Inn at Orsk—A Basin
and a Table Napkin—A Servant with a Joyful Countenance—No Horses
at the Stable—A Man who has Horses for Hire—‘‘ You have a Grand-
mother?”—A Blue-eyed Siren. ‘i ‘ 3 ‘ 5 A - 123

CHAPTER XV.

Nomad Tribes—A Picture of Desolation—Nazar is Worn Out—The Inspector
—Price of Land, Cattle, and Provisions—The Cattle Pest—Vaccinating
the Animals—The Kirghiz do not believe in Doctors—Small Pox—
Strict Orders to Prevent Englishmen travelling in Russian Asia—The
Cost of Post Horses—Robbing Peter to pay Paul—Postal Track let out
to Contractors—Fort Karabootak—Filthy Stations—Horses wanted—
Whipping, the Order of the Day—The Emperor Nicholas—A Snow-
storm—Asleep in the Sleigh—Frostbites—Physical Pain—Mental see
—Cossack Soldiers—Brothers in Misfortune . ‘ ‘ 134

CHAPTER XVI.

Kashgar—English Officers said to be Drilling the Inhabitants—Yakoob Bek’s
Envoys—Perfidious Albion—Tashkent—Commerce with Bokhara—A
Railway to Tashkent—Irghiz—A Wolf—Terekli—The Boundary Line—
How far does Russia extend ?—Uncivil Inspector—Bottles Broken by the
Frost—Passengers’ Necks—Tartar Sleigh Drivers—A Ruined Contractor—

A Team of Camels—Head-over-heels in the Siow—The Kirghiz Horses—
A Hundred Miles’ Ride—Two Hundred Miles in twenty-four hours (on
two Horses)—Two extraordinary Marches . . . . ; « 143
X11 CONTENTS,

CHAPTER XVII. PAGE

Break-down of the Sleigh—Fresh Vehicle—‘‘ The Scavenger’s Daughter ”—
The Sea of Aral—A Salt Breeze—Less Snow—Christmas Day in Russia
—Amorous Females in Search of a Husband—Supper for Two—Kasala,
or Fort Number One—The Garrison—The Aral Fleet—The Inn of
Morozoff—Comparisons in Dirt—In Search of a Lodging—“ Go with
God, Brother” —The Jews’ Quarter—A Commandant. . - 2 154

CHAPTER XVIII.

An English Engineer Officer at Kasala—A Russian Scientific Expedi-
tion—Surveying the Oxus— The Rapidity of the Stream—A Future
Fleet—Transport and Fishing Barges—Lady Smokers—Disturbances
in Kokand—The Jnwalide Newspaper—Abuse of Yakoob Bek—
Dinner—‘‘ Anything you ask for”—Cabbage Soup and Cold Mutton—
Colonel Goloff— His Residence—An Assembly—The Beauty and
Fashion of Kasala—Steamers—Wood instead of Coal—Great Expense
to Government—‘‘ When we Fight you Fellows in India”—Zakuski—
Russian Linguists—System of Teaching Languages—Our Schools in
England—Latin and Greek, or French and German—A Foundation ; or,
aTwo-storied House. . «© «© © © «© «© «© « 163

CHAPTER XIX.

Ablutions under Difficulties—The Turkomans—An Escort of Cossacks—The
Khan and his Executioner—In Search of Horses—Provisions for the
March—Snow instead of Water—Exceptional Winter—Frozen to Death
—The Unclean Animal—Kirghiz Amazons—Ural Cossacks—Dissenters
and the Tzar—The Town of Kasala and Fever — Kibitkas— Mr.
MacGahan and the Fair Sex—A Wife for One Hundred Sheep—The
Matrimonial Lottery—A Russian Officer—‘‘ Liquor is the only thing
worth living for!”—Shadowsof War. , . . . 173

CHAPTER XX.

A Priest—Only one Wife allowed—Russian Bread—The Telegraph in
Turkistan—General Milutin might change his Mind—Horse-dealing—
Five Pounds for a Horse, Saddle and Bridle, &¢.—A Guide—The
Expedition to Khiva—The Russian Troops cn the March—Forty
degrees below Zero, Fahrenheit . es . - . - 184

CHAPTER XXI,

Water Route from Kasala to Petro-Alexandrovsk—The Irkibai Route—The
Winter March Route—General Perovsky—His Expedition—Loss of
Nine Thousand Camels—New Year’s Day—Two out of Ten Cossacks
Frozen to Death—Major Wood and the Survey of the Oxus—Struggling
into the Saddle—‘“‘ Your Horse is Tough” —Ophthalmia—Cotton Bales—
The Mohammedans and the Deity—Fatalism—The Will of Allah. + 192
CONTENTS. xiii

CHAPTER XXII.
PAGE

Camels—Their Rate of March—How to Divide the Marches—The Kibitka
—Better be Cold than Blind—A Tartar Cook—The Turkoman’s Appe-
tite—A Khivan Caravan—The Main Road goes to Khiva, the Branch Road
to the Fort—Drinking Tea with the Khivans—Sheltering the Camels . 202

CHAPTER XXIII.

A Lazy Guide—A Cold Pig—Insubordination—How to Awake Arabs—Hot
Embers better than Cold Water—Power of Camels to carry Burdens
much exaggerated—Quickest Road to a Tartar’s Affections—Sores from
Frostbites . .« +2 «6 «© «© « « - © « » 210

CHAPTER XXIV.

The Guide’s Retaliation—Horses’ Nostrils stuffed up with Icicles—Endurance
of the Horses—The Brother-in-Law’s Horses—Kalenderhana—A Sudden
Thought—Stchi—The Women expose their Faces—The Kirghiz Poetry
—Sheep—A Sign of Manhood in the Bridegroom—Jealous Females—
Feasting—A Peculiar Pocket—Games—Horse Races—The Girls and
their Admirers—The Prettiest Girl in the Tribe—A Simple Marriage
Ceremony—‘“‘ But supposing she would not have you ?” " “ . 216

CHAPTER XXV.

Disobedience of Orders—A Lesson—A Song about a Sheep—The Impor-
tance of a Traveller gauged in Russia by his Furs, in Asia by his
Retinue—Worm Out—The Pretty Ice-bearer—Moon-faced Girls—Seville
—Gitanas—Buying a Sheep—‘‘Fat!’—A Beautiful Butcher—A
Kirghiz Pipe—Kirghiz Tobacco—Heart Disease—Desultory Warfare
—Progress of Russia—The Sword and the Gibbet— Christianity and the
Bible—A Filthy Habit—Snow for Horses instead of Water—In the
Misty Gloom of Awakening Day—Stretching a Point—‘‘ We will go to
Kalenderhana”—Ootch Ootkool—Tan Sooloo—Tooz—A Small Salt
Lake.  . . . . . . . . » . 2 6 228

CHAPTER XXVI.

Tlie Turkoman on his Donkey—Jana Darya—A once Fertile Country—A
Barren Waste—The Grandfather of the Khan—English Horses and
Kirghiz Horses—Russian Cavalry—A Sea like Molten Gold—Isles as if
of Silver—Kamstakak—A Fresh Water Pond—A Return to Vegetation—
Saigak —Pheasants—The Camel Driver is taken ill—The Moullahs—
Conjuring the Evil One—A Dog of an Unbeliever—The Guide’s Fight
with the Khivan—A Revolver is sometimes a Peace-maker—Khivan
method of Preserving Grass throughout the Winter—Deep Chasms—
Tombs—The Vision of the Kirghiz—The Kazan-Tor Mountains—Auri-
ferous nature of the Soil so cw, veo Se ce Se ° » 236
xiv CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XXVII.
PAGE

Villages Fortified—The Turkoman Raids exaggerated—A Retrospect—The
Cossacks Invade Khiva—Urgentch—Peter the Great’s Idea about Khiva
and India—Prince Bekovitch—Careful Preparations for the Expedition—
Points Selected by the Shores of the Caspian—Forts St. George,
Alexander, and Krasnovodsk—March across the Ust Urt—Destruction
of the Russians—Expedition in 1859—Chikishlar Taken—Military Posts
Established—Chikishlar Occupied in 1871—Russian Statement about
the Shah’s Recognition of the Tzar’s Claim to Ashourade—Russians
Established at Four Points in Turkoman Territory—The Adayefs—
Forced Contributions—Taxes Raised 150 per Cent.—Dissatisfaction—
Letter from the Khan—Adayefs Overcome—The Khan’s Letters to the
Emperor and to the Viceroy of the Caucasus—The Russian Chancellor’s
perfect understanding with Mr. Gladstone’s Government—Count Schou-
valoff’s Statement to Lord Granville—Positive Assurances to Parliament
about Khiva—The Force Employed by Kauffmann in his Advance upon
Khiva—The different Columns—Difference of Opinion between Kry-
jinovsky and Kauffmann—Capture of Khiva—Markosoff’s Failure—
War Indemnity—Prince Gortschakoff’s Principles—Treatment of the
Turkomans—General Kryjinovsky’s Statement about this Subject—Court
Martial on Two Turkomans—Sentence of Death—Russian Treaty with
Khiva—Khivan Territory given to Bokhara . . ; : . - 247

CHAPTER XXVIII.

The Guide’s Kibitka—His Wife—His Brother-in-Law—Why not go to
Fbiva?—Domestic Pressure—Eating a Horse—Letter to the Khan—
The Moullah—Xafgitan or Polkovnik—A Letter in Russian—Tchin—
Horse-dealing—A Horse with One Eye—Canals from the Oxus—
Fougouroo—The Grey Horse—A Purchase - 263

CHAPTER XXIX.

The Oozek—A Fragile Bridge—The Oxus—Khivan Taxation—Russian
Imports—The Traders—A Slug—A Caravan—Costumes—Saddles—
Khivan Horses—Salam Aaletkom—Quarters for the Night—Hospitality
—A Khivan House—Melons—Hindostan and England—Railways—An
Iron Horse—500 Versts in twenty-four hours . é : 3 - 273

CHAPTER XXX.

Oogentch—The Town—The Bazaar—A Barber’s Shop—‘‘ These Infidels
have Strange Customs’’—‘‘ Please God you do not get your Throat
cut !”—Breakfast with a Khivan Merchant—India a Mine of Wealth in
the Eyes of the Russians in Tashkent—There are many Roads to India
—A Fort at Merve—Shabbatat Canal—The Bridge—The Cemetery —
The Tombs—Fearful Scenes—‘‘ Who began the War?”—The Kazabat
Canal—Shamahoolhoor—A Sportsman—‘‘ You have not got a Wife?”
—A Breechloader—‘‘ The Khan has now no Soldiers” . 3 3 . £82
CONTENTS. xv

CHAPTER XXXI

The Messenger—Two Khivan Noblemen—Minarets—Orchards—Mulberry
Trees—Khiva—The Fortifications—The Market-place—The Gallows—
How Murderers are put to death—The Muscovite Imagination—Capital
Punishment rarely inflicted—The Population—The Schools—Cupolas—
The Khivan’s House—A Bath in Khiva—The Bathing Establishment—
The Belt which contained my Gold—The Moullah—Captain Abbott
—‘‘ The Winter killed the Dogs by thousands”—The Khan’s Treasurer
—‘‘ They do not love you English People ”—‘‘ Four Years ago we were
quite as far off Russia as you are at the present time ”—Distinguished
Foreigners—Ink F'rozen—‘‘ The Russians have not such things” . » 294

PAGE

CHAPTER XXXII.

Breakfast in Khiva—Decorations or Orders—How to obtain them in Russia
—The Procession through the Streets—The Band—The Khan’s Palace—
His Guards—Effeminate Boys dressed a little like Women—The Treasury
—Khivan Tribute to the Tzar—The Executioner— Nazar’s Trepidation—
The Reception Hall—The Audience—The Khan—His description—
Tea —The Interpreters— England, ‘‘ How far is it from Russia?”
—Englishmen and Germans—Wyld’s Map—‘‘ Where is India?”—A
Compass — An Infernal Machine — Afghanistan — China — War with
Russia—‘‘ The Russians laughed at you”—‘‘ What shall you do about
Kasghar ?”—“‘ Are there Jews in your Country ?”—‘‘ The Russians love
Money very much”—‘‘ Hum!” . ‘ é . . . + 304

CHAPTER XXXIII.

The Present Khan—The Law of Succession—The Turkomans and their
Tribute—The Royal Gardens—A Summer Palace—How the Sovereign
administers Justice—God’s Vengeance—The Prison—The Prisoners—
—The Stocks—The Schools—The Moullahs—Reading, Writing, and
the Koran—How Schoolmasters are remunerated for their trouble—
Preparations for a Start to Bokhara—L’ homme propose, mais Dicu dispose
—A Letter—It must have cost a large sum of money sending that
Telegram—General Milutin— The Bazaar—A Strict Order—A Nose-
ring—The Unclean Animal—A Present from the Khan—His Invitation
to Englishmen—Hlis Hospitality . ‘ é . . . . « 315

 

CHAPTER XXXIV.

Departure from Khiva—The Khan’s Brother—His rumoured intention of
visiting St. Petersburg—Villages—Goryin—The Governor of Anca—
Lord Northbrook—Herat—Lahore—Lucknow—Calcutta—Our Soldiers
in India—The Cossacks—Indian Teas—The Amou Darya—Lager—
Three Squadrons Picketed out in the open—The Telegram from
H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge—Colonel Ivanoff—Misunderstanding
between Major Wood and Colonel Ivanoff—Atmosphere of Central
xvi CONTENTS.

PAGE
Asia, and the Colonel’s Memory—Letter to General Kolpakovsky—

Dinner at Ivanoffs—Russia and England—Merve—If taken a Strong
Fort would be Built there—Roads to Merve—The Khivans are Quiet
People—Court Martial upon the Turkomans—Borrowing to Pay the
Interest of Former Loans—Troops at Petro - Alexandrovsk—Ivanoff
would shortly receive his Promotion—The Russki Mir (Russian World)
— Article on the large number of German Officers in the Russian Army
—Marked antipathy to the Germans—The New Military System in a
transitory state—Contempt expressed for Austria—The Ladies at Petro-
Alexandrovsk . . . . . . . . . . + 324

CHAPTER XXXV.

The Meet—Bokharan and Kirghiz Sportsmen—The Country—The Chase—
The Falcons—A Club-house—A Ball—The way of Dancing Quadrilles
—Valses—A Mazurka—Theatricals—Osbaldestone’s Feat—The Daven-
port Brothers’ Trick—The Khan’s Treasurer—An Envoy from the
Ameer of Bokhara—‘‘ Who is the Khan in the Moon?”—A Russo-
German Scientific Expedition—A Prussian Officer—Nazar and Ivanoff's
Servants—Captain Yanusheff—Shurahan  . . . . . + 334

CHAPTER XXXVI.

The Tarantass—The Last Adieux—A Night in the Cold—The Cossacks :
their Arms, Weight, &c.—How they Bivouac—The Ameer of Bokhara
—The Sentry—His Punishment—Whipping the Camel Driver—The
Kirghiz Postman—A Kirghiz Chapel—A Race back to Kasala—371
Miles in nine Days and two Hours—A Duel—Mutiny of the Uralsk
Cossacks—The Tzarevitch—The Cross of St. George—A Reinforcement
of 10,000 Men from Orenburg . - . . : . . + 343

CHAPTER XXXVII.

The District Governor—A Cossack Colonel’s Funeral—The Island in the
Sea of Aral—How to join the Amou Darya and Syr Darya Rivers—My
Quarters in Morozoff’s Inn—Letter from General Kolpakovsky—
Changing Money—English Sovereigns—Sale of Horses—A Jew and a
Greek—Sympathy between the Russians and the Greeks—A Rich Young
Kirghiz Widow—Love-making through a Third Party—A Boy Husband
—Cossacks Marching from Orenburg—Nazar’s Father-in-Law—The
Commander of the Battery—Despatches sent from Tashkent to St.
Petersburg in twelve Days—A Fat Goose , * ‘ ‘ ‘ » 352

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

An Inquisitive Inspector—‘‘ Will England cede us Kasghar ?””—The Fortress
Afghan—‘‘ Are the English Christians?”—‘‘ Have you Images ?’—
‘And yet you call yourselves Christians !’”—The Bath in Uralsk—No
one Washed on a Friday—The Chief of the Police—A Murderer—His
Punishment—The Ural Cossacks —Sizeran—Good-bye to Nazar . 361
CONTENTS. XVil

APPENDIX A, peat
The Russian Advance Eastward . . - 20 e oe + 367

APPENDIX B,
Report of Mr. Schuyler. . . . F e ° e e 2 391

APPENDIX C,

Russian Immorality in Central Asia. Se . » «© 6 « 396

APPENDIX D.
Treaty of Peace between Russia and Khiva 7 . + @ - 397

APPENDIX E.

The Promise not to Annex Khivan Territory . ° . . bt « 402

APPENDIX F,

Treaty concluded between General Kauffmann and Seid Muzafer, Amecr of
Bukhara. . . . . . . . . e . » 405

APPENDIX G.
An Afghan Prince on the Importance of Merve . 3 ° ° ° + 409

APPENDIX H.

Budget of the Turkistan Government . * Ce * . e 6 » 412

APPENDIX I.

Russian Operations against the Yomud Turkomans , . . . © 415

APPENDIX J.

Movements of Russian Troops on the Oxus ‘ ‘ ‘ © » 4 419
APPENDIX K.

Showing how easily Merve might be taken by the Russians ° + 424
APPENDIX L.

A Russian Officer on Cossack Bivouacs . . . ° ‘i 6 « 425

APPENDIX M,
A Russian Officer about the Size and Requirements of a Steppe Train . + 426

APPENDIX N.
Ways of Communication by Sea to the East Coast of the Caspian ‘ » 428
XViil CONTENTS.

APPENDIX O.

PAGE

Steppe Routes . 2 . . i We ; = 4% ° 430
APPENDIX P,

The Most Important Routes in Turkistan  . ‘ , ™ 7 : . 432
APPENDIX Q.

Captain Burnaby’s Route from Orenburg to Kasala_, 2 os - 6 445
APPENDIX R.

March Routes in Bokhara and Afghanistan, eae by ce Kostenko,
a Russian Staff Officer . ‘ . : . 7 : + 446

APPENDIX 6&.
March Routes in Cachemire and Afghanistan, compiled by Mr. Bektchourin. 447

APPENDIX T,
Colonel Venukoff’s List of Routes in China and in Central Asia . . « 448
A RIDE TO KHIVA.

 

INTRODUCTION.

A Low room, with but little furniture, and that of the
simplest kind ; a few telegraphic instruments scattered
about here and there in out-of-the-way corners, and
mixed up promiscuously with rifles and wooden boxes,
some filled with cartridges, others containing provisions
for a journey; two or three bottles, labelled “Quinine,”
on a rickety wooden table; several men of various:
nationalities all talking at the same time, and a Babel
of different languages ;—such was the scene around the
writer of this work, who was leaning against the
window-sill, and glancing from time to time at an old
number of an English newspaper.

The host was a German gentleman, now several
thousand miles from the Fatherland, which he had been
induced to leave by an offer of the post of superinten-
dent and general manager on a long and important line
of recently-constructed telegraph. A graceful girl, with
large dark eyes and pearl-white teeth, but whose olive
complexion and Oriental dress showed that she was in
no way akin to the fairer beauties of Europe, was
engaged in handing round small cups of coffee to the

most excited talkers of the party, an Italian, Arab, and
A
2 A RIDE TO KHIVA.

Englishman, the former. gesticulating wildly in an
endeavour to interpret between his two companions,
who were evidently not at all in accord about the
subject of conversation. A bright sun, its rays flashing
down on a broad stream, nearly the colour of lapis-
lazuli, which flowed hard by the dwelling, had raised
the temperature of the room to an almost unbearable
heat. It was the month of February. In England
people were shivering beside their fires or walking in
slush or snow; but I was at Khartoum, having just
returned from a visit to Colonel Gordon, Sir Samuel
Baker’s successor, on the White Nile.

It may seem strange thus to commence the narrative
of a journey to Central Asia in Central Africa, and yet,
had it not been for a remark made by one of the men
in the low square room to which I have just referred,
in all probability I should never have gone to Khiva.
The conversation had lulled, the Arab and Englishman
having, by means of the Italian, settled the knotty point
as to whether the son of Albion, an officer late in the
Khedive’s service, was to receive the salary due to him
in its entirety or not; the Mohammedan being of opinion
that the Christian ought to be paid the amount subject
to a deduction, the native Egyptian officials having
always to submit to this system of taxation. However,
my English friend did not see it in this light: he had
agreed to serve for a certain sum—that sum he must
receive—and if the Arab did not pay, why, he would
complain to the Khedive. This last remark having
been at length translated to the official, the latter
succumbed. My compatriot, the question being settled
to his satisfaction, came and looked out of the window
by my side.

It was indeed a picturesque scene. The Blue Nile,
INTRODUCTION. 3

fiere nearly half a mile from shore to shore, lay smooth
and unrippled like a sea of glass almost at our feet.
On its vast surface were barges and native boats
innumerable, whilst many zzggers—the huge sailing
barques of the Arabs, and much used by them in
former years when engaged in the slave-trade—were
anchored here and there. Gangs of workmen, black
as ebony, and stripped to the waist, their well-
developed muscles standing out like knotted cords,
were busily engaged unloading a freight of ivory
bound for Cairo. An enormous sagzzieh, or water-
wheel, for irrigation purposes, was slowly revolving,
put in motion by the united exertions of a bullock
and a donkey. The wild yells of a negro lad, whose
duty it was to goad the animals should they ever flag,
mingled strangely with the creaking sounds of the
ponderous woodwork.

“I wonder where we shall all be this time next
year,’ suddenly remarked my companion. “God
knows,” was my answer; “but I do not think I shall
try the White Nile again; if I come to Africa another
time I shall select a new line of country.” At that
moment my eye fell upon a paragraph in the paper.
It was to the effect that the Government at St. Peters-
burg had given an order that no foreigner was to be
allowed to travel in Russian Asia, and that an English-
man.who had recently attempted a journey in that
direction had been turned back by the authorities. I
have, unfortunately for my own interests, from my
earliest childhood had what my old nurse used to call
a most “contradictorious ” spirit, and it suddenly
occurred to me, Why not go to Central Asia? “Well,
I shall try it,’ was my remark. “What, Timbuctoo ?”
said my friend. ‘“ No, Central Asia;” and I showed
4 i A RIDE T0 KHIVA.

him the paragraph. ‘“ You will never get there; they
will stop you.” ‘They can if they like, but I don’t
think they will.” And this trifling incident was the
first thing which put the idea into my head of again
attempting to reach Khiva.

I had intended to go there some few years ago,
when the Russians were about to invade the country.
I had even started on my journey, meaning to try
and find a way into Khiva, wd Persia and Merve,
and, if possible, be with the Khivans at the time
of the Russian attack. But this project was never
realised. A typhoid fever, caught as I was rapidly
travelling through Italy, laid me for four months on a
bed of sickness. My leave thus was spent in a very
different manner from that originally intended, and I
had, as it is commonly termed, a much closer shave
for my life than I believe would ever have been the case
even if I had been taken prisoner by the most fanatical
Turkomans in Central Asia. But the campaign was
over. There would be no fighting to see. Our states-
men had learned how to appreciate a Russian’s
promises at their true value. Samarcand had been
annexed to the Tzar’s dominions, the Black Sea
Treaty had been repudiated, and Russian troops
were quartered in Khivan territory.*

According to some politicians Khiva was a long
way from India, and it really did not signify to England
whether Russia annexed it or not. Again, it was
urged by others, if Russia does eventually reach our
Indian frontier so much the better for England. We
shall have a civilized nation as a neighbour instead
of the barbarous Afghans. A third argument brought

* See Appendix A, The Russian Advance Eastward, and Appendix D,
The Treaty with Khiva.
INTRODUCTION. 5

forward to defend the action of the Liberal Govern-
ment was, that India did not signify so much to us
after all, that she was a very expensive possession, and
one which we should very likely have taken from us,
but one certainly not worth fighting for. This was the
opinion of some men who were high in office, and who
thus lightly valued one of the brightest jewels in the
British crown. The majority of our rulers did not
trouble their heads much about the matter. India will
last my time was the remark; Russia is still a long
way off; and our grandchildren must look after them-
selves. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof; and
after me the Deluge. Thus the question was allowed
to drop, and the minds of our legislators were speedily
engrossed in studying the important question as to
which would be the better course to pursue—to allow
Englishmen to go into public-houses after eleven
o'clock at night, or to send them thirsty and supperless
to bed.

The following autumn the Carlist War was going
on,soI went to Spain. After atime my thoughts were
no longer occupied with the state of affairs in Central
Asia. It was only when my friend, in reply to my
observation, had observed, “ You will never get there ;
they will stop you,” that it occurred to me to ask what
possible reason the Russian Government could have
for pursuing a line of policy which, easily understood
when adopted by a barbarous nation like China, was a
singular one for even a semi-civilized power. It was
the more remarkable, as, from the days of Peter the
Great, the regenerator of Russia, his successors have
invariably encouraged the inhabitants of Western
Europe to visit and freely circulate throughout the
Imperial dominions. If it were not for the German
6 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

element, which is so largely diffused throughout the
governing classes, Russia would never have arrived at
even her present state of advancement. Of all the
Tzars of Muscovy during the last 200 years the
present Emperor is perhaps the sovereign most keenly
alive to the advantage of raising the standard of
civilization throughout his dominions, by admitting
foreigners, particularly Germans, to every office in the
empire. The repressive order to which I have alluded,
thus absolutely cutting off Asiatic Russia from almost
all contact with the more civilized inhabitants of
Europe, was in striking contrast to the line of conduct
which had previously characterized his reign.

There was, then, something behind the scenes—
something that it was desired to hide from the eyes of
Europe.

What could it be?

Were the generals in Central Asia treating the
inhabitants of the conquered districts so cruelly, that
the fear of this reaching the Emperor's ears—not
through Russian sources, as this would be impossible,
but through the medium of a foreign press—was the
origin of the order? Or could it be that though no
absolute cruelty had been shown to the people in the
recently-acquired territory, they were being badly
governed, and that the bribery and corruption which
goes on in Western Russia had taken deeper root
when transplanted to the far-off East? Or was it that
the authorities in Turkistan, the enormous territory
acquired by Russia within the last few years, were
afraid of letting Europe know that instead of having
raised the tone of morality amidst the inhabitants of
Central Asia, the latter had in many instances brought
the Russians down to an Oriental level, and that the
INTRODUCTION. ”

vices and depraved habits of the East were actually
being acquired by some of the conquerors?

Judging from the accounts* of the few travellers
who have succeeded in making a way into this com-
paratively speaking unknown country, any of the
hypotheses above alluded to might have been the
origin of the order. But I could not help thinking
that there was something more behind the scenes than
the mere wish to blind the eyes of Europe to these
matters, or to appear as the apostles of Christianity—
one of the pleas put forward by the Russian press to
defend the system of annexation so steadily persevered
in by the Government. There was something beyond
all this; and in that something I felt convinced that
the interests of Great Britain had ashare. Peter the
Great’s will, or rather wishes, have not been forgotten
by his successors. The proof of this is best shown by
looking at a map of Russia as it was in his days and
as it now exists; whilst in a recent staff map of
Turkistan, 1875, the compiler has not even dotted in
the boundary line from N. lat. 39°2’, E. long. 69°38’, to
N. lat. 44°40, E. long. 79°493', thus showing that the
boundary line, in his opinion, has not yet been reached.
When will that limit be attained? When is the
Russian advance to be barred, and where? By the
Himalayas, or by the Indian Ocean? This is a
question, not for our grandchildren, nor our children,
but for ourselves.

* See Appendix B, Report of Mr. Schuyler, and Appendix C, Russian
Immorality in Central Asia, Extract from Major Wood’s “Sea of Aral.”
CHAPTER I.

Information about Khiva—Cold in Russia—East Wind—Russian Authorities—
Count Schouvaloff—General Milutin—Christianity and Civilization—Anglo-
Russian Railways in Central Asia—Preparations for the Journey—The Sleep-
ing Bag—Cockle’s Pills—Arms—Instruments—A pparatus for Cooking.

Havine once resolved to go to Central Asia, the
next question was how to execute my intention. On
returning to England from Africa I eagerly read every
book that could be found, and which seemed likely to
give any information about the country which I proposed
to visit. Vambéry’s “ Travels,” Abbott’s “ From Herat
to Khiva,” and MacGahan’s “Campaigning on the
Oxus,” were each in turn studied.. Judging by the
difficulties that the gallant correspondent of the Mew
York Herald had to overcome before he carried his
project of reaching Khiva into execution, I felt con-
vinced that the task I had laid out for myself was
anything but an easy one.

The time of year in which I should have to attempt
the journey was another obstacle to the undertaking.
My leave of absence from my regiment would only
commence in December. I had already, in previous
journeys through Russia, discovered what the term
“cold” really means in that country. After reading of
the weather experienced by Captain Abbott when
travelling in the month of March, in a latitude a good
deal to the south of that which seemed to me the
most practicable, I felt certain that very careful prepara-
THE RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES. 9

tions must be made for a ride through the steppes in
mid-winter, or that I should inevitably be frozen. The
cold of the Kirghiz desert is a thing unknown I believe
in any other part of the world, or even in the Arctic
regions. An enormous expanse of flat country, ex-
tending for hundreds of miles, and devoid of everything
save snow and salt lakes, and here and there saksaool,
a species of bramble-tree, would have to be traversed
on horseback ere Khiva could be reached. The winds
in those parts of Asia are unknown to the inhabitants
of Europe. When they grumble at the so-called east
wind, they can little imagine what that wind is like in
those countries which lie exposed to the full fury of its
first onslaught. For there you meet with no warm
ocean to mollify its rigour, no trees, no rising land, no
hills or mountains to check it in its course. It blows
on uninterruptedly over a vast snow and salt-covered
track. It absorbs the saline matter, and cuts the faces
of those exposed to its gusts. The sensation is more
like the application of the edge of a razor than any-
thing else to which it can be compared.

There was, besides this, something else to be taken
into consideration. I was well aware that no assist-
ance could be expected from the Russian authorities.
They might not content themselves by indirectly
throwing obstacles in my path, but might even stop
me by sheer force if they found all other ways fail.
The account of the prohibitory order which I had
seen published in the English journal was, I had
every reason to believe, correct. Should I not find,
after crossing the Ural river, and entering Asia, that
my long sleigh journey had been to no purpose, and
have to retrace my steps through European Russia?
These were my first impressions on arriving in
10 A RIDE TO KIIVA.

England; but on talking the matter over with some
Russians of my acquaintance, they assured me that I
was entirely mistaken; that, on the contrary, the
authorities at St. Petersburg would readily permit
English officers to travel in Central Asia. It was
observed that the order to which I had alluded re-
ferred only to merchants or people who tried to smuggle
contraband goods into the recently-annexed khanates.

A few months later I had the honour of making
the acquaintance of his Excellency Count Schouvaloff,
the Russian Ambassador in London, and formerly the
head of the secret police at St. Petersburg. He was
excessively kind, and promised to do what he could
to further my plans, but in answer to a straightforward
question as to whether I should be permitted to travel
in Russian Asia or not, his reply was, “ My dear sir,
that is a subject about which I cannot give you any
answer. The authorities at St. Petersburg will be
able to afford you every possible information.” It was
a diplomatic answer—one which bound the Count to
nothing—and I went away charmed with the tact and
affability of the Russian Ambassador. Apparently
there was nothing to be learned officially from Russian
sources; but unofficially, and one by one, many little
bits of information crept out. I now first learned that
General Milutin, the Minister of War at St. Petersburg,
was personally much opposed to the idea of an English
officer travelling in Central Asia, particularly in that
part which lies between the boundaries of British
India and Russia. According to him, a Russian
traveller, a Mr. Pachino, had not been well treated
by the authorities in India.* This gentleman had

* This I believe to be incorrect, as also the other statement—that
Mr. Pachino was not permitted to enter Afghanistan.
CHRISTIANITY AND CIVILIZATION. Tl

not been permitted to enter Afghanistan; and, in
consequence, General Milutin did not see why he
should allow an Englishman to do what was denied a
Russian subject.

Another peculiarity which I remarked in several
Russians whose acquaintance I at that time had the
honour of making, it may here be not out of place to
mention. This was their desire to impress upon my
mind the great advantage it would be for England to
have a civilized neighbour like Russia on her Indian
frontier ; and when I did not take the trouble to dissent
from their views—for it is a waste of breath to argue
with Russians about this question—how eager they
were for me to impress their line of thought upon the
circle of people with whom I was the more immediately
connected. Of course, the arguments brought forward
were based upon purely philanthropic motives, upon
Christianity and civilization. They said that the two
great powers ought to go together hand in glove; that
there ought to be railways all through Asia, formed by
Anglo-Russian companies; that Russia and England
had every sympathy in common which should unite
them; that they both hated Germany and loved France;
that England and Russia could conquer the world,
and so on.

It was a line of reasoning delightfully Russian, and
though I was not so rude as to differ from my would-
be persuaders, and lent an attentive ear to all their
eloquence, I could not help thinking that the mutual
sympathy between England and Germany is much
greater than that between England and Russia ; that
the Greek faith as practised by the lower orders in
Russia is pure paganism in comparison with the Pro-
testant religion which exists in Prussia and Great
12 A RIDE TO KUIVA,

Britain; that Germany and Great Britain are natural
allies against Russia, or any other power aggressively
disposed towards them; that Germans and English-
men, who are well acquainted with Russia, understand
by the term.“ Russian civilization” something diametri-
cally opposite to what is attributed to it by those people
who form their ideas of Muscovite progress from the
few Russians whom they meet abroad; and that the
Honduras railway would be a paying concern to its
English shareholders in comparison with an Anglo-
Russian line, to be constructed in Central Asia with
English capital and Russian directors.

The time was wearing on, November was drawing
to a close, my leave of absence would begin on the first
of the following month. On that day I must commence
my travels. Preparations were rapidly made. Under
the advice of Captain Allen Young, of Arctic fame, I
ordered a huge waterproof, and, consequently, air-proof,
bag of prepared sail-cloth. The bag was seven feet
and a half long, and ten feet round. A large aperture
was left on one side, and the traveller could thus take
up his quarters inside, and sleep well protected from
the cold winds. The bag would also be useful in
many other ways, and I found it of great convenience
for every purpose save the one for which it was
originally intended. The manufacturer, not calculating
on the enormous dimensions an individual assumes
when enveloped in furs, had not made the aperture
large enough. The consequence was that the diff-
culties, when I attempted to take a header into the
recess of my sleeping apartment, were almost insur-
mountable. Only on one occasion, and when some-
what lighter clad than usual, I succeeded in effecting
an entrance. Four pairs of the thickest Scotch fishing
COCKLE’S PILLS. TZ

stockings were also ordered ; and jerseys and flannel
shirts of a texture to which people in this country
are but little accustomed. Then came a suit of
clothes, made by Messrs. Kino, of Regent Street,
and in which they assured me it would be impos-
' sible to feel cold. The clothes, I must admit, were
exceptionally well made, and well suited to be worn
under a sheepskin attire, but I cannot wish my worst
enemy a greater punishment than forcing him to sleep
out on the steppes in winter time with mere cloth
attire, no matter how thick. Fur or skins of some
kind must be worn, or without this precaution the
traveller, should he once close his eyes, will undergo
a great risk of never opening them again. Two pairs
of boots lined with fur were also taken; and for
physic—with which it is as well to be supplied when
travelling in out-of-the-way places—some quinine, and
Cockle’s pills, the latter a most invaluable medicine,
and one which I have used on the natives of Central
Africa with the greatest possible success. In fact, the
marvellous effects produced upon the mind and body of
an Arab Sheik, who was impervious to all native medi-
cines, when I administered to him five Cockle’s pills,
will never fade from my memory; anda friend of mine,
who passed through tlre same district many months
afterwards, informed me that my fame as a “ medicine
man” had not died out, but that the marvellous cure
was even then a theme of conversation in the bazaar.
So far as I could learn from the books which
related to Central Asia, there would be but little
game, and nothing particular in the shape of sport.
I determined not to take a rifle. The cartridges would
have considerably added to the weight of my luggage,
the prime object being to travel as light as pessible.
4 A RIDE TO KHIVA.

However, as it was as well to have some sort of a gun
in the event of falling in with wild fowl, which I had
been told abounded in some places, I took a favourite
old No. 12 small-bore, and amongst other cartridges a
few loaded with ball, in case I should encounter any
bears or wolves. A regulation revolver, with about
twenty cartridges, made up my defensive arsenal in
the event of an attack from the Turkomans.

The next thing to be thought of was a cooking
apparatus. If I had taken the advice of many kind
friends, I should have travelled with a Jdatterie de
cuisine sufficient for the wants of M. Soyer himself.
But canteens could not be thought of for a moment,
on account of the extra weight, so I limited myself to
two soldiers’ mess tins, and admirable little utensils
they are too, whether for cooking over a spirit-lamp
or on a fire, and far superior to any of the more costly
and cumbersome articles especially invented to get
out of order and perplex the traveller. A trooper’s
hold-all, with its accompanying knife, fork, and spoon,
completed my kit, and with a thermometer, barometer,
and pocket sextant by way of instruments, I was ready
to start. Even this amount of luggage was much more
than was desirable, and when placing the baggage for
my journey—consisting of the sleeping sack, a pair of
saddle-bags, railway bag, and gun—into the scales, I
found that it weighed exactly eighty-five pounds. An
officer in the Foot Guards—my friend K.—wished
very much to accompany me in my journey. He
would have been a most cheery and agreeable com-
panion, as he was accustomed to travel, and capable of
roughing it to any amount, but he was ignorant of
Russian. By this time I was thoroughly aware of the
difficulties that would most likely be thrown in my
COUNT SCHOUVALOFF 15

way, and of the little chance I had of getting to Khiva
alone, so I was compelled to decline his proposal.*

The day before my departure from London I
received a very courteous letter from Count Schou-
valoff. He said that as I was provided with letters
to General Milutin, the Russian Minister of War, and
to General Kauffmann, the Commander-in-Chief of
the Forces in the Government of Turkistan, it only
remained for him to give me a letter of introduction to
his brother at St. Petersburg, and to wish me God
speed on my journey. He also added that he had
sent off a despatch to the Minister of Foreign Affairs
at St. Petersburg, asking him to do everything he
could to aid me in my proposed journey. And so at
the last moment I began to flatter myself things looked
a little brighter, but some observations from Mr.
MacGahan, whose acquaintance I was so fortunate as
to make at the house of a mutual friend, a few even-
ings previous to my departure, made me still rather
doubtful of success. “ You will get on very well as far
as Fort Number One,” had been the remark, “and
then you will have to pull yourself together and make
your rush, and again in the same way when you leave
Russian territory for India; but it is to be done,
though the odds are rather against you.” He had
also given me some valuable hints about acquiring a
knowledge of the Tartar language, and travelling as
light as possible.

* K. was determined not to be idle during his leave, and, as he could
not go with me to Russia, went by way of a change to Abyssinia, where,
I believe, he had some interesting adventures.

+ To Mr. MacGahan, and subsequently to Mr, Schuyler, First Secre-
tary at the Russian Embassy at St. Petersburg, I am greatly indebted
for much valuable information with reference to my journey,
CHAPTER. 11,

Waist-belt for Gold—A Servant an Encumbrance when Travelling—Cologne—
Russian Diplomatic Agent—The Word Newspaper—Mr. Disraeli and the Suez
Canal Shares—Baron Reuter—Strausberg—Examination of Passports—Of
Sleeping Bag—Railway Travelling in Russia—Refreshment Rooms—Russian
disregard of Time—Officials easily Suborned—St. Petersburg—Sleigh Drivers
—No Russian Piece in any Theatre—A Russian’s Dislike to his own
Language—His contempt for anything purely Russian—Military Rank—A
Village Drinking Establishment—Jonka—TZadle d’héte—Fish Soups—India
and Education—Agitators—General Kauffmann’s Dislike to Publicity—Mr.
Schuyler—Bismarck and the Russian Language—All have their Price—itold
an Open Sesame—Letter to General Milutin—Count Schouvaloff’s Brother
not in St. Petersburg.

Tue 30th November, 1875, broke cold and damp. It
was one of those disagreeable days that depress and
lower the barometer of the human spirit to a semi-
despondent level; but I had finished all my regimental
duty, and having provided myself at Thornhill’s with
a strong waist-belt to contain the amount of gold I
thought necessary for my journey, and which by the
way was a most uncomfortable bedfellow, I drove to
the Victoria Station, to start by the night mail.

I had determined not to take a servant—they are
generally in the way, unless they know something of
the country travelled in. Under other conditions
master and man have to change places. I must say,
however, that I was sorry to leave behind my faithful
fellow; he had been with me in several parts of the
world, and was able to make himself understood by
signs and the few broken words of the language he
might pick up, in a manner to me quite incomprehen-
A RUSSIAN DIPLOMATIC AGENT. 17

sible, but Russian #zouz2hz (peasants) and Tartar camel-
drivers would have been too much even for him.
Besides, he was a married man, and I did not wish
to be saddled with his wife and family in the event of
a disaster.

Our iron horse galloped merrily over the distance
between London and Dover. The passage to Ostend
was a favourable one, and the following afternoon at
4 p.M. I found myself again in the familiar old station
of Cologne.

Two or three hours’ delay, waiting for the night
express to Berlin, and once more ex route. The
capital of Germany was reached the following morn-
ing, but I had no time to stop, much as I should have
liked to visit the many well-loved old nooks and
corners familiar to me in my student days. As it was,
I could barely catch the train for St. Petersburg,
when I found the carriages very much overcrowded,
and with difficulty secured a place.

Two Russian gentlemen were in the same carriage.
In the course of conversation I found that one had
been employed in the diplomatic service in Italy. He
said that he had suddenly received a telegram from
Prince Gortschakoff, at that time at Berlin, requiring
his presence there immediately. The clothes worn in
Italy, even in winter, are not necessarily of the warmest
texture, and my fellow-traveller, who, by the way, looked
in very delicate health, found his journey northward
anything but a pleasant one. But his troubles on
arriving at the capital were only beginning, for the
Prince said to him, “I am going to St. Petersburg,
and will give you your orders there; leave by the
next train.” It was very cold weather, and the un-

fortunate secretary, unprovided with the necessary
B
18 A RIDE TO KHIVA.

wraps, was miserable at the way the fates had.
served him. He was an Anglo-phobist, and much
chuckled as he told his companion that a violent
article against England had appeared in the Mord
—a paper which, according to him, is inspired by
the Ministry at St. Petersburg—with reference to
Mr. Disraeli having purchased the Viceroy of Egypt’s
Suez Canal shares.

“The English are a great nation, but very mad,”
observed another Russian. “They are sufficiently
sane when their interests are concerned,” said the
secretary, “for they have bought these Suez shares,
which they will make pay, financially as well as politi-
cally speaking. Two years ago they nearly inveigled
the Shah into a treaty with Baron Reuter, and that
would have given them the control of the whole of
Persia; but, thank goodness, our people checkmated
them there, and I do not think England will try that
game on again just at present; as to Strausberg, he is
a joke to that fellow Reuter. A nice business the
latter would have made out of it, and the English too
for the matter of that.”

The day wore away, and the night came on cold
and bleak, as we rattled northward on our course.
The secretary sat shivering in the corner, and the rest
of us, enveloped in furs, sought the arms of Morpheus.
It was an unusual thing to experience such cold in a
North German railway-carriage, as generally they are
well warmed by means of stoves, and the more frequent
fault to find with them is overheating and stuffiness ;
but for some reason or other the stupid attendant had
let the fire out, and the result was anything but an
agreeable night. Presently we reached the boundary
limit between Germany and Russia. A few minutes
EXAMINATION OF PASSPORTS. 19

later I found myself, with the rest of the passengers,
in a large high hall, set aside for the examination of
luggage and inspection of passports.

It was not a pleasant thing to be kept waiting in a
cold room for at least three-quarters of an hour, whilst
some spectacled officials suspiciously conned each pass-
‘port. The Russian secretary himself was not at all
impressed with the wisdom of his Government in still
adhering to this system, which is so especially invented
to annoy travellers. ‘“ What nonsense it is,’ he re-
marked ; “the greater scoundrel a man is the greater
certainty of his passport being in the most perfect
order. Whenever I go to France, and am asked for
my passport, I avoid the difficulty by saying, ‘Je suis
Anglais; no passport; and the officials, taking me for
an Englishman, do not bother me, or make me show it.”

I was myself a little uneasy about my own pass.
It was one which had done service about five years
previously, and I had forgotten to send it to the
Russian Consulate previous to my departure from
London. However, after looking at the document for
some time, and scrutinising its owner very carefully,
the official returned it to me.

The customs’ examination was easily got through.
The only part of my luggage which puzzled the douane
officer was the sleeping-bag. He smelt it suspiciously,
the waterproof cloth having a strong odour. “ What
is it for?” “To sleep in.” He put his nose down
again, and apparently uncertain in his own mind as to
what course to pursue, called for another official, who
desired me to unroll it. “And you sleep in that big
bag?” was the question. “Yes.” “What extra-
ordinary people the English are!” observed the man
who had inspected my passport, and sotto voce,
20 A RIDE TO KHIVA.

“he must be mad;” when the other bystanders drew
back a little, thinking that possibly I was dangerous
as well.

Forward again, in a most commodious and well-
arranged carriage—well warmed, fairly lit, and con-
taining every convenience the traveller could require
during the journey. The Russian trains are con- ”
structed on the American principle. You can walk
from one end of them to the other if you like, whilst
two attendants in each carriage supply every want of
the traveller. I must say that in this respect railway
travelling in Russia is far better arranged than in
England, and the refreshment-rooms are unequalled by
any in this country. Everything you ask for is ready
at a moment’s notice, the dishes are hot and good,
whilst the attendance and the bill—a very important
adjunct to a traveller’s pleasure—leave nothing to be
desired, the charges being exceedingly moderate. But
with all these advantages there is one great drawback,
and that is the slowness of the pace, which, when
travelling through a vast country like Russia, is a
matter of considerable importance. Extreme cold
would seem to have the same effect upon the human
mind as extreme heat. The indifference to time which
characterizes the Russian is only equalled by the low
estimation in which it is héld by the Spaniard; whilst
the Russian word zavira (“to-morrow”) is used as
frequently by the Muscovite as its Spanish equivalent,
manana, by the inhabitant of the Peninsula. But there
is something else which may account for the slowness
of pace of the trains of Russia, and that is the careless
way in which the lines have been constructed. The
Government inspectors, by all accounts, are easily:
suborned, The golden metal has charms for them
SLEIGH-DRIVERS. 21

greater than the lives of their countrymen. If the
engine-drivers were to attempt even a moderate rate
of speed, the sleepers and rails would inevitably give
way. This was the explanation given me by a fellow-
traveller, when referring to the subject.

St. Petersburg was at last reached, the journey
having been accomplished in three days and a half from
Charing Cross. I had but little delay in obtaining my
luggage. In this respect things are well managed in
the Russian stations, and I shortly afterwards found
myself comfortably lodged in Demout’s Hotel. The
day was still young. Determining to take advantage
of the early hour, I took a sleigh and proceeded to
call upon General Milutin, the Minister of War.

The foreigner, unaccustomed to St. Petersburg, is
at first a little astonished at the way he is beset, on
leaving the portico of his hotel, by the numerous sleigh-
drivers who are congregated outside. ‘‘Where to?
Where to?” they cry: when, hearing the stranger
stammer out the name of the street, and the name of
the person to whom the house belongs—for in Russia,
as a rule, houses are known by the name of their pro-
prietors, and are not numbered as elsewhere—a brisk
competition ensues. ‘I will take you for a rouble, sir.
Look what a beautiful sleigh I have, and what a fine
trotting horse.” “ He knows nothing about it!” shouts
another; “I will take the gentleman for sixty kopecks!”
and his face assumes an expression as if by his offer he
had conferred on you a favour unequalled in the annals
of sleigh-drivers. The other fellows then wait a few
seconds, to see if the stranger will succumb to the offer;
but if not, and you walk forward two or three steps,
the drivers change their tone, from sixty to forty, and
from that to twenty kopecks (about sixpence in English
22 A RIDE TO KHIVA.,

money), this being about the value of an average
“course” in St. Petersburg, for there is no established
tariff. The result is that foreigners are more robbed
by the sleigh-drivers in that city than even by our
London cabmen.

General Milutin was not at home, so I was in-
formed by a tall servant, the hall porter, when, leaving
the letter of introduction and my card, I returned
to the hotel. There was no Russian piece going
on in any of the theatres that evening, although
there were French and German plays, besides an
Italian opera. In St. Petersburg there is one capital
Russian theatre, the Alexandrensky, and also a national
opera house, the Marensky ; but the Alexandrensky is
often used for German plays, and thus it sometimes
occurs, as on the day when I arrived, that there is no
performance going on, in the national idiom, in any
theatre in the capital. But, after all, this can be easily
- explained by the intense dislike many apparently
well-educated Russians have to their own language.
I have often heard them say, “It does very well
for the moujzk¢ (peasants), but the language for
society is French.” This remark has been made by
Russians from the provinces of the interior, whose
knowledge of French was so imperfect, and their
accent so atrocious, that it jarred on the ear
when listening to them. There is no doubt that
there is an intense contempt amongst the higher
circles throughout the empire for everything purely
Russian; it must be foreign to be eagerly sought
after. This weakness on the part of the well-to-
do classes has a very discouraging effect on the
industries of the nation. It would rather surprise
people in this country if an Englishman were to
IMPORTANCE OF MILITARY RANK, 23

address his wife in a foreign language, and if the cor-
respondence between members of the same family were
never carried on in English; or should the daughter of
the house be unable to write a letter, save in French,
without making the most outrageous faults in grammar
as well as spelling. But this surprises no one in
Russia. There is not that love of everything national
amidst the higher classes; and to study the real Russ
you must not visit St. Petersburg. For there the
native is so veneered over with foreign polish, that it
is not easy to discover what exists below the surface.
A French fencing-master is infinitely preferred to a
Russian Socrates. The present Emperor, it is said, has
done everything in his power to check this weakness
on the part of his subjects. He is a far-seeing man,
and the empire owes more to him and to his beneficent
rule than to any of his predecessors ; but a deep-rooted
custom cannot be ousted in one generation. It will take
many years to teach the inhabitants of the capital that
this running after everything foreign, to the detriment
of national enterprise, will never add to the prosperity
of Russia. Another influence which has a deterrent
effect on the development of the commercial and
agricultural interest throughout the country is the
high importance given to military rank, as a Russian
country gentleman once bitterly remarked to me, “ In
my country a man is nobody unless he eats the bread
of the State. He must wear a uniform, he must havea
tchin (military rank) or its equivalent, should he serve
in the civil service. . He must be a consumer instead
of a producer; and then, and then alone, is he a man
to be respected and looked up to.” The result is, that
all the energies of the nation are expended in what
will never bring grist to the mill; but, if this system
24 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

be persisted in, it will eventually cause a national
bankruptcy.

As I was reading a Russian newspaper that after-
noon, I came upon a short paragraph which so
thoroughly displays the weakness for strong liquors
which prevails throughout the empire, that I am
tempted to reproduce it.

It appeared that in a certain large village a spirit
merchant wished to open a drinking establishment; to
flo this he had to obtain the consent of the inhabitants.
It was determined to put up to auction the right of
establishing a house of that sort. This fetched the sum
of 3,500 roubles, which, divided amongst the population,
made exactly 7} roubles a head.

The money was paid, and, according to the corre-
spondent, the proprietor must have got back the amount
he had given in the first three days, as unusual
drunkenness prevailed during all that time. When the
money was spent things once more took their usual
course. :

Drunkenness is not looked upon with nearly the
same feelings of abhorrence in Russia as in England—
amongst the military class especially. An officer who
can drink all his comrades under the table is looked
upon asahero. The climate undoubtedly has a great
deal to do with these ovations to Bacchus; and when
the thermometer is below zero, the body requires much
more caloric, both externally as well as internally, than
in more temperate zones.

The Russian officers, by way of thoroughly keeping
out the cold, have invented a singular drink. They call it
jonka. After dinner, and when champagne, claret, and
liquors have been drunk to an extent of which people in
this country have no conception, a huge silver bowl is
RUSSIAN TABLE D'HOTE. 25

produced; brandy, rum, spirits, and wines of all kinds are
poured in promiscuously, apples and pears, with all the
fruits on the dessert-table, are cut up and tossed into
the liquid. It is then set on fire, and when in this
state the flaming mixture is poured out into large
goblets, which are handed round thetable. It is ahigh
trial if the drinking bout has been persisted in for
several hours. It is calculated to try the stomachs as
well as the heads of the guests. But we are in Russia,
et a la guerre comme ad la guerre. Until this excess of
drinking goes out of fashion with the upper circles, we
cannot be surprised if the lower ones remain equally
addicted to it.

That evening I dined at the tadle a’héte. This is
comparatively speaking a new institution in Russia,
where to dine @ /a carte is preferred. For any one
not accustomed to them, Russian dinners are rather
remarkable. Previously to sitting down at table the
guests are taken to a side buffet; here in profusion
are sardines, caviare pressed and fresh—a delicacy
unknown in this country, where the so-called fresh
caviare is invariably. a little salted—anchovies, and
every conceivable relish. Cigarettes are smoked, a
glass or so of liquor drank, and the party adjourns
to the dinner-table. With the soup little pwtés made
of meat and rice are eaten in lieu of bread. The
soups, particularly those made of fish, are excellent,
and well suited to a Russian climate, where an enor-
mous quantity of nitrogen must be consumed to keep
up the animal heat.

I found myself seated next to a Russian officer, a
general in the Engineers, and had a long conversation
with him about India. “ You English,” he said, “are
always thinking that we want India; but you are apt
26 A XIDE TO KHIVA.

to forget one equally important point, which is, that
some day the natives of that country may wish to
govern themselves. I study the course of events in
India very closely ; and what do I see? why, that you
are doing everything you possibly can to teach the
inhabitants their own strength. You establish schools ;
you educate the people; they read your language—
many of them even your newspapers ; and the leading
men know what is going on in Europe just as well as
you yourselves. But the day will come when some
agitators will set these thinking masses in motion; and
then what force have you to oppose to them? If ever
there was a nation determined to commit suicide it is
England. She holds India, as she herself allows, by
the force of arms, and yet she is doing everything in
her power to induce the conquered country to throw
off the yoke.”

“ But do you not think,” I observed, “that when
our frontiers touch, as your statesmen wish, there will
be more agitators than even now in India ?”

He did not reply to this question, but lit a cigarette
and turned the conversation. There was a great deal
of. reason undoubtedly in what he had urged. How-
ever, there is one argument in favour of further
education in India, which is, that the better educated
the natives of India become, the greater probability of
their seeing that their own interests are far more likely
to be cared for under a British than a Russian rule.
But this still leaves open the question of whether they
might not prefer to govern themselves, which un-
doubtedly will some day be the case.

I remember once meeting a_highly-educated
Hindco on board a Peninsular and Oriental steamer, .
and having a long conversation with him. He had
AN ENGLISH SERVANT ALARMED, 27

travelled in England, where he had been extremely
well received. On my asking how the English were
liked in India, he simply replied, “You are a great
nation. The English people are devoted to their
national institutions. How should you like a foreign
ruler to establish himself in your country ?”

The following day I called at the British Embassy,
but there was no one at home save the Military
Attaché, and he was so engaged in having a lesson
that he had no time to see me. Later on, I met
some old friends, and conversed with them about my
proposed journey. They all took a pessimist view
of the case. “Get to Khiva!” said one man. ‘“ You
might as well try to get to the moon. The Russians
will not openly stop you, but they will put the screw
upon our own Foreign Office and force the latter to do
so. The Russians are as suspicious as Orientals, and
they will imagine that you are sent by your Govern-
ment to stir up the Khivans. They will never believe
that an officer, for the mere sake of travel, and at his
own expense, would go to Khiva.” “Why,” observed
another, “only a short time ago an officer who was
about to start for Turkistan, wanted to take an Eng-
lish servant with him. The man, I believe, had beena
private in the Second Life Guards. Somehow or other
this got to the ears of a Russian General. He sent
for the servant, and said, ‘ Did you ever correspond for
the Zzmes ?’ The man, who looked upon the question
as one put to prove his capabilities, answered, ‘ Never
did, sir; but have no doubt I could, if you wish it.’ ‘1
tell you what it is,’ said the General, ‘if I catch you
writing a line to England about what you see when you
are with us, I will have you hanged.’ The man became
alarmed. He could clean a horse, and his ideas did
28 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

not soar above that calling; but to be told that he was
to be hanged if he wrote a letter! Why he might
want to write home to his friends! He went to some
authorities at St. Petersburg and asked them their
advice. The result was, he started with his master,
but only got as far as Kazan, for, on arriving at that
point, an order was sent to have him turned back.”

The Russian soldiers, it seems, are not very par-
ticular what they do in Central Asia, and General
Kauffmann greatly dislikes publicity. Judging from
accounts subsequently given me by eye-witnesses of
what has taken place, I cannot help thinking that the
General is wise in his generation.

In the afternoon I called upon Mr. Schuyler, the
United States’ Secretary of Legation at St. Petersburg.
He had been to Tashkent and Bokhara, having travelled
as far as Fort Number One with Mr. MacGahan, the
energetic correspondent of the Mew York Herald. Mr.
Schuyler had been able to gather a great deal of most
valuable information in the course of his travels. He
is, I believe, the only diplomatist the Russians have
ever permitted to visit their Eastern possessions, and
is a very keen observer, besides being a thorough
master of the Russian language. He had been able
to dive considerably below the surface in his endeavours
to master the state of affairs in Turkistan. His report
was forwarded to Washington, and subsequently pub-
lished in a blue-book; the authorities in Turkistan not
being very pleased at the way he exposed their ad-
ministration.* Mr. Schuyler gave me some useful hints

* Mr. Schuyler exposes the weak points in the Russian Administration
in Turkistan ; but in other respects he is favourable to the Russian§ and
to their policy in Central Asia. He thinks that it is for the interests of the
United States for the Russians to be firmly established in Central Asia,
so as to act as a counterpoise to British influence in the East.
MR, SCHUYLER. 29

as to what I should require for my journey. He was
engaged in writing a book on his travels. From the
first day of his arrival at St. Petersburg he had studied
hard to master the Russian language, probably feeling
that a diplomatist in a land where he cannot read the
newspapers or converse with all classes of society, if
necessary, is rather like a fish out of water, and receiv-
ing a salary which he has not fairly earned.

The German Chancellor showed what he thought
of this matter. The very first thing he did, many
years ago, when at the Russian Embassy in St. Peters-
burg, was to study the Russian language, which he
eventually mastered. Bismarck’s example is not a
bad one to follow; but until the language be made a
compulsory one at the examination of candidates for
our Foreign Office, I fear that the business of the
British Embassy at St. Petersburg will continue to be
transacted through an interpreter.

Later on I called upon Count Scheuvaloff’s brother
—to whom the Count had so kindly given me a letter of
introduction—but he was abroad, so I was informed
by the servant, and consequently the letter was
of no use.

I began to be a little anxious about the letter
which I had left at the house of General Milutin, the
Minister of War, particularly as I had omitted to fee
his hall porter—a great omission on my part, as I was
informed by an Englishman, an old resident at St.
Petersburg ; and he added, “nothing whatever can be
done in Russia without a judicious disposal of presents.
From hall porters to the mistresses of those officials,
who give out the railway contracts, all have their price.
You will find gold, or rather its equivalent in rouble
paper, an open sesame throughout the Russian Empire.”
30 A RIDE TO KHIVA.

'

I must say, that for my part, I did not share this
opinion about the porter’s venality. However, as I
had written to ask the General if I could have the
honour of an interview, and no reply had been sent, I
determined to write another letter, which was couched
in the following terms :—

“To General Milutin, the Minister of War.

Sir,—I trust that you will pardon the liberty I am taking in
writing to you without having the honour of your personal
acquaintance.

“‘T wish to have the permission to go to India, v4 Khiva, Merve,
Cabul. But as I had read in some English papers, previous to my
departure from London, that the Russian Government had issued an
order forbidding Englishmen to travel in Russian Asia, I thought
that I ought to address myself to Count Schouvaloff, the Russian
Ambassador in London. He said to me, ‘I cannot personally
answer your question; but when you arrive at St. Petersburg, the
authorities there will give you every information.’ Before I quitted
London I received a letter from Count Schouvaloff, informing me
that he had written officially to the Minister of Foreign Affairs at St.
Petersburg with reference to my journey, whilst the Count enclosed
me a letter of introduction to his brother, and concluded by wishing
me a happy journey. Now, sir, I should much like to know if I can
have this permission. If it cannot be granted me, will you do me
the honour of writing two lines and tell me frankly, Yes or No. If
the answer is No, I shall leave St. Petersburg immediately, because
my leave of absence will soon be over, and I do not wish to remain
here longer than it is necessary to receive your answer.

“T have the honour to be, etc.”

Having dispatched this letter, I began to be a
little easier in my mind. I did not think that the
General, who, by all accounts, is a most gentlemanlike
man, would purposely delay replying to my note; nor
was I wrong in my surmises. In the meantime I was
trying to get all the information I could about the route
to KXhiva.
CHAPTER III.

The Volga Frozen—Navigation Stopped in the Caspian—-The Russian Boundary
Line in the East—Reports are rife in Russia—The Press is Gagged—General
Milutin’s Regard for my Safety—Ignorance of Clerks at Railway Station—
Cartridge Case—Insurgents in Herzegovina—Subscriptions—England bent
upon Money-making—Austria Allied with England—The Baltic Provinces—
The Russians’ Hatred of Austria and Germany—Bismarck’s Policy—Mr.
Leslie, Her Majesty’s Consul in Moscow.

Mr. ScHuyLer thought that the best way to go to
Khiva would be by Astrakhan and the Caspian to
Krasnovodsk, and from there across the steppes on
horseback to Khiva. This, undoubtedly, would have
been the shortest and easiest journey ; but a paragraph
which I read in a paper that afternoon showed me that
this route was out of the question. The paragraph
was to the effect that the accumulation of ice had
already prevented navigation in the Caspian, and that
the Volga was frozen.

I tried to obtain some information from a few
Russian officers whose acquaintance I accidentally
made, but all to no effect. They did not know them-
selves. They believed that there was a post to Khiva,
and that the Tartars had carried letters there on horse-
back, but whether from Orenburg or from Tashkent no
one knew.

I now determined, should the reply to my letters to
General Milutin be in the affirmative, to go to Oren-
burg and seek for further information in that town. In
32. A RIDE TO KHIVA.

the event of General Milutin’s answer being in the
negative, I had made up my mind to go straight to
Persia, and then, skirting the Russian boundary-line,
pass v7@ Merve and Bokhara to India.

It would have been an interesting journey, though
very difficult to know the exact boundary-line in some
parts, for, as I have noticed before, in the last Russian
Staff Map of Turkistan, dated 1875, the boundary-line
extending over a large track of country is not marked
by a dotted line, as in other parts of the map; thus
showing that there is a doubt in the mind of the officer
by whom it was compiled as to how far Russia extends
in that direction. .

All sorts of reports were circulating with reference to
General Kauffmann, the Governor-General of Turkistan,
some to the effect that he had sent in his resignation.
Again, it was said that he had only received a jewel-
mounted sword in return for his services, and that one
of his subordinates had been similarly rewarded. One
thing, however, seemed very certain, which was, that
the General had left Tashkent, and was on his road to
St. Petersburg. But whether on account of the recent
disturbances in Kokan, or for General Milutin to
consult him with reference to a further advance upon
Kashgar, were mooted points, and to which no one
could give an answer. In fact, there is no country,
perhaps, in the universe where reports are so rife as in
Russia. The press is gagged, owing to the strict
system of censorship which prevails. Gossip runs
rampant. Each man embellishes the story he has
heard from his neighbours ; when it eventually acquires
greater dimensions than that of the three black crows,
so happily told by one of our English authors.

The letter to General Milutin produced the effect
GENERAL MILUTINS REGARD FOR MY SAFETY. 33

I anticipated. The result was a reply, directed,
singularly enough, to the British Embassy, although
in my own letter I had distinctly written my address as
Demout’s Hotel. The communication was to the
effect that the Commandants in Russian Asia had
received orders to aid me in my journey through the
territory under their command: but that the Imperial
Government could not give its acquiescence to the
extension of my journey beyond Russian territory, as
the authorities could not answer for the security or the
lives of travellers beyond the extent of the Emperor’s
dominions.

Now this was so self-evident a statement that I
was much surprised at General Milutin for making it.
Of course the Russian Government could not be
responsible for my safety beyond the Emperor’s
dominions, any more than could Her Majesty’s
Government be responsible for the life of a traveller
passing through Natal to Central Africa.

Merve and Herat no more belong to the Emperor
of Russia than Central Africa to the Queen of Great
Britain; then how could the Imperial Government at
St. Petersburg imagine itself liable for anything hap-
pening to me outside Russian territory ?

There were only two inferences to be drawn from
the letter: either that the General, who is by all
accounts a most kind-hearted man, valued my life at
a greater price than I did myself—which was ex-
ceedingly amiable on his part—or that, for certain
military and political reasons, he did not wish me to
go to Central Asia.

I must say that I was very much surprised at the
way he endeavoured to deter me; and Russian officers
must be very different to English ones, if the mere fact

Cc
34 A RIDE T0 KHIVA,

of there being a little risk is sufficient to stop their
travelling.

I should have much liked to ask General Milutin
one question, and to have heard his answer—not
given solemnly as the Russian Chancellor makes his
promises, but face to face, and as a soldier—Would
he, when a captain, have turned his face homeward
to St. Petersburg simply because he was told by a
foreign government that it could not be responsible
for his safety? I do not think so; and I have a far
higher opinion of the Russian officers than to imagine
that they would be deterred by such an argument if
used to them under circumstances similar to those in
which I found myself.

However, there was the letter in black and white.
The only thing left for me to do was to write and thank
the General for permitting me to travel in Russian
Asia, adding in a final postscript that I should probably
return either by Tashkent or Teheran. My intention
was to go from Khiva to Merve, and so on to Meshed,
when I should have been in Persian territory. I could
have then gone wé Herat and the Bolan Pass to
Shikarpoor, and returned either through Cachemire,
Kashgar, and Tashkent, or by Cabul, Bokhara, and
Kasala to European Russia.

The final preparations for the journey were soon
made, all my superfluous clothes sent back to England,
a pair of high cloth boots, commonly known as valenki,
bought to keep out the cold, and the following evening
at 8 p.m. I found myself at the railway station ex route
for Orenburg. A marvellous ignorance seemed to
exist amidst the clerks at the booking office when I
asked them how far the line extended in the direction
of that town. Did it go to Samara?- No, Could I
SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR INSURGENTS, 35

take my ticket to Orenburg? No. Well, how far
could I book? None of them could tell me; so,
taking a ticket as far as Penza, which I knew was
on the line, I proceeded to register my luggage. __

The box containing my cartridges struck the
attention of an official who was standing beside the
scales, and “ Pray what may this be ?” he observed,
looking suspiciously at the case. “It is very heavy.”

He was quite right; cartridges are heavy, and the
four hundred which made up my ammunition—and
which travelled to Khiva and back again—were often
a source of great annoyance to myself as well as my
camels.

“They are little things which contain some lead,”

I answered. “Oh! instruments which contain lead,”
he said. “ Yes,” I replied; “ very useful instruments ;
pray be careful with them ;” upon which he gave me

the receipt.

The carriages between St. Petersburg and Moscow
are, if possible, more commodious than those which
run from the capital to the German frontier. They are
also well supplied with sleeping compartments, so the
journey can be performed as comfortably as if travel-
ling in a Cunard’s steamboat.

Upon taking my seat, two ladies, dressed in the
deepest black, entered the carriage, and solicited sub-
scriptions from the different passengers for the wounded
insurgents in Herzegovina.

“IT suppose some of this money will go to the main-
tenance of the hale as well as the sick,” observed a
fellow-traveller. ‘“ Poor fellows, they want arms very
badly.”

“JT would give anything to drive out those

+ Mussulmans,” remarked his companion, producing a
30 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

well-filled purse, and making a large donation to the
fund.

His example was followed by all the other Russians
in the carriage. Not wishing to appear conspicuous by
not subscribing, I added a trifle, my w7s-a-v7s saying,
“Thank you, brother. It will help to keep the sore
open; the sooner the Turk falls to pieces the better.
What is the good of our having a fleet on the Black
Sea unless we can command the Dardanelles? The
longer this affair continues in Herzegovina the more
likely we are to reach Constantinople.”

“What will the English say to this?” I inquired.
“Oh, England! she goes for nothing now,” he replied.
“ She is so bent upon money-making that it will take a
great déal of kicking to make her fight. Why, she did
not do anything when Gortschakoff repudiated the
Black Sea treaty.”

“ He (Gortschakoff) chose the right time for this,”
added a fellow-traveller ; “it was just after Sedan.”

“ After Sedan or before Sedan,” continued the first
speaker, “it would have been all the same; England is
like an overfed bull, she has lost the use of her horns.”

“What of her fleet?” I inquired. ‘Well, what
can she do with it?” was the answer. “She can block
up the Baltic—but the frost does that for six
months in the year, and she can prevent the corn from
our Southern Provinces reaching her own markets;
bread will be dearer in London, that is all. England
will not land troops in the Crimea again.”

“God grant that she may,” said another ; “our rail-
way to Sevastopol is now open.”

I here remarked that England was not likely to
declare war without having an ally. ‘“ But what if
Germany or Austria were to join her ?”
HATRED OF AUSTRIA AND GERMANY. 37

“As for those pigs of Germans, we must fight
them some day or other,” replied the previous speaker,
“and when the Tzarevitch is Emperor, please God we
will beat them well, and drive every German brute out
of Russia; they fatten on our land at the expense of
our brothers.”

“ But supposing they get the best of it ?”

“Well, what can they do? they cannot stop in
Russia, even if they should be able to assail us. We
can play the old game—keep onretiring. Russia is big,
and there is plenty of country at our back.”

“They might take the Baltic Provinces,’ I re-
marked.

“Take them! I hope Gortschakoff will give them
to Bismarck before long, and arrange that Germany
does not interfere with us when we march .upon Con-
stantinople,” said another of the travellers.

“Arrange with Bismarck! you might as well
arrange with the devil!” said the first speaker ; “ he will
take everything he can, and give us nothing. He is
the greatest enemy we have—except perhaps the
people at Vienna! However, they do not count for
much, as with the Czechs and Hungarians, they have
plenty on their hands; but we must give those
Austrians a beating before long.”

“ Which would be most popular, a war with Austria
or one with Germany ?” I inquired.

“With Austria,” was the unanimous reply, “ because
we know that we can march to Vienna without any
difficulty. We are not prepared for Germany; our
army is not yet sufficiently organised to compete with
Moltke’s forces. We must bide our time. Besides
this, the Emperor likes his uncle too much. When
the Tzarevitch is on the throne then we shall have
a

38 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

a war. Bismarck, too, does not want to fight at
present. He would like to see Russia fight England,
Austria, and Turkey ; the old fox would sit still himself,
and do nothing; but if we got the best of Austria,
he would take Vienna and Holland as his share of the
spoil, and as a reward for his exertions; whilst, if we
were beaten, he would take the Baltic Provinces.
But perhaps you are a German,” said one of the
travellers. ‘No, I am an Englishman,” was my
answer, “and I am very much obliged to you for
this interesting conversation.”

Moscow was reached early the following morning.
Finding that there would be no train to Penza till
the afternoon, I took a sleigh, and drove to call on
Her Majesty’s Consul, a Mr. Leslie, whose acquaint-
ance I had made during a previous visit to Moscow.
His post is a purely honorary one, but perhaps in no
other Consulate in Europe is so much _ hospitality
shown to Englishmen. Mr. Leslie, from his long
residence in Russia, is well acquainted with the
character of the people with whom he has to deal,
and is a very valuable member of our Foreign Office.

Moscow, with its wide streets, the long distances
from one part of the city to the other, its world-
renowned Kremlin, the palaces of its nobles, embrac-
ing vast suites of apartments, parquet floors, and almost
Oriental magnificence, has so often been described by
travellers, that I will not trouble my reader with a
description. If I were to do so it would be the account
of what I had seen during previous visits, and not the
experiences of my present journey. As it was, I had
barely time to pay a rapid visit to my friends at the
Consulate, drink a glass of tea in the Moscow Traktir,
and hear a well-remembered tune from the old organ
RUSSIAN SLEIGH-DRIVERS. 39

in that time-honoured restaurant, when I was once
more dashing through the streets to the station, my
half-drunken Jehu shouting out at the top of his voice,
“ Beregis, beregis!” (take care). He generally contrived
to utter the warning sound just after he had driven
into the sleigh of some fellow-Jehu. The latter, in
return for the collision, used that peculiar class of
language which is not exclusively confined to Russian
drivers,
CHAPTER IV.

Railway Officials—Unpunctuality of Trains—Frauds on the Railway Companies—
Old Spirit of Serfdom—Socialistic and Nihilist Tendencies—The Emperor
Alexander and the Religious Influence in Russia—The Ecclesiastical Hier-
archy more powerful than the Tzar—Waiting-rooms at Riajsk—Superstition
and Dirt—Sizeran.

On the track again, but this time alone in my com-
partment, till I was joined by an official whose business
it was to inspect the line between Moscow and Riazan.
His chief object was to find out if any unnecessary
delays took place at the different stations on this
railway, a number of complaints having been lately
made about the unpunctuality of the trains. It was
supposed to be the station-masters’ fault, and that
these officials, being slack in the performance of their
duty, were the main cause of the delay. “I could
easily find them out,” remarked the inspector, “ if it
were not for the confounded telegraph, but that beats
me. The rogues are all in collusion the one with the
other, and as soon as ever they see me on the platform
they telegraph the intelligence to their brethren down
the line.”

It appeared that there used formerly to be a great
deal of fraud committed on the railway companies in
Russia by the guards of the trains. They would ask a
passenger when about to take his ticket at the booking
office— What class are you going by ?” If by the first
or second, the guard would say, “Take a third-
class ticket; give me a few roubles, and I will let you go
THE EMPEROR ALEXANDER. 41

first class, as I am guard of the train by which you will
travel.” But, according to the inspector, this system
of roguery has now been put down. The result is a
better return on the railway capital, although up to the
present time the lines have been anything but remune-
rative as an investment. From the inspector I found
out that I ought to have taken my ticket to Sizeran.
This was the temporary terminus of the line in the
direction of Orenburg. It was too late now to pay
the difference; I must wait till we arrived at Penza,
when I should just have time to get a new ticket and
re-label my luggage.

It was a bitterly cold night, in spite of all our furs.
At Riazan, where it was necessary to wait an hour,
and to change trains, a Russian nobleman, who had
entered the carriage at an intermediate station, was
furious with an old man, the stoker. The latter had
omitted to keep up the fire. The nobleman lost his
temper, and swore fearfully at the old fellow: the
culprit trembling and crying out as if he were under
the lash of a whip.

It will take a long time to thoroughly eliminate the
spirit of serfdom in Russia. It is several years since
the peasants were emancipated, but the men who have
been brought up as slaves find it difficult to get rid of
a feeling of awe when they are in the presence of their
superiors. Perhaps it is as well that things follow on
in this groove. It would be a bitter day for Russia
should the socialistic and nihilist tendencies which are
being developed in her larger towns become extended
amidst her rural population. At the present moment
the love for the Emperor predominates over every
feeling but one amidst the peasantry. This devotion
to their Father, as he is termed, is well deserved, for
42 A RIDE T0 KHIVA,

the Emperor Alexander underwent an enormous per-
sonal risk when at one stroke of the pen he did away
with slavery in his dominions. It was a step which
required great moral courage on the part of its origi-
nator. Few Emperors would have risked mortally
offending the upper classes of the country to do an act
of justice to the lower.

Probably the only influence which could be brought
to bear upon a peasant’s mind, to such an extent that I
believe it would counterbalance his affection for the
Tzar, is the religious one. In perhaps no country in
the world has this element so powerful a sway as in
Russia. In religion, coupled with superstition, lay a
power which could even thwart the wishes of the
Emperor Nicholas himself. The ecclesiastical hier-
archy is certainly more powerful than the Taar.
Hitherto the two dominant influences have gone hand
in glove together. It is as well that it should be so,
for any rupture between them would inevitably lead to
a revolution.

In the waiting-room at Riajsk waiters were hurrying
about with glasses of scalding tea, which were eagerly
called for by the traveller. In fact, the amount of this
beverage that a Russian can drink is somewhat astonish-
ing to a stranger. The traditional washerwoman of
our country, whose capabilities in this respect are
supposed to be unrivalled, would have no chance what-
ever if pitted against a subject of the Tzar. A large
samovar (a brass urn) stood 6n the refreshment table.
The water was kept to boiling point, not by a spirit
lamp, as in England, but by a funnel which fitted into
the centre of the urn, and was filled with red-hot
charcoal. Economy was evidently the order of the
day with some of the travellers. Instead of putting
WAITING-ROOMS AT RIAFSK. 43

the sugar in their glasses, they would take a lump in
their mouths, and thus sweeten the scalding draught.

I took advantage of our delay at Riajsk, and walked
through the other waiting-rooms. These were crammed
with third-class passengers. It was a strange sight to
see the mixture of different nationalities, which, huddled
together like sheep, lay in different attitudes on the
floor. Here a Tartar merchant, his head covered with
a small yellow fez, whilst a long parti-coloured gown
and pair of high boots completes his attire, was fast
asleep in acorner. A woman, her face covered with a
thick white veil, lay folded in his arms, whilst a child,
enveloped in a bundle of rags, was playing with the
fur cap of its parent. Next to them a man, whose
peculiarly-shaped nose showed a distinct relationship
to the tribe of Israel, was breathing hard through his
nasal organ. From time to time he clutched convul-
sively at a small leather bag, which, half hidden beneath
a greasy-looking black coat, was even in his dreams a
source of anxiety. Peasants in every posture, their
well-knit frames clad in untanned leather, which was
tightly girt about their loins with narrow leather belts
studded with buttons of brass and silver, re-echoed the
Hebrew’s melody. An old Bokharan in flowing robes
sat listlessly with his legs twisted up under him, beside
the stove. He appeared to be under the influence of
opium, and was possibly dreaming of celestial houris
and bliss to come. A smart-looking lad, perhaps his
son, judging from the likeness between them, had with-
drawn a little from the rest of the throng, apparently
not very well pleased by his vicinity to the Russian
peasants.

The Mohammedans of Central Asia have certainly
one great advantage over the moujik, and that is in
44 A RIDE T0 KHIVA,

their love for water. If the Russian peasant could
be persuaded to be more particular in his ablutions,
it would be conducive, if not to his own comfort at
least to that of his fellow-travellers. Superstition and
dirt are twin brothers in Russia. I have frequently
observed that the more particular a peasant is in
his adoration of the various idols (odvazye) which are
prominently displayed on the threshold of every
cottage, the more utterly he is forgetful of the
advantages of soap and water.

At Penza I had barely time to secure another
ticket on to Sizeran, where my railway travelling
would terminate. Presently I found myself in a large
saloon carriage. Here almost every seat was taken,
and the porters had piled upon them some railway
bags and parcels belonging to passengers travelling
in another carriage. These articles had been put in
whilst the owners were in the waiting-rooms, the object
being to diminish the length of the train. This was
attained, but at the cost of considerable discomfort to
the travellers, who were eagerly searching for their lost
property by the dim light of a smoky tallow dip.

In the course of conversation with one of the party,
a tall and very stout middle-aged man, I discovered
that my shortest route to Orenburg would be through
Samara. He said that he was going to the last-
mentioned town, and proposed that we should hire
a troika—a three-horse sleigh—and travel together.
I readily embraced the offer, when after a few hours’
more travelling we stepped out on the platform of
the station at Sizeran. Here my companion was
evidently well known, for the railway officials and
porters respectfully saluted him, and hastened to
bring our luggage to the waiting-room. I must say
SIZERAN. 45

that I was surprised to find so good a refreshment-
room so far from the capital. With but very short
halts, for the purpose of changing trains, we had been
travelling for more than sixty hours, and all this time
in the direction of Asia, on nearing which you expect
at each stride to leave civilization farther and farther
in your wake. But the buffet at Sizeran left nothing
to be desired. Ina very short time as good a break-
fast was supplied as could be obtained in any French
restaurant.

We now had to think over the preparations for our
sleigh journey. After a little bargaining my companion
made arrangements with a farmer in the neighbourhood
to supply us with a sleigh and relays of horses as far as
Samara. The distance is about eighty-five miles, and
there is no regular government postal station between
the two towns,
CHAPIER. Vi

Twenty Degrees below Zero—Provisions—Wolves in the Neighbourhood—Our
Troika—Driving along the Volga—Price of Corn—Bridge being built over
the River—The Sterlet-—The Cossacks of the Ural—How to Catch Sturgeon
—The Three Kinds of Caviare.

“You had better put on plenty of clothes,” was the
friendly caution I received from my companion as I
entered the dressing-room. ‘“ The thermometer marks
20 degrees below zero (Reaumur), and there is a wind.”
People in this country who have never experienced
a Russian winter have little idea of the difference even
a slight breeze makes when the mercury stands low in
the thermometer, for the wind then cuts through you,
furs and all, and penetrates to the very bones. Deter-
mining to be on my guard against the frost, I dressed
myself, as I thought, as warmly as possible, and so as to
be utterly impervious to the elements.

First came three pairs of the thickest stockings,
drawn up high above the knee. Over them a pair of
fur-lined low shoes, which in their turn were inserted
into leather goloshes, my limbs being finally deposited
in a pair of enormous cloth boots, the latter reaching up
to the thigh. Previously I had put on some extra thick
drawers and a pair of trousers, the astonishment of the
foreman of Messrs. Kino’s establishment, “ Lord love
you, sir!” being his remark, when I tried them on, “no
cold can get through them trousers anyhow.” I
PROVISIONS tOR THE FOURNEY, 47

must confess that I rather chuckled as my legs
assumed herculean proportions, and I thought that
I should have a good laugh at the wind, no matter
how cutting it might be: but A®olus had the laugh on
his side before the journey was over. A heavy flannel
under-shirt, and shirt covered by a thick wadded waist-
coat and coat, encased my body, which was further
enveloped in a huge shuba, or fur pelisse, reaching to
the heels. My head was protected with a fur cap and
bashlik, a sort of cloth headpiece of a conical shape
made to cover the cap, and having two long ends
which tie round the throat.

Being thus accoutred in all my armour, I sallied
forth to join my companion, who, an enormous man
naturally, now seemed a very Colossus of Rhodes in
his own winter attire. How people would have
laughed if they could have seen us in Piccadilly in
our costumes! “I think you will do,” said my friend,
scanning me well over; but you will find your feet get
very cold.for all that. It takes a day or so to get
used to this sleigh travelling, and though I am only
going a little beyond Samara I shall be uncommonly
glad when my journey is over.”

He was buckling on his revolver; and as we were
informed that there were a great many wolves in the
neighbourhood, I tried to do the same. This was
an impossibility, the man who made the belt had
never foreseen the gigantic proportions my waist
would assume when clad in this Russian garb. I
was obliged to give it up in despair, and contented
myself by strapping the weapon outside my saddle
bags.

For provisions for possibly a thirty-six hours’
journey, and as nothing could be bought to eat on the
¥
48 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

road, I provided myself with some cutlets and chicken,
which fitted capitally into the mess tins. My com-
panion agreed to furnish the tea and bread, the former
an article without which no true Russian will ever
travel. He had not much baggage with him, and my
own had been reduced to as little as possible; but we
soon discovered that it was impossible to stow away
the luggage in the first sleigh that had been brought
for our inspection. When my railway bag, saddle
bags, cartridge box, gun, and sleeping sack had
been put inside, and were well covered with straw, I
essayed to sit upon them, but found that there was
too little distance from the improvised seat to the
roof. My back was nearly bent double in conse-
quence.

“ Bring out another sleigh,” said my friend. “ How
the wind cuts; does it not?” he continued, as the
breeze whistling against our bodies-made itself felt’in
spite of all the precautions we had taken. The vehicle
now brought was broader and more commodious than
the previous one, which, somewhat in the shape of a
coffin, seemed especially designed so as to torture the
occupants, particularly if, like my companion and self,
they should happen to be endowed by Nature with
that curse during a sleigh journey—however desirable
appendages they may be when in a crowd—long legs.
Three horses abreast, their coats white with pendent
icicles and hoar-frost, were harnessed to the sleigh.
The centre animal was in the shafts, and had his head
fastened to a huge wooden head collar, bright with
various colours. From the summit of the head collar
was suspended a kell. The two outside horses were
harnessed by cord traces to splinter-bars attached to
the sides of the sleigh. The object of all this is to
ON THE VOLGA. 49

make the animal in the middle trot at a brisk pace.
His two companions gallop, their necks arched round
in a direction opposite to the horse in the centre.
This poor beast’s head is tightly reined up to the head
collar.

A well-turned-out troika with three really good
horses, which get over the ground at the rate of twelve
miles an hour, is a pretty sight to witness, particularly
if the team has been properly trained, and the outside
animals never attempt to break into a trot, whilst the
one in the shafts steps forward with high action. But
the constrained position in which the horses are kept
must be highly uncomfortable to them. It is not
calculated to enable a driver to get as much pace out
of his animals as they could give him if harnessed in
another manner.

Off we went at a brisk pace, the bell dangling from
our horse’s head collar, and jingling merrily at every
stride of the team.

The sun rose high in the heavens. It was a
bright and glorious morning, in spite of the intense
cold, and the amount of oxygen we inhaled was
enough to elevate the spirits of the most dyspeptic of
mankind. Presently, after descending a slight declivity,
our Jehu turned sharply to the right; then came a
scramble, and a succession of jolts and jerks, as we slid
down a steep bank, and we found ourselves on what
appeared to be a broad high road. Here the sight of
many masts and shipping which, bound in by the iron
fetters of a relentless winter, would remain embedded
in the ice till the ensuing spring, showed me that we were
onthe Volga. It wasan animated spectacle, this frozen
highway, thronged with peasants who strode beside

their sledges, which were bringing cotton and other
D
50 A RIDE T0 KHIVA,

goods from Orenburg to the railway. Now a smart
troika would dash by us, its driver shouting as he
passed, when our Jehu, stimulating his steeds by loud
cries and frequent applications of the whip, would
vainly strive to overtake his brother coachman. Old
and young alike seemed like octogenarians. Their
short thick beards and moustaches were white as hoar-
frost from the congealed breath. According to all
accounts the river had not been long frozen, and till
very recently steamers laden with corn from Southern
Russia had plied between Sizeran and Samara. The
price of corn is here forty kopecks the poud of forty
pounds, whilst the same quantity at Samara could be
purchased for eighteen kopecks. An iron bridge was
being constructed a little further down the Volga.
Here the railroad was to pass, and it was said that
in two years’ time there would be railway communi-
cation, not only between Samara and the capital, but
even at far as Orenburg. ,

Presently the scenery became very picturesque as
we raced over the glistening surface, which flashed like
a burnished cuirass beneath the rays of the rising sun.
Now we approach a spot where seemingly the waters
from some violent blast or other had been in a state of
foam and commotion, when a stern frost transformed
them into a solid mass. Pillars and blocks of the
shining and hardened element were seen modelled into
a thousand quaint and grotesque patterns. Here a
fountain perfectly formed with Ionic and Doric columns
was reflecting a thousand prismatic hues from the
diamond-like stalactites which had attached themselves
to its crest. There a huge obelisk, which, if of stone,
might have come from ancient Thebes, lay half buried
beneath a pile of fleecy snow. Further on we came to
THE COSSACKS OF THE URAL. 51

what might have been a Roman Temple or vast hall
in the palace of a Cesar; where many half-hidden pillars
and monuments erected their tapering summits above
the piles of the dédrzs. The wind had done in that
northern latitude what has been performed by some
violent Pre-adamite agency in the Berber desert. Take
away the ebon blackness of the stony masses which
have been there cast forth from the bowels of the earth,
and replace them on a smaller scale by the crystal
forms I have faintly attempted to describe. The
resemblance would be striking.

Now we came to some fishing-huts, which were
constructed on the frozenriver. The traffic inthe finny
tribe which takes place in this part of Russia is
very great, the Volga producing the sterlet (a fish
unknown in other rivers of Europe) in large quantities.
I have often eaten them, but must say I could never
appreciate this so-called delicacy. The bones are of a
very glutinous nature, and can be easily masticated.
The taste of a sterlet is something between that of
a barbel and a perch, the muddy flavour of the former
predominating. However, they are an expensive
luxury, as to be in perfection for the table they should
be taken out of the water alive, and put at once into the
cooking-pot. A good-sized fish will often cost from
thirty to forty roubles, and sometimes even a great deal
more. The distance to St. Petersburg from the Volga
is considerable.

In most of the restaurants in the capital the pro-
prietors keep sterlet alive in small ponds. The intend-
ing purchaser goes there to select a fish for his dinner,
the owner of the restaurant dragebrig it out of the
water with a landing-net for his customer’s inspection.

“The Cossacks of the Ural have a singular way of
52 A RIDE TO KAIVA.

catching sturgeon,” observed my companion, “and it is
a method, I believe, unknown in any other part of
Europe. At certain times in the winter the men
assemble in large numbers by the side of the river,
and, dismounting from their horses, cut a deep trench
across the stream from one of its banks to the other.
They lower their nets into the water, and arrange
them so as to block up the entire channel, when, getting
on their horses, they will ride for seven or eight miles
along the banks. They then form a line of horsemen
reaching from shore to shore, and gallop down in the
direction of the nets. The fish, hearing the clatter of a
thousand hoofs, swim away from the sound, and dart
like lightning in the opposite direction. Here their
course is at once arrested, and they become entangled
in the trammels. The quantity of sturgeon is at
times so large,” he continued, “that the sheer
weight of the fish is sufficient to force a passage
through the nets, a blank day being the result to the
fishermen.”

In England the sturgeon is looked upon as being
rather coarse eating, and as unfit for the table, but in
Russia it is highly appreciated. When served up in
cold slices, with jelly and horseradish sauce, it is by no
means to be despised, and I have eaten many a worse
dish on this side the Channel. The part of the
sturgeon most liked by the Russians is the roe (the far-
famed caviare). A Russian will take this out whilst
the fish is almost alive, and devour it with the greatest
gusto, for the fresher the caviare is the more it is liked.
There are three kinds of caviare in Russia—the quite
fresh, when no salt whatever has been added; then the
slightly salted, which is the caviare generally exported
to this country and to other parts of Europe; and
HOW TO CATCH STURGEON. 53

finally, the pressed caviare, which is the second quality
pressed into cakes. This is used for sandwiches and
other relishes. A little pressed or fresh caviare and a
glass or so of Russian vodki, taken a minute before
sitting down at the dinner-table, gives a wonderful
stimulus to the appetite, and is a strong incentive to
thirst.
CHAPTER VI.

A Hole in the Ice—The two Alternatives—Being Dragged through the Water—
Preparing for the Leap—Price of Land—Our First Halting-place—Winnow-
ing Corn—Ruissian Idols.

Tue road now changed its course, and our driver
directed his steeds towards the bank. Suddenly
we discovered that immediately in front of us the ice
had broken beneath a horse and sleigh, and that the
animal was struggling in the water. The river here
was fortunately only about four feet deep, so there
would not be much difficulty in extracting the quad-
ruped, but what to ourselves seemed far more
important was to solve the knotty problem of how to
get to land. For between our sleigh and the shore
was a wide gulf, and there seemed to be no possibility
of driving through it without a wetting. ‘ Pleasant,”
muttered my companion, “pleasant, very; let us get
out and have a good look round, to see if we cannot
find a place where we can get across in safety.”

“T will pull you through,” observed our Jehu, with
a broad grin on his lobster-coloured countenance, and
apparently much amused with the state of things.

“No, O son of an animal,” retorted my companion;
“stay here till we return.”

After considerable search we found a spot where
the water channel was certainly not much more than
twelve feet across. Some peasants who were fishing
in the river came up and volunteered their assistance.
BEING DRAGGED THROUGH THE WATER. 55

One of them produced a pole about eight feet long,
with which, he said, we could jump the chasm. My
companion looked at me with a melancholy smile,
in which resolution and caution struggled for the
mastery. “It is very awful,” he said, “very awful, but
there is no other alternative, and I much fear that we
must.”

With these words he seized the pole, and carefully
inserted one end of it in the muddy bottom. “If the
ice gives way when I land on the other side!” he
suddenly observed, releasing his hold of the leaping-
bar. “Why, if it does, you will get a ducking,” was
my remark, “but be quick, the longer you look at
it the less you will like it, and it is very cold standing
here; now then, jump over.”

“JT have been just thinking,” went on my com-
panion, “whether it would not be better to be pulled
through in the sleigh, for then I shall only get the
lower part of my body wet. But if the confounded
ice breaks, which must also be taken into considera-
tion, for I am not at all light” (this was certainly the
case, as with his furs and other clothes he must have
weighed at least twenty stone), “nor am I so active
as I was, why, I shall get in, and very likely be frozen
to death in consequence.”

At this moment his apprehensions were very
nearly realised. The ice gave way under one of his
feet, and let it in to about a foot of water. Retracing
his steps rapidiy, my companion remarked, “I shall
be dragged through, and not for all the joys of
Paradise will I entrust myself to that confounded
pole.”

It was an awful moment, and I cannot say that
I relished the situation. There are minutes in a man’s
56 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

life when the heart has a strong inclination to jump
into his mouth. It is a very disagreeable sensation,
and one which I have sometimes experienced when
riding at a Leicestershire so-called bullfinch, not being
quite aware of what was on the other side; but then
there was a gallery of other men looking on, a wonderful
incentive. This time there were no spectators save
a few grinning moujiki and my companion, who, as
he had not faced the obstacle himself, thought that
it would be better and more dignified if I were to
follow his example. _

Dignity appeared to me to be out of the question,
particularly when placed between the two alterna-
tives of being dragged through the water or risking
a jump into the channel. It was a disagree-
able choice, but I selected the latter, at the same
time being a little annoyed at the chaffing remarks
of the grinning peasants. They greatly enjoyed our
discomfiture, and were passing so¢¢o voce observations on
the size of my companion and myself, eminently true,
but highly disrespectful. “How fat they are!” said
one. “No, it’s their furs,’ observed another.
“How awkward he is,” continued a third; “why, I
could jump it myself!” “I tell you what it is, my
friend,” I at length observed, “if you continue this
conversation I think it very likely you will jump either
over or in, for I want to find out the exact distance,
and am thinking of throwing you over first, in order
to satisfy my mind as to how wide it is, and how
deep.”

This remark, uttered in rather a sharp tone,
had the desired effect. Seizing the pole convul-
sively, I prepared for the leap, which, nothing to a
man not clad in furs, was by no means a contemptible
PRICE OF LAND. 59

one in my sleigh attire. One, two, three! a bound, a
sensation of flying through the air, a slip, a scramble,
and I found myself on the other side, having got over
with no more damage than one wet leg, the boot itself
being instantly covered with a shining case of ice.

“Come along quick!” cried my friend, who by this
time had been dragged through; “let us get on as
quickly as possible.” And without giving me time to
see if my cartridges or other baggage on the bottom of
the sleigh had suffered from the ducking, we rattled
off once more in the direction of Samara.

Estates have become much dearer in the neigh-
bourhood of Sizeran since the railway has been opened
up to that town. A desyatim of land (2:7 acres)
now costs twenty roubles, whilst in Samara it can be
purchased for half that price. Land gives a good
return for the capital invested upon it in Russia. A
proprietor thinks that he has reason to grumble if
he does not receive from six to eight per cent.
on the purchase-money, clear and free from any
deductions. .

An English gentleman, a well-known M.P., fore-
seeing the rise which would take place in the value of
property near Samara, had bought a large and beautiful
estate in that neighbourhood. According to my com-
panion he would double the capital invested should he
in the course of two or three years wish to part with
his purchase.

We were now gradually nearing our first halting-
place. It was a farmhouse known by the name of
Nijny Pegersky Hootor, twenty-five versts distant
from Sizeran. Some men were engaged in winnowing
corn in a yard hard by the dwelling. The system
they employed to separate the husks from the grain
58 A RIDE TO RKHIVA.

probably dates from before the flood, for, throwing
the corn high up into the air with a shovel, they let
the wind blow away the husks, and the grain de-
scended on to a carpet set to catch it in the fall.
It was then considered to be sufficiently winnowed,
and fit to be sent to the mill. The farmhouse was
fairly clean, and for a wonder there were no live
animals inside the dwelling. It is no uncommon
thing in farmhouses in Russia to find a calf domesti-
cated in the sitting-room of the family, and this
more particularly during the winter months. But here
the good housewife permitted no such intruders, and
the boards were clean and white, thus showing that a
certain amount of scrubbing was the custom.

The habitation, which was of a square shape, and
entirely made of wood, contained two good-sized, but
low rooms. A large stove made of dried clay was so
arranged as to warm both the apartments. A heavy
wooden door on the outside of the building gave
access to a small portico, at the other end of which
there was the customary obraz, or image, which is to
be found in almost every house in Russia. These
obrazye are made of different patterns, but generally
take the form of a picture of saints or of the Trinity.
They are executed in silver-gilt on brass relief, and
adorned with tawdry fringe or other gewgaws. The
repeated bows and crosses made by the peasantry
before these idols. is very surprising to an English-
man, who may have been told that there is little dif-
ference between the Greek religion and his own, but if
this is the case, the sooner the second commandment
is omitted from our service the better. It may be said
that the Russian peasantry only look upon these
images as symbols, and that in reality they are praying
RUSSIAN IDOLS. 59

to the living God. Let any one who indulges in this
delusion travel in Russia, and talk to the inhabitants
with reference to the obrazye, or go to Kiev at the
time of a pilgrimage to the mummified saints in that
sanctuary. I think he will then say that no country in
the world is so imbued with superstitious credences as
Russia.

Above the stove, which was about five feet high, a
platform of boards had been erected at a distance
of about three feet from the ceiling. This was the
sleeping resort of the family, and occasionally used for
drying clothes during the day. The Russian moujik
likes this platform more than any other part of the
habitation. His great delight is to lie there and
perspire profusely, after which he finds himself the
better able to resist the cold of the elements outside.
The farmhouse in which I now found myself had cost
in building two hundred roubles, about twenty-six
pounds of our money. Her home was a source of
pride to the good housewife, who could read and
write, an accomplishment not often possessed by the
women of this class in the provinces of Russia.

By this time our former team had been replaced by
three fresh horses. The driver who was to accom-
pany us had nearly finished making his own pre-
parations for the sleigh journey. Several long bands
of cloth, first carefully warmed at the stove, were
successively wound round his feet, and then having
put on a pair of thick boots, and stuffed some hay into
a pair of much larger dimensions, he drew the latter
on as well, when, with a thick sheepskin coat, cap, and
vashlik, he declared that he was ready to start.

The cold was very intense when we quitted
the threshold. The thermometer had fallen several
60 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

degrees during the last half-hour. The wind had in-
creased, and it howled and whistled against the eaves
of the farmhouse, bearing millions of minute snowy
flakes before it in its course. Presently the sound of
a little stamping on the bottom of the sleigh announced
to me that the cold had penetrated to my companion’s
feet, and that he was endeavouring to keep up the
circulation,
CHAPTER VIL

Pins-and-Needles—Spoiled Horses—Driver’s idea of distanco—The Halting-place
—Our Fellow Travellers—A Devout but Unwashed Pedlar—A Glorious
Sunrise—A Bargain is a Bargain.

Very soon that so-called “pins-and-needles” sensation,
recalling some snowballing episodes of my boyish
days, began once more to make itself felt. I found
myself commencing a sort of double shuffle against the
boards of the vehicle. The snow was falling in thick
flakes. With great difficulty our driver could keep
the track. His jaded horses sometimes sank up to the
traces in the rapidly-forming drifts. They floundered
heavily along the now thoroughly hidden road. The
cracks of his whip sounded like pistol-shots against
their jaded flanks. Volumes of invectives issued from
his lips.

“Oh! sons of animals !”—[ whack].

“Oh! spoiled one!”—[whack]. This to a brute
which looked as if he had never eaten a good feed of
corn in his life. “Oh! woolly ones!” [whack ! whack!
whack !].

“Oh! Lord God!” This as we were all upset into
a snow-drift, the sleigh being three-parts overturned,
and our Jehu precipitated in the opposite direction.

“ How far are we from the next halting-place ?”
suddenly inquired my companion, with an ejaculation
which showed that even his good temper had given
way, owing to the cold and our situation. .
62 A RIDE TO KHIVA.

“ Only four versts, one of noble birth,” replied the
struggling Jehu, who was busily engaged endeavouring
to right the half-overturned sleigh. A Russian verst
about nightfall, and under such conditions as I have
endeavoured to point out to the reader, is an un-
known quantity. A Scotch mile and a bit, an Irish
league, a Spanish legua, or the German stunde,
are at all times calculated to call forth the wrath of
the traveller, but in no way equal to the first-named
division of distance. For the verst is barely two-
thirds of an English mile, and when, after driving
for another hour, we were told that there were still two
versts more before we could arrive at our halting-place,
it began fully to dawn upon my friend that either
our driver's knowledge of distance, or otherwise his
veracity, was at fault.

At last we reached a long straggling village, formed
of houses constructed much in the same way as that
previously described. Our horses stopped before a de-
tached cottage. The proprietor came out to meet us
at the threshold. ‘ Samovar, samovar!” (urn), said my
companion. “ Quick, quick, samovar!” Hurrying by
him, and hastily throwing off our furs, we endeavoured
to regain our lost circulation beside the walls of a well-
heated stove.

In a few minutes, and when the blood had begun
once more to flow in its proper channels, I began to look
round and observe the other occupants of the room.
These were for the most part Jews, as could easily be
seen by that peculiarity of feature which unfailingly
denotes any members of the tribe of Israel. Some
half-open boxes of wares in the corner showed their
trade. The men were hawkers of fancy jewellery
and other finery calculated to please the wives of
OUR FELLOW TRAVELLERS. 63

the farmers or better-to-do peasants in the neighbour-
hood.

The smell was anything but agreeable. The
stench of sheepskins, unwashed humanity, and some
oily cooking going on in a very dirty frying-pan, at last
caused my companion to inquire if there was no other
room vacant. We were shown into a small adjoin-
ing apartment. Here the smell, though very pungent,
was not quite so disagreeable as in the one inhabited
by the family. “ This is a little better,” muttered my
companion, unpacking his portmanteau, and taking out
a tea-pot, with two small metal cases containing tea and
sugar. “ Quick, Tétka, Aunt!” he cried (this to the old
woman of the house), “quick with the samovar!” when
an aged female, who might have, been any age from
eighty toa hundred, for she was almost bent double by
decrepitude, carried in a large copper urn, the steam
hissing merrily under the influence of the red-hot
charcoal embers.

By this time I had unstrapped the mess-tins, and
was extracting their contents. “Let me be the carver,”
said my friend, at the same time trying to cut one of
the cutlets with a knife ; but he might as well have tried
to pierce an iron-clad with a pea-shooter, for the meat
was turned into a solid lump of ice. It was as hard as
a brickbat, and when we tried the bread it was equally
impenetrable; in fact, it was only after our provisions
had been placed within the stove for about ten minutes
that they became in any way eatable. In the meantime
my companion had concocted a most delicious brew,
and with a large glass of pale or rather amber-coloured
tea, with a thin slice of lemon floating on the top, I
was beginning to realise how pleasant it is to have
been made thoroughly uncomfortable. It is only after
64 4A RIDE TO KHIVA,

having experienced a certain amount of misery that
you can thoroughly appreciate what real enjoyment is.
‘What is pleasure?” asked a pupil of his master.
« Absence of pain,” was the philosopher’s answer, and
let any one who doubts that a feeling of intense
enjoyment can be obtained from drinking a mere glass
of tea, try a sleighing journey through Russia with the
thermometer at 20° below zero (Reaumur), and a wind.

In about an hour’s time we were ready to start.
Not so our driver; and to the expostulations of my
companion, he replied, “No, little father, there is a
snowstorm, we might be lost, and I might be frozen.
Oh, Lord God! there are wolves; they might eat me;
the ice in the river might give way, and we might all
be drowned. For the sake of God let us stop here!”

“You shall have a good tea present,” * I observed,
“if you will drive us.”

“Oh, one of noble birth,” was his answer, “we will
stop here to-night, and Batooshka, little father, also,”
pointing to my companion; “but to-morrow we will
have beautiful horses, and go like birds to the next
station.”

It was useless attempting to persuade him.
Resigning ourselves to our fate, my companion and
self lay down on the planks to obtain what sleep
could be found, notwithstanding the noise that was
going on in the next room. The Jew pedlars were
occupied in trying to sell some of their wares, and drive
a bargain with the antique mistress of the house.
Notwithstanding her age, she was keenly alive to her
own interests. The shrill female accents mingling with
the nasal ejaculations of the Hebrews were not at all
conducive to slumber.

* A Russian term for a money gift to an inferior.
A DEVOUT BUT UNWASHED PEDLAR. 65

Presently another pedlar, enveloped in sheepskins
and covered with snow, strode into our room. He
began to cross himself and perform his devotions before
an obraz which was attached to one of the walls. As
soon as this act of worship was finished, he commenced
bargaining with the owner of the house, trying to per-
suade the man to let him have a horse to drive to the
next station at a lower rate than the one ordinarily paid.
But the proprietor was proof against all this kind of
eloquence, and the pedlar, finding that his entreaties
were useless, returned once more to our room, and
kicking off his boots by the side of my companion’s
lead, announced his intention of passing the night in
our company. This the Russian gentleman objected
to in very strong terms. In addition to the smell of
the pedlar’s body and his garments, there was good
reason to believe that a vast amount of what it is not
necessary here to mention inhabited his beard and
clothes. “ No, brother,” said my companion, firmly, at
the same time taking up the pedlar’s sheepskin between
his finger and thumb, when holding it at arm’s length
before him he deposited the filthy garment in the other
room. ‘Go there, brother, for the sake of God, and
pass the night with your fellows.”

It was in vain attempting to sleep. The new arrival
had brought a still further element of discord amidst
the assembled pedlars. They were a strange party
in that room, the proprietor, his mother, his wife, and
her sister, two or three children, and five pedlars, all
huddled together promiscuously, and adding by their
number to the foul air which poisoned the interior of
the dwelling. What surprised me most was to see how
healthy the children looked. I should have imagined
that they would have been poor, weak, delicate little

E
66 A RIDE TO KUIVA.

things, but no; and the eldest, a chubby lad about ten
years old, apparently the picture of health, looked as
if bad smells and want of ventilation decidedly agreed
with him.

The Russian peasants are not ignorant of the good
old maxim that the early bird gets the worm. The
few hours’ daylight they enjoy during the winter months
makes it doubly necessary for them to observe this
precept. We were all up a good hour before sunrise,
my companion making the tea, whilst our driver was
harnessing the horses, but this time not three abreast,
for the road was bad and narrow. We had determined
to have two small sleighs with a pair of horses to each,
and put our luggage in one vehicle whilst we travelled
in the other.

Off we went, a motley crew. First the unwashed
pedlar who had wished to be my companion’s bedfellow
the night before; then our luggage sleigh, and finally
my friend and self, who brought up the rear, with a
careful eye upon our effects, as the people in that part
of the country were said to have some difficulty in
distinguishing between mewm and tian.

The sunrise was bright and glorious, and in no part
of the world hitherto visited have I ever seen aurora
in such magnificence. First, a pale blue streak,
gradually extending over the whole of the Eastern
horizon, arose like a wall barring the unknown be-
yond. Suddenly it changed colour. The summit
became like lapis-lazuli, the base a sheet of purple.
Waves of grey and crystal radiated from the darker
hues. They relieved the eye, appalled by the vastness
of the barrier. The purple foundations were in turn
upheaved by seas of fire. The eye was dazzled by the
glowing brilliancy. The wall of colours floating in
A BARGAIN IS A BARGAIN. 67

space broke up into castles, battlements, and towers.
They were wafted by the breeze far away from our
view. The seas of flame meanwhile had lit up the
whole horizon. They burst through their borders,
They formed one vast ocean. The eye quailed beneath
the glare. The snowy carpet at our feet reflected like
a camera the wonderful panorama overhead. Flakes
of light in rapid succession bound earth tosky. At
last the globe of sparkling light appeared arising from
the depths of the ocean of fire. It dimmed the sur-
roundings of the picture.

Presently a sudden check and exclamation of our
Jehu told us that the harness had given way, and a
conversation, freely interlarded with epithets exchanged
between the driver and the pedlar, showed that there
was decidedly a difference of opinion between them.
It appeared that the man of commerce was the only
one of the party who knew the road. Having dis-
covered this fact, he determined to make use of his
knowledge by refusing to show the way unless the
proprietor of the horses, who drove the vehicle con-
taining our luggage, would abate a little from the price
he had demanded for the hire of the horse in his, the
pedlar’s, sleigh. “A bargain is a bargain!” cried our
driver, wishing to curry favour with his master, now a
few yards behind him., “ A bargain is a bargain! Oh,
thou son of an animal, drive on!” ‘It is very cold,”
muttered my companion. “ For the sake of God,” he
shouted, “go on!” But neither the allusion to the
pediar’s parentage, nor the invocation of the Deity,
had the slightest effect upon the fellow’s mercenary
soul.

“JT am warm, and well wrapped up,” he said; “ it
is all the same to me if we wait here one hour or ten;”
68 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

and with the most provoking indifference he com-
menced smoking—not even the manner in which the
other drivers aspersed the reputation of his mother
appearing to have the smallest effect. At last the
proprietor, seeing it was useless holding out any
longer, agreed to abate somewhat from the hire of the
horse. Once more the journey continued over a break-
neck country, though at anything but a breakneck
pace, until we reached the station—a farmhouse—
eighteen versts from our sleeping quarters, and, as we
were informed, forty-five from Samara.
CHAPTER VIII.

The Guardian of the Forests—No Sleigh Bells Allowed in the Town—Hotel
Anaeff—A Curiously-shaped Vehicle —Law about Libel—Price of Provisions
at Samara—Rate of Mortality amongst the Infant Population—Podorojnayas,
or Road Passports—The Grumblers’ Book—Difference of Opinion between
my Horses and the Driver.

Tue Guardian of the Forests stepped into the dwelling
whilst we were waiting for fresh horses. He said that
there were many wolves in the neighbourhood, and
that they did a great deal of damage to the flocks ; at
the same time informing us that he had shot several
wolves that winter, and one only two days before. The
keeper was a well-built, sturdy fellow, and seeing my
gun, proposed that we should stop a day or so, remark-
ing that he could show us some capital sport. But my
companion was obliged to hasten to his property; and
as for myself, the 14th of April—the termination of
my leave of absence—rose up like a bugbear in my
mind’s eye.

Every day was precious. I had no time, much
as I should have liked to accept the invitation. A-bout
six hours more brought us to the river Samara—here
a broad stream which runs into the Volga. We dashed
over a road made on its glistening surface, when the
driver, pulling up his horses and getting down to tié
up the bell on the head collar, informed us that we
were about to enter the town. No bells were allowed
within the suburbs, for fear of frightening any horses
unaccustomed to the tinkle.
79 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

A rapid drive through some fine broad streets, the
well-built houses announcing that the inhabitants were
comfortably off in this world’s goods, and five minutes
later I found myself beneath the roof of the Hotel
Anaeff, a much better hostelry than I should have
thought to encounter so far away from a railway.

There was no time to be lost, for the day was well
advanced. We at once commenced making prepara-
tions for our journey onward; my _ fellow-traveller
leaving me at this point, as his estate was not on the
road to Orenburg. I was sorry to shake hands with
him and to say good-bye. He was a very cheery com-
panion, and a drive over the steppes alone and without
a soul to speak to for several hundred miles was not
an inviting prospect. JZazs d la guerre comme a la
guerre, and the same saying equally applies to a
winter journey through Russia. I resigned myself to
the situation, speedily forgetting all cares in the bustle
of laying in a stock of provisions for the road, and in
the search for a sleigh which I had here to buy to
convey me and my fortunes to Orenburg, or, perhaps,
to Khiva.

Presently a coffin-shaped vehicle was driven up for
my inspection. I now discovered that one of the
runners was cracked, and not in a fit state for the
journey. The owner of the sleigh used all his elo-
quence to persuade me that there was an advantage in
having a damaged runner, and seemed much surprised
when I informed him that I did not share this opinion;
however, seeing me obdurate, he promised to have the
vehicle repaired, and ready to start by the break of
day.

The law of libel is stringently applied in Russia,
judging by a paragraph which I saw in a newspaper
RUSSTAN LAI ABOUT LIBEL, 71

that evening. It appeared that the editor of the
magazine Dalo had been summoned by a Mr. Wein-
berg for calling him a beggar. The editor, according
to the evidence, had previously asked the plaintiff to
translate a work. On its completion, Mr. W. wrote to
his employer requesting the payment of fifty roubles,
which would make up the difference of the amount
due. No answer being returned, he called in person,
and said he would not leave without the money.
Upon this, the editor sent him down a rouble note,
wrapped up in a piece of paper, on which was written,
“T give you this for your begging,” or words to that
effect. The advocate for the defence apologised for
his client, who, he said, was an old man; but the Court,
not seeing the point of the argument, sentenced the
editor to two weeks’ imprisonment—undoubtedly a
well-merited punishment; though in England I much
doubt if the offender would have even been mulcted in
damages for the expression. The Russian law for
libel, or rather insult (oskorblenie), is very voluminous.
Many words which in this country would not come
within the statute for libel are followed by a heavy
punishment in the Tzar’s dominions.

The people at Samara were looking forward to the
rapid completion of the railway from Sizeran to that
town. The proprietors of land were the most interested
in this matter, as then they would be able to obtain
a better market for their corn. Provisions were very
cheap, the best beef only costing seven kopecks per
pound, and bread two and a half kopecks, while twenty
bottles of vodki could be purchased for four roubles ;
thus enabling the inhabitants of that highly-favoured
community to get drunk, if they wished, at even a
lower rate than that announced ona placard hung some
72 4A RIDE TO KHIVA,

years ago outside a public-house in Ratcliff Highway,
and couched in the following terms: “ Take notice.—
Get drunk and be made happy, all for a penny.”

Mutton was even cheaper than beef, and to be
bought for six kopecks a pound, whilst a first-rate cow
could be readily purchased for thirty roubles, and a
hundred fresh eggs for one rouble and a half. When
I jotted down the list of prices, which was furnished
me by the polite secretary at Anaeff's Hotel, I began
to think that what I had read in my boyhood about
the latitude and longitude of the promised land must
be a myth. Samara was evidently that much desired
region, and would be an abode of bliss to all those me-
lancholy and matrimony-in-search-of young bachelors
who occasionally forward a mournful dirge to our daily
press, and inquire if a man can marry on a hundred a
year. Why of course he can! Only let him go to
Samara, and he can keep a seraglio into the bargain,
provided he feeds the ladies on beef and mutton.

The only country I have ever visited where pro-
visions cost less than in Samara was in the Soudan
in Africa. There a fat sheep could be purchased for
four shillings—a hundred eggs for the same price—
whilst on the White Nile the value even of human
beings was so depreciated as to be almost incredible.
Many people in this country will utterly disbelieve
that a mother could sell her own child for a small
quantity of corn.

That child himself had not a high opinion of his
paternal roof, for later on, when his master, an
Englishman, who was passing by the lad’s village, told
him to go back to his mother, the boy began to cry,
and then said, in broken Arabic, “ No, sir, mother has
no clothes; you have given me clothes. Mother gave
RATE OF MORTALITY. 73

me nothing to eat, here there is plenty. Father gives
me stick, and here nothing to do but eat, drink, and
cook. Please let me stop!” Poor little Agau, he
afterwards returned with me to Cairo, and I have no
doubt by this time has quite forgotten his father,
mother, and the domestic fetish, in the virtues and vices
of Pharaoh’s capital.

But although Samara, and, in fact, all the south-
eastern part of Russia, offers many inducements to the
settler on account of the low value of land and the
cheapness of provisions, there is, in spite of these
advantages, one great drawback to the country. This
is the rate of mortality, the more particularly amongst
the infantine population. Out of 1,000 children born,
345 die in the first five years, 40 in the next five, 19 in
the subsequent term, and the same number ere two
decades have been completed. Thus, out of 1,000
children, 423 will not reach their twentieth birthday.
From another table of statistics I took the following
figures :—Out of 10,000 children born, 3,830 die the
first year, 975 in the second, and 524 in the third.
Whether this excessive mortality is caused by the
extreme rigour of the winter months, or by the love of
spirit drinking on the part of the parents, which causes
them to neglect their offspring, is a difficult question to
answer. Probably both these influences have a good
deal to do with the matter. I have frequently heard
educated Russians defend this theory, and curse the
foundling hospitals, which, originally started to diminish
the evil, have, in their opinion, only succeeded in
augmenting immorality, whilst they have greatly added
to the mortality throughout the empire. .

There is a regular postal road, which goes from
Samara to Orenburg. The authorities have recently
7A. A RIDE TO KHIVA,

established a new system along this route, which has
superseded the old order of things with reference to
podorojnayas, or passports. Formerly the traveller,
previously to starting, had to visit the police, tell them
where he was going, and the number of horses he
required for his sleigh. They would then give him a
printed document, containing his description, and an
order to the postmasters of the different stations to
forward him on towards his destination. But now all
this antiquated system has been abolished, and a
volnaya potchta, or free post, is established between
Samara and Orsk, a town about 140 miles beyond
Orenburg.

All the traveller has to do is to ask at the different
post-stations for the necessary horses. They will be
immediately furnished him, or as soon as possible after
the order has been given. The traveller pays in ad-
vance four kopecks per horse for each verst travelled.

I was called at daybreak the following morning.
The few preparations required to be made were soon
finished, and I found myself in my newly-purchased
sleigh, which had been thoroughly repaired, driving
along in the direction of Smweshlaevskaya, the first
station arrived at when travelling towards Orenburg,
and about twenty versts from Samara. The country
was a dead flat, and of a most uninteresting description.
A few trees scattered here and there made by their
scarcity the bleak and naked appearance of the adjacent
surroundings the more conspicuous. Naught save
snow here, there, and everywhere. No signs of life
save a few melancholy crows and jackdaws, which
from time to time made a short flight to stretch their
pinions, and then returned to perch by the side of some
kitchen chimney, and extract from the rapidly rising
THE GRUMBLERS BOOK. 75

smoke as much warmth as possible. The route much
resembled the road between Sizeran and Samara; for,
indeed, in winter-time everything in Russia is either
alike or hidden from view, buried beneath its blanch
white pall of snow.

The station-houses along the line of road I was
then travelling were fairly clean. The furniture gene-
rally consisted of a horsehair sofa and some wooden
chairs, whilst a few coloured prints of the Emperor and
other members of the Royal Family of Russia were
hung about the walls, and made up the attempt at
decoration. A book in which to inscribe complaints
was also kept, and any traveller who felt himself
aggrieved could write down his grievance, which
would be subsequently investigated by an inspector,
whose duty it was to perform this task once a month.
I sometimes used to while away the time whilst wait-
ing for fresh horses by turning over the pages of the
grumblers’ book—occasionally, indeed, having to add
my own grievance to the list—the badness of the
horses being a frequent source of annoyance to the
passengers.

I reached Bodrovsky, the next station, a little after
sunset, only halting sufficient time to drink a few glasses
of tea, in order the better to resist the rapidly-increas-
ing cold, the thermometer having fallen to 25° below
zero (Reaumur), and started again for Malomalisky,
about 263 versts distant. I hoped to reach this point
about 9 p.m., and there refresh the inner man before
proceeding on my journey. It is hungry work, sleigh-
driving in the winter, and the frame requires a good
deal of support in the shape of food in order to keep
up the vitality. However, it is no good forming any
plans in. which time is concerned in Russia. The
70 A RIDE TO KHIVA.

natives have a Mohammedan-like indifference to the
clock, and travellers must succumb, however unwil-
lingly, to the waywardness of the elements.

Presently I became aware by some pistol-like
cracks—the sounds of the whip reverberating from
the backs of my horses—that there was a difference
of opinion between them and the driver. A blinding
snow had come on; the darkness was so great that
I could not distinguish the driver. Our jaded animals
were floundering about in all directions, vainly en-
deavouring to hit off the original track, from which it
was evident that they had strayed. The man now got
down from his box, and, leaving me in charge of the
horses, made a wide cast round on foot, hoping to
discover the road.
CHAPTER IX.

Delayed Ly a Snowstorm—Tchin—Russian Curiosity—A Conservative Inspector
—General Kryjinovsky—He tells me that I speak Russian—The Interest the
Paternal Government takes inmy Movements—Russia and China—A Newly-
married Sleigh Driver—A Camel in Love.

THE snow all this time was falling in a manner un-
known to people in this country. It was piling itself
up against the sleigh in such volumes that I foresaw, if
we did not speedily reach the station, we should in-
evitably be buried alive. After about half an hour’s
search the driver returned, and said to me, “ Oh, Lord
God !—you are a misfortune. Let us turn back.” I
replied, “If you have lost the way, how can you turn
back? Besides, if you know the road, we are now half-
way, So it is just as easy to go forward as to return.”

He had found the track, but by this time the sleigh
was so buried in the snow that the horses could not
stir it. There was only one thing to do, which was
for me to get out and help him to lift the vehicle, when
we eventually succeeded in regaining the path.

The fellow was a good deal surprised at this action
on my part, for Russian gentlemen as a rule would
almost prefer to be frozen to death than do any manual
labour. Presently he said, “One of noble birth, what
shallwe do now?” “Go on.” But at last, finding that
it was no use, and that the snow in front of us had
drifted over the track to a much greater extent than
over that part of the road which we had left behind, I
78 A RIDE TO KIVA,

was reluctantly obliged to give the order to return.
This he obeyed with the greatest alacrity, the horses
as well as the driver showing, by their redoubled exer-
tions, that they were well aware of the change of
direction.

There is nothing so disheartening toa traveller who
wishes to get forward rapidly as the frequent snow-
storms which occur in winter in this part of Russia.
Days upon days of valuable time are thus lost, whilst
any attempt to force a way through at all hazards will
only lead to the extreme probability of your being
frozen to death, without enabling you in any way to
accelerate your arrival. The inspector at the station
laughed heartily when we returned, and said that it
was very fortunate I had not to pass the night out in
the open. He had previously advised us not to
attempt the journey that evening, but wait for day-
light. However, I did not believe him, and conse-
quently had to buy my experience.

He was very anxious to know what my ¢c/zn (rank)
was; whether I was voennye (military) or statsky (a
civilian); and the spelling of my name caused him a
good deal of perplexity.

Of all the countries in which it has been my fate
to travel, the land where curiosity is most rampant is
decidedly Russia. Whether this comes from a dearth
of public news and subjects for conversation, or from
something innate and specially characterising the Scla-
vonic race, it is difficult to say. The curiosity of the
fair sex, which in other countries is supposed to be the
ne plus ultra of inquisitiveness, is in the land of the
Tzar far outstripped by the same peculiarity in the
male inhabitants. Of course I am alluding the more
particularly to the lower orders, and not to the upper
A CONSERVATIVE INSPECTOR. 79

classes, though even with the latter it is a feature that
cannot help striking the foreigner.

The inspector was a thorough old conservative, and
greatly mourned the new order of things, and that he
could no longer demand the traveller's podorojnaya, or
pass. “Why,” he said, “I do not know who I am
addressing ; I may be talking to a shopkeeper, and call
him your Excellency, or address a Grand Duke as
simply one of noble birth.” “Yes,” chimed in some
travellers who were benighted like myself, “and rogues
can travel now, for they are not obliged to go to the
police.” I was rather amused at this. There was
decidedly a wish on the part of the other wayfarers
to know who I was; so, pulling my English passport
out of my pocket, I said to the inspector, “ There, you
can look at my fodorojnaya.” He turned it upside
down ; and then said, “ Ah, yes! you are a Greek, but
what a beautiful crown that is on it! You must be
some great personage, going to Tashkent.” “ Perhaps
so,” I replied, assuming an air of importance. “ There
is a royal highness coming through soon,” said the
inspector; “I heard it from a pedlar who went by
yesterday ; and one of his officers is travelling on in
front to make preparations. Perhaps his Excellency,”
turning to me, “is that gentleman.” “No,” was my
answer, when one of the company, who appeared a
little annoyed at my evident unwillingness to undergo
this process of pumping, remarked that there had been
several robberies in the neighbourhood. “ Yes, there
have,” said another, and the assemblage all looked at
me as much as to say, “ You are the man; now, do not
deny it; we shall not believe you.”

So the evening wore on, till one by one we laid
ourselves down to rest, when a sound, very suggestive
80 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

of a pigsty, awoke the echoes of the night. On
looking out at daybreak, I found that the wind had
subsided, and the thermometer had risen to within a
few degrees of freezing point. There was no time to
be lost, particularly as I could not tell how long this
exceptional order of things would last; so, ordering
fresh horses, I recommenced the journey. <A great
deal of snow had fallen during the night, and it was
fortunate that we had returned to the station, as in
some places, only a little distance beyond the spot
from which my driver had retraced his steps, were
drifts eight and ten feet deep. “Praise be to God
that we did not fall in!” said my Jehu, pointing
them out to me as he drove by; “I might have
been frozen.”

A single line of telegraph ran along the side of the
road, being part of the wire which connects the capital
with Tashkent. The high poles from which the line was
suspended served as a capital landmark to point out
the route which we must follow. Presently the scenery
changed, and some plantations here and there relieved
the eye, tired by continually gazing over the endless
waste. Low trucks on wooden runners, drawn by two
or four horses, and laden with iron rails for the con-
struction of the railway, encountered us on the path.
In many places we had great difficulty in passing,
owing to the narrowness of the road. My Jehu’s
vocabulary of expletives was more than once thoroughly
exhausted upon the heads of the sleighmen. They
had, as it appeared, purposely tried to upset our
sleigh by charging it with their heavily-laden vehicles.

A few stations further on the road I met General
Kryjinovsky, the Governor of the Orenburg district,
who was on his way to St. Petersburg, accompanied by
PATERNAL GOVERNMENT. 81

his wife and daughter. He had highly distinguished
himself in his early career in Turkistan, and to this he
owes the important post entrusted to his charge. He
is a little spare man, with a keen glance and deter-
mined eye, and if I might be allowed to judge from
our brief interview, he was not the sort of individual
who would care to give me much information about
my journey, of which he did not seem to approve.

“You must remember,’ he said, “on no account
are you to go to India or to Persia. You must retrace
your steps to European Russia along the same road
by which you go. You speak Russian, I hear?” he
suddenly remarked, looking fixedly at me. Our con-
versation up to that time had been carried on in
French.

“Yes,” I replied; “but how clever you are to
have made this discovery, considering that we have
not spoken one word in your language, and you have
never seen me before.” This took the general a little
aback, and he slightly changed colour.

He had evidently received a communication from
some authorities at St. Petersburg, to the effect that I
was acquainted with Russian, generally an unknown
tongue to foreigners, and to a certain extent had let the
cat out of the bag. He now observed, “Oh, I only
supposed you did so.” In the meantime his wife and
daughter were taking off their furs in the same apart-
ment. The accommodation for ladies is of the most
meagre kind in these roadside stations, there are no
retiring-rooms whatever, and the fair sex have in this
respect to put up with much more discomfort than the
men.

As I drove away after our interview I pondered

the general’s words well over in my mind—* You must
F
$2 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

not go to India; you must not go to Persia; and
you must retrace your steps exactly by the same route
you go.” It was really very extraordinary to see how
much interest this paternal government in St. Peters-
burg took in my movements. Here I was travelling
in a country where the rulers defend the despoliation
of the inhabitants in Central Asia, and the annexation
of their territory, on the ground that it is done for the
purpose of Christianity and civilization. And yet the
government of this civilized nation made as much fuss
about my travelling in Central Asia as any mandarin
at Pekin, whose permission I might have had to ask
for a journey through the Celestial Empire.

It will take the Russians a long time to shake off
from themselves the habits and way of thought in-
herited from a barbarous ancestry. Gvrattez le Russe
et vous trouverez le Tartare, ca Cest une insulte aux
Tartares. This is a hackneyed expression; however,
it is a true one. It requires but little rubbing to
disclose the Tartar blood so freely circulated through
the Muscovite veins.

Some distance further on the road I observed a
strong disinclination evinced by the man whose business
it was to drive me to the next halting-place. He was
a fresh-looking, sturdy fellow, and I could not under-
stand the evident dislike he had for his fare, the more
particularly as I had made a point of well tipping the
respective drivers in order to get on as fast as possible.
“What is it?” I inquired of the station-master. “Is
he ill?” “No,” was the reply; “he was married
yesterday, that is all.” It seemed somewhat cruel to
tear away the poor fellow from the conjugal bliss that
awaited him in the next room, but there was no help
for it. No other driver could be procured, and the
A CAMEL IN LOVE. 83

duty must be performed. If I had not before remarked
that there was something amiss with the fellow, I should
very soon have found it out by the extraordinary mo-
tions his horses imparted to the sleigh.

He lashed the animals. They kicked and jumped,
performing antics which slightly resembled the con-
vulsive twitchings of an individual suffering from St.
Vitus. I was thrown in the air and caught again by
the rebound; upset, righted, and upset again, without
having had time to realise the first disaster; cartridge-
cases, gun, saddle-bags, and self, all flying in the air
at the same instant, the enamoured driver forgetting
everything in the absorbing influence of his passion,
save the desire to return to the side of his adored
Dulcinea.

I once rode a camel in love; this was in the Great
Korosko desert. He was known by the name of the
Magnoon, or the Mad Camel; but whether on account
of his susceptible heart or not I cannot say. I shall
never forget on one occasion, when the amorous quad-
ruped had accidentally become separated from the
Juliet of his affection, a sweet creature, that carried the
sheik of our party. She was very old, but this was
no deterrent in the eyes of her ardent admirer, whe
was miserable when not at her side. I had ridden on
a little ahead of the party when the voice of Juliet,
who was being saddled in the desert, and who vented
her woes in weird squeals and sounds appropriate to
her race, was wafted by the breeze to the attentive
ears of her admirer. He was a very long and a very
tall camel, and in an instant he commenced to rear.
My position became both ludicrous and precarious.
Ludicrous to every one but myself, who was interested
in the matter more than any one except Romeo. I
84 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

found that I was, as it were, slipping down the steep
roof of a house, with nothing to hold on by but a little
peg about four inches long, which projected from the
front part of the saddle.

It was an awful moment, but he did not keep
me long in suspense. Performing an extraordinary
movement, he suddenly swung himself round on his
hind legs, and ran as fast as ever he could in the
direction of the fair enticer, A camel’s gait is a
peculiar one; they go something like a pig with the
fore, and like a cow with the hind legs. The motion
is decidedly rough. At this moment my steed was
seized with a strange and convulsive twitching which
threatened to capsize the saddle. My position became
each second more ridiculous and appalling. I was
a shuttlecock, Romeo’s back was the _ battledore.
At every moment I was hurled into the air. The
fear of missing the saddle and falling on the ground
was continually in my mind. The little projecting
knob, which seemed an instrument of torture like
the impaling sticks used to punish the unfaithful in
China, was also a source of consternation. I
do not think I have ever felt a more thorough
sensation of relief than when, on arriving at our
encampment, Romeo halted by the side of his
Juliet.

The episode with Romeo had been an alarming
one. It was nothing to being driven by this
amorous young Russian as a charioteer. At last,
after having been deposited with all my luggage for
the third time in the snow, I resolved to appeal to his
feelings by a sharp application of my boot. “Why
do you do that?” he said, pulling up short. “You
hurt, you break my ribs.”
A RUSSIAN CHARIOTEER. 8s

“T only do to you what you do to me,” was my
reply; “you hurt, you break my ribs, and property
besides.”

“Qh, one of noble birth,” ejaculated the fellow,
“it is not my fault. It is thou, oh, moody one! ”—
to his offside horse, accompanied by a crack from his
lash. ‘It is thou, oh, spoilt and cherished one!”—
to his other meagre and half-starved quadruped.
(Whack !) “Oh, petted and caressed sons of animals”
(whack, whack, whack !), “ I will teach you to upset the
gentleman |”
CHAPTER X.

Sleigh Sickness—A Happy Family—Orenburg-—Nipping—Gas from a Charcoal
Stove—A Professor of Eastern Languages—The Chief of the Police—Special
Order Prohibiting Foreigners from Travelling in Turkistan — Messrs.
MacGahan and Schuyler—In Search of a Servant—Friendly Interest Russian
Officers take in India—Exhibition of Maps—Map of the Punjaub—March
Routes—General Bazoulek.

Ir was hard work, this perpetual travelling. Where-
ever the roads were passable I kept steadily journeying
onward, and gradually diminished the distance that lay
between myself and Orenburg.

For the last hundred versts there were scarcely any
travellers, save at one station, where I met a few officers
who were on their way to Samara. They did not much
fancy the piece of road which lay before them, and told
me that the winter we were having was the most
exceptionally cold season they had ever experienced in
those latitudes. Occasionally the road for a few miles
would take quite a different aspect. A succession of
ridge and furrow was formed by the wind, which had
billowed up the snow before it in a strange and fantastic
manner. The motion my sleigh would then assume
was not at all of an agreeable character. Any person
who suffers from crossing the Channel would have
found that a journey in a sleigh can, under certain
circumstances, be quite as disagreeable. On the
evenings when there was no storm, when the roads
were smooth and the horses good, it was very agreeable
travelling. The stars and other constellations lit up
ORENBURG. 37

the heavens with extraordinary brightness, and made
the night as clear as day. The “ tinkle, tinkle, tinkle”
of the sleigh-bells, changing time as the horses changed
their pace, now ringing fast and furiously, then dying
away as our animals struggled up some eminence,
helped to wile away the hours. When about sixty
versts from Orenburg, I was told that a short cut off
the road would diminish the distance considerably. I
determined to avail myself of this information, and take
the risk of not being able to find horses at the farm-
houses on the road, where the farmers, if they have any
animals in their stables, are only too glad to let them
out to the travellers.

Presently we arrived at a cottage the fac-simile of
an Irish hovel. Here were some unclean four-footed
ones, sharing the habitation with the two-legged
inmates. Pigs, .calves, men, women, and children
were huddled together round a huge stove, which
barely warmed the ill-built and wretched hovel. But
the horses supplied me were good, and finally we
crossed the Samara river. Once more some signs
of civilization. A few brick houses were to be seen.
My driver leaped from his seat and tied up the bell on
the horse’s head collar. We were approaching a town.
Shortly afterwards we dashed up the principal street at
a good swinging gallop, my sleighman shouting cheerily
and cracking his whip at every bound. Orenburg was
reached. A few minutes later I found myself in a
well-warmed room, enjoying a wash, the luxury of
which can only be appreciated by those who have
driven 400 versts through Russia in the winter, and
who have thus practically become acquainted with the
slight respect the Russians show to the good old
maxim, “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.” The latter
88 A RIDE TO KHIVA.

quality, as displayed in a Russian devotee, is more
allied with dirt than anything else I can mention.

It was evident that I was rapidly leaving civiliza-
tion behind me. No bed-linen could be procured.
On my asking for a towel, the nearest approach to this
commodity which could be obtained was a table-
napkin. Russians, when journeying in these regions,
carry about their own bed-linen, pillow-cases, &c.,
and either dispense with sheets altogether, or are con-
tented with a rug. The architect who had designed
this hotel was evidently a stranger to comfort as this is
understood in other countries. To go from the dining-
rooms to the bed-rooms it was necessary to pass
through an open courtyard. This, as the thermometer
was at that time occasionally 30° below zero (Reaumur),
did not conduce to the traveller’s comfort. The people
staying in the inn were chiefly officers. A well-worn
billiard-table in a room down-stairs was being played
on incessantly night and day. The attendant
at a bar where caviare, salt fish, anchovies, sour
kraut, and all kinds of relishes, with spirits and
liquors, could be procured, had not a spare moment
to himself.

In fact, there is no country in the world, not even
the United States, where so much of what is commonly
termed nipping goes on as in Russia. Probably the
extreme cold to a certain extent permits the inhabitants
to take such liberties with their stomachs. But the in-
creasing numbers of Russian visitors who are cach
summer to be seen at Carlsbad, and their general com-
plaint—liver—is a clear sign that dram-drinking, if
persisted in, eventually sows the seed of disease.

When I awoke the following morning it was with a
' splitting headache and a feeling of oppression, which,
A PROFESSOR OF EASTERN LANGUAGES. 89

except when once half-suffocated by the gas out of a
balloon, I cannot remember to have ever before ex-
perienced. I had a great deal of difficulty in raising
myself from my bed. On opening the door of the
room and breathing the cold but pure air, my legs
gave way under me. Staggering forward, I fell down.
It then flashed across my mind that the stove had
been shut up too soon the previous evening, the
consequence being that the poisonous gas from the
charcoal had escaped into the sleeping apartment.
Fortunately, however, the room which had been given
me was a large one. The stoves in Russia, though
admirably arranged so as to keep up a due degree of
warmth in the house, require considerable care.
Any neglect in this respect will lead to disagreeable
consequences. Indeed, seldom does a winter pass
without some traveller or other falling a victim.

Later in the day I drove to the house of an
American gentleman, a Mr. G , for whom I had
a letter of introduction. He received me with the
usual hospitality of his nation, and promised to do
everything he could to further my views. But as
for information about the road to Khiva, he could
give me none. All the news and gossip about Tash-
kent, Samarcand, and about the recent disturbances
at Kokan, he had, so to speak, at his fingers’ ends.
Kthiva, however, was a sealed book to him. He
recommended me to call upon a Mr. Bektchourin, a
Tartar gentleman, the Professor of Eastern Languages
at the Russian Military Academy, who, he said,
knew more about the subject than any other man
in Orenburg.

On returning to my hotel, the waiter informed me
that the chief of the police had sent an order that I

 
90 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

was to attend at the police-office immediately. It
seemed a little strange his forwarding me this com-
munication through a servant at the inn, and not
through some more official channel. However, at
once obeying the command, I proceeded to the resi-
dence of the police officer, and shortly afterwards was
shown into the chief's room. He held, it appeared,
the rank of a colonel in the army, and said that he
wished to know why I had come to Orenbury. I
replied that “I was going to Russian Asia ;” when
he remarked, “I cannot allow you to do this, unless
you have permission from the authorities in St. Peters-
burg. There is a special order prohibiting foreigners
from travelling in Turkistan.” I showed him the
letter I had received from General Milutin, which
was written in French, He perused it with difficulty,
and to all appearance was not well acquainted with
that language. He then said, “ By what route do you
propose to go?” I replied by Kasala, and perhaps
from there to Tashkent, and so on to Khiva i
anyhow, first of all to Kasala. . . . “Yes,” he
said, “that is your best plan; for there you will be
able to obtain information which no one here can vive
you.” From the police-office I drove off to call upon
Mr. Bektchourin, the Tartar yentleman.

On my ringing the bell Mr. Bektchourin opened
the door himself. He was a tall, noble-looking old
man, in a long Eastern dressing-gown. It was
fastened around his waist with a sash, whilst a fez
cap on his head betokencd an allegiance to the faith
of Islam. He was a little surprised to see a stranger,
but courteously invited me to enter his abode. When
I had explained the object of my visit—which was,
first to know if he could give me any information
IN SEARCH OF A SERVANT. gO!

about the route to Khiva, and secondly if he would
recommend me a Tartar servant who could speak
Russian—he said, “ My good sir, I will do everything
I can; but first of all you must drink some tea.”
A servant entered with some glasses of this beverage.
Bektchourin handed me a cigarette, lit one himself, and
slowly sipped the thought-inspiring liquid.

Presently he remarked, “First of all, my good sir, as
to going to Khiva; it is winter, the Syr Darya-Jaxartes
and Amou Darya (Oxus) rivers are frozen up. The diffi-
culties and hardships will be immense. You will hav2
to ride on horseback over 500 versts of snow-covered
steppes. If it had been summer you would have
had no difficulty whatever. Once arrived at Kasala,
better known as Fort Number One, you could have
gone in a steamer, and have been landed within a few
miles of Petro-Alexandrovsk, our fort in Khivan terri-
tory. There would have been no fatigue or danger.
In winter, however, it is very different. I sincerely
advise you to give up the idea altogether, or to come
back in the summer and then perform the journey.” I
here remarked that it was not likely that I should have
taken the trouble to travel even so far as Orenburg in
the winter without having made up my mind previously
to leaving London as to what my intentions were.
“Quite right, my good sir,” continued the kind old
gentleman, “quite right. If you mean to go I will help
you; but at the same time it was only right of me to
say what my opinion is about the matter ; and, indeed,”
he added, “I really cannot give you any information
as to the routes. At this time of the year all will de-
pend upon how much snow has fallen in the steppes.
This you can only find out at Kasala. As to recom-
mending you a servant, I do not know of one at
Q2 A RIDE T0 KHIVA,

present, but will make every inquiry. Not that I
much care about the task,” he continued, “for there
was an American gentleman here not long ago with
the Secretary of the United States Legation at St.
Petersburg, Messrs. MacGahan and Schuyler were
their names. I was asked to recommend them a ser-
vant, and to get them one in twenty-four hours.

“How I toiled and slaved! My good wife, too, asked
all the people of her acquaintance, and we hunted
everywhere to find an honest Tartar servant; not
but that there are plenty of honest Tartars,” he added,
“ quite as many as Christians; but Mr. Schuyler required
a man who could speak Russian, and who, to a certain
extent, was accustomed to European ways. Well, we
searched everywhere, and at the last moment a fellow
offered himself for the situation. I could hear of
nothing against his character, and the fact was I had
no time to make inquiries. But the next thing I heard
was that the servant had turned out to be a scoundrel,
and that Mr. MacGahan, who wrote a very interesting
book about his journey, had adverted to me in it, and
said that I had recommended the man. Now, if I get
you a servant, perhaps you will write a book and say
the same as Mr. MacGahan has done, that is, if you are
not pleased with your servant; but I tell you candidly
that I cannot in any way be responsible for his
character, although I will do my best to find you
an honest fellow.”

No one could have been kinder than Mr. Bek-
tchourin; he assured me that he would make every
inquiry with reference to the object I had in view;
whilst I relieved his mind by promising to speak
to Mr. MacGahan, so that when another edition of
“Campaigning in the Oxus” came out, Mr. Bektchourin’s
INTEREST OF RUSSIAN OFFICERS IN INDIA. 93

explanation of the circumstances might be appended in
a note. Probably on account of the military element in
the hotel, the newspapers were represented by the
Lnvalide. On turning over the leaves of an old number
of this journal, I came across a paragraph which
showed the friendly interest the Russian officer who
wrote it evidently took in India.

It was to the effect that at a late exhibition of maps
in Paris, the more recent British maps of the Attrek and
Afghanistan were not to be found, but that an interest-
ing map of the Punjaub, with all the various march-
routes, and which the compiler had particularly not
intended to be published, wasto be seen in the exhibition.

The following day I called upon General Bazoulek,
the Governor fro ¢enz now that Kryjinovsky was away.
He was a good-looking man of about five-and-forty,
and a little pompous in his demeanour. In Kryjin-
ovsky’s absence he was all-powerful at Orenburg, and
he duly endeavoured to impress upon me the import-
ance of his position. He could give me no information
whatever as to how to go to Khiva, his remark being
the same stereotyped one repeated ever so many times
before—‘ You must go to Kasala, and there you will
be able to obtain every information.” On inquiry if
there was a post to Khiva, his answer was, “I believe
so, but I do not know by what route it goes.” In fact,
the ignorance displayed by all the officials with whom
I came in contact might have surprised any one aware
of the great importance attached to the study of
geography by the Russian military authorities. I
could not explain it to myself otherwise than by
assuming that the real solution of the problem con-
sisted in the politeness of the officers, who preferred
béing thought ignorant to rude.
CHAPTER XI.

The Ural Cossacks—Dissenters—Two Thousand Five Hundred Men Banished—
Exiles Flogged—A Battue—Reports about General Kauffmann—The Tazar’s
Officers in Turkistan.

THE principal topic of conversation at Orenburg was
a recent emeute amidst the Ural Cossacks. It
appeared that the inhabitants of the town of Uralsk,
as also many of the people in that neighbourhood, had
become excessively discontented with the military law
of universal conscription. Previously to the promul-
gation of the new edict, the better-to-do classes had
not sent their sons to serve, and the ranks were filled
with recruits from the poorer orders. But now all was
changed; money would no longer purchase a substi-
tute, and grievous discontent possessed the minds of
the Ural Cossacks. Most of them were Raskolniki
dissenters from the Greek Church, and belonged to the
old faith (Staroi vara). When they were ordered to
send their sons to serve they rebelled, and openly
called the Emperor Antichrist. This was too much
for the pious-minded authorities at St. Petersburg;
2,500 of the malcontents had been banished from
Uralsk to Central Asia, whilst it was said at Oren-
burg that 2,000 more would speedily follow.

The delinquents had been marched from Oren-
burg to Kasala, and from that place it was in-
tended to transport them to Khivan territory. A
detachment of 500 had been already sent to
Nookvos, a small fort recently constructed by the
THE URAL COSSACKS. 95

Russians on the right bank of the Amou Darya. It
appeared that the commander at Kasala had experienced
much difficulty with the men when he ordered them to
march under escort to Nookoos. They absolutely
refused to stir. At last he ordered them to be attached
to camels by cords, and then commanded the Orenburg
Cossacks to flog the prisoners with their whips. This
had been done with great barbarity. I was assured
that three of the victims had died under the lash. The
commandant of Kasala had written to St. Petersburg
to know what was to be done with the remainder of
the exiles.

G—— now informed me of a battue which had taken
place by order of Kryjinovsky a few weeks previous to
my arrival, with the object of destroying some wolves,
which had been doing a vast amount of damage in the
neighbourhood. Several miles of country had been
enclosed by beaters, who gradually reduced the circle.
However, the wolves proved too much for the sports-
men, and the latter were not able to bag a single
animal.

I must say I had become rather sceptical as to the
existence of these carnivorous beasts—that is to say in
any large numbers; I had now travelled over five
hundred versts of country and had not seen or heard a
single one. That there were wolves I did not deny,
but was inclined to believe that both their numbers and
depredations were much exaggerated.

Kauffmann, the Governor-General of Turkistan,
was said to have sent for two more regiments from
European Russia. They were to be despatched to
Turkistan immediately, he himself being now on his
road to St. Petersburg. People in Orenburg said that
he was not in very good favour at court, for having
96 A RIDE T0 KHIVA,

pushed the Russian arms further in Central Asia than
had been either the wish or intention of the Emperor.
It was declared that the Tzar himself was very much
opposed to this system of annexation in the East, and
had only been induced to permit it on the represen-
tations of his generals that they were surrounded by
lawless tribes, who carried off and imprisoned Russian
subjects.

It is easy to make a good case if the counsel for the
plaintiff is the only one heard. The Kokandians and
Khivans have not had the opportunity of putting
forward their side of the question, so, as is naturally
to be supposed, the Russian generals have invariably
carried the day. Indeed, we cannot wonder at the
Tzar’s officers in Turkistan being so eager to continue
in their line of conquest. Taken for the most part
from poor but well-born families, having no inheritance
but the sword, no prospect save promotion, they thirst
for war as the only means at hand for rapidly rising in
the service. A life in Central Asia in time of peace is
looked down upon with contempt. With everything
to be gained by war and nothing by peace, we need not
be surprised should every little pretext be sought for
to provoke reprisals on the part of the native population.
Europe then hears of the cruelties committed by the
brutal fanatics in Central Asia, of Russian magnanimity,
and of Mohammedan intolerance.

.Exeter Hall is quieted by the idea of a crusade
against the Mussulmans. The lust for conquest is
cloaked in a garb called Christianity. The sword and
the Bible go forth together. Thousands of the natives
are mown down by that evangelical weapon, the
breechloader; and one day we read in our morning
newspapers that a territory larger than France and
THE KHAN OF KOKAN, 97

England together has been added to the Tzar’s
dominions,

But it does not signify, observe some of our
legislators. The sooner Russia and India touch each
other the better. How much better for India to have
a Russian neighbour on her frontier, instead of the
barbarous Afghans! Russia herself is apparently well
aware of the advantage of having civilized neighbours
on her western frontier; as it is, on that frontier she
is obliged to keep concentrated two-thirds of her
available forces. People in this country who advocate
the two empires touching are not perhaps aware that
our Indian army would then have to be increased
to three times its present strength, and in spite of
that precaution there would be less security for
ourselves.

It now wanted only two days to Christmas. I had
already been four days in Orenburg, and, as far as I
could see, was as far off as ever from obtaining a
servant. Getting into my sleigh, I hurried off to the
house of my friend Bektchourin. I found him, as usual,
clad in his dressing-gown, but this time he was not
alone. Several Easterns were sharing his hospitality,
and imbibing large glasses of strong green tea, which, I
was told, is the kind most appreciated in Central Asia.

It was fortunate that I had called at that hour. It
gave me the opportunity of making the acquaintance of
the Khan of Kokan, formerly a sovereign, but now
an exile far from his own country, and detained in
European Russia by the order of the Tzar. He was
a swarthy, strong-built fellow. His captivity did not
seem to have pressed much on his soul. He had
readily adopted European customs, and had actually
gone so far as to give a ball. This, I was informed,

G
98 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

had been a great success, many of the fair damsels in
Orenburg having attended it. A wicked report ran
to the effect that a great competition was going on
amongst certain of the ladies with the view of convert-
ing the handsome Khan to the Greek faith, and so on to
matrimony according to the Russian rites. But, taking
into consideration a Mohammedan’s innate horror of
idols or image-worship, and that the Khan is already
blessed with four wives, this would seem rather a hope-
less task. However, everything might be gained in
the event of success, and it was said that a union with
the convert would not be displeasing to some of the
less favoured fair ones of Orenburg. Fabulous reports
of his wealth were spread about the town. Great
delight was evinced in every quarter on its being
announced that he had elected to live in Orenburg,
and was about to purchase a house in the neighbour-
hood. He had been prompted to take this step by
his friendship with Mr. Bektchourin, and with General
Kryjinovsky, the Governor of the province. According
to my Tartar acquaintance, the Khan’s wealth had
been much exaggerated. He was not by any means
the Croesus he had been represented. On leaving
Kokan he had taken with him a large quantity
of treasure in gold and silver specie, but had been
robbed on the road. At the time of which I write
he had only 120,000 roubles—about £15,000 of our
money—not much in the eyes of an English match-
maker, but a glittering bait to the husband-seeking
dames of Orenburg.

Bektchourin now said that he had discovered a
Bokharan who would accompany me as a servant; and
that the man could speak Russian, Tartar, and Persian,
and would be very useful as an interpreter.
AN AGED MOTHER. 99

However, later on Bektchourin came to the hotel,and
with a long face informed me that he did not think the
fellow would suit. Mrs. Bektchourin had been making
inquiries, and had discovered that the Bokharan’s papa
and mamma smoked opium, whilst it was currently
rumoured that their son partook of his parents’ taste.
An opium-smoker as a servant would have been an
intolerable nuisance. In consequence of this Mr.
Bektchourin had brought with him a young Russian,
who had been a clerk in a counting-office, and could
speak Tartar. He was ready to accompany me. How-
ever, I discovered that his idea was to travel as an
equal, and that he had no intention to act as a servant.
In fact, he had so great an idea of his own importance
that I felt that the Bokharan, opium and all, would
have been more eligible as an attendant.

What was to be done? I began to think that I
might as well search for the philosopher’s-stone as for a
servantin Orenburg. But Bektchourin was by no means
disheartened. ‘TI will find one,” he said, “‘ never fear ;”
and a few hours later another candidate for the post
turned up in the shape of a man who had been to
Tashkent with Mr. David Ker. He informed me
that Mr. Bektchourin had sent him to the inn, and that
Mrs. Bektchourin had lent him five roubles to take his
passport out of pawn, a Jew having previously ad-
vanced some money on this document. As the Tartar
appeared a likely sort of fellow, I agreed to accept his
services, twenty-five roubles a month being the wages,
and all found.

“ Perhaps, one of noble birth,” said the man, “you
would not object to give me two months’ wages on
account? I have an aged mother, and should like to
leave a little money to support her during my absence.”
TOO A RIDE TO KA,

Filial affection is undeniabiy a good trait in a man’s
character. I was delighted; I had secured a prodigy.
I blessed Bektchourin, who had sent me such a
paragon of virtue, and I gave the servant the money,
he promising to return to the hotel early the following
morning. The difficulties of the journey seemed half
over already, and I went to bed convinced that at last
I was in a fair way to make a start.

Hope told a flattering tale. I awoke the next morn-
ing at about five o’clock, and commenced my pre-
parations. However, no man arrived. A few hours
later I rang the bell for the head waiter of the inn.

“Did you see the servant I engaged yesterday ?”

“Yes, one of noble birth, I saw him.”

“\Why has he not come here this morning ? he was
to have been here at six !”

“ Perhaps, one of noble birth, you gave him some
money ?”

“Yes,” was my reply, “for his bedridden mother.”

An irrepressible grin caused the lantern jaws of the
head waiter to open from ear to ear. A cavernous
mouth was disclosed. A few yellow teeth bristling at
irregular intervals in the huge recess appeared to take
their share in his amusement. Unrolling a long tongue
he caressed the stumpy fangs, and licked his lips with
an air of the greatest possible enjoyment.

“ His bedridden mother! Hee! hee! hee! Oh!
the son of an animal!” and the tears poured down the
fellow's face as he became convulsed with laughter.
“You will not see him again,” he continued, “until he
has spent the money; he has gone to £vo¢/¢” (drink and
make merry, the acme of a Russian’s happiness). “Oh!
the cunning pigeon!” and the head waiter left the reom
evidently much delighted at the way I had been taken
“HE HAS GONE TO KOOTIT.” Io!

in by his countryman. At first I could hardly bring
myself to believe in the waiter’s version of the matter.
The delinquent had such an honest-looking counte-
nance, and my vanity was somewhat insulted at the
idea of my having been so duped. No; it was more
likely that he would turn up later. Comforting my
mind as well as I could with this reflection, I went out
with my friend G to purchase some provisions for
the journey.

 
CHAPTER XII.

A Supply of Provisions—.\ Grocer’s Shop—An Elastic Piece of Goods—Schuyler
and MacGahan—aA Russian Rank—Gold and Paper—Coutts’ Circular Notes
—Cox’s Letter of Credit—What is the Paper Value of a Half Imperial ?—
Russia on the verze of Bankruptey—A Dinner Party—German Military
Railway Carriages—The Russian Railway Gauge—Christmas Day—The
Chief of the Police—An Intelligent Thief Catcher—A Podorejnaya—aArrival
of the Prisoner—‘* Women, Women—there were two with him !”

G——, though he was an American citizen, a man of
the world in its fullest sense, and had travelled from the
States to Orenburg, was not an efficient adviser with
reference to the supply of provisions required by a
traveller. Indeed, if I had taken my friend’s advice
I should have bought the contents of nearly every
shop in Orenburg. The grocers looked delighted as
G—— put aside tin after tin of preserved meats. At
last I was obliged to remonstrate—“ So! many thanks,
but how can I carry them ?”

“ Carry them!” continued my imperturbable friend;
“a sleigh is the most clastic piece of goods I know;
it will stretch to any amount. Schuyler and MacGahan
took a great deal more. I am only just beginning ;
we will go to another store presently. These sweet
lozenges—they are excellent; try some; ” and to
the grocer, “Put 4lb. of this chocolate aside, and
some pickles too—delicious; a few bottles — very
good. Now, then, about candles and spirits for cook-

ing, and a cooking apparatus, and a lamp. You
A SUPPLY OF PROVISIONS. 103

had better have some carpenter’s tools, in case the
sleigh breaks, and lots of stout cord and nails. A
carpet would be also a good thing to take to sit down
upon; and some wine and spirits to present to the
Russian officers. They like wine, and although you
don’t drink yourself, they do; just a dozen or so,” he
added with a supplicating glance. “ Well, as you like—
but it would be better. Then you must have presents
for the natives. A few looking-glasses and ornaments.
You will find them very useful.”

It was really necessary to make a stand of some
sort against my good-intentioned companion, who, not
accustomed to travel himself, evidently thought that
the entire contents of an upholsterer’s or grocer’s shop
were indispensable requisites for a journey on the
steppes.

“T tell you what it is,’ I observed, “I shall not
take a quarter of the things which you have put aside
for me, and certainly not purchase any more. Itwasas
much as I could do to stow myself away in my sleigh
when travelling without a servant from Samara here,
and the vehicle would never hold half these things,
which are for the most part quite unnecessary.”

‘Not at all,” said my acquaintance, giving vent to
his feelings by squirting some tobacco juice on the floor.
“Not at all. Schuyler and MacGahan had two sleighs.
Capital; the thing is settled.” Then to the shopman.
“ A few pounds of cocoa. I shall soon have finished,”
he added.

It was useless arguing with him, and the only thing
to be done was to allow the shopman to put aside the
different articles, and to say that I would call another
day, select what I wanted, and then pay the bill.

I now proceeded to the bank, as the amount of
104 4 RIDE T0 KHIVA,

Russian gold in half-imperials, which I brought from
St. Petersburg, was more than would be required for my
journey. The money was very heavy and cumber-
some as carried in my waist-belt, and so I determined
to convert a certain proportion of the precious metal
into bank notes. There is a curious circumstance in
connection with the paper currency in Russia which
is not generally known by foreigners. On the face of
every note is printed the following announcement :—
“ The bank will pay the owner on demand the amount
of roubles stamped on the paper in either gold or
silver.” * A most just and excellent arrangement if it
were only carried out; but, onthe contrary, it is
extremely difficult to obtain gold in Russia, and during
my stay at St. Petersburg I had to wait nearly an hour
at Venekin’s Bank whilst the clerk was sent out to
buy half-imperials. Finally, I had to pay six roubles
eighteen kopecks for each coin, the value stamped on it
being five roubles, fifteen kopecks. On my going to
the Government Bank at Orenburg and inquiring if I
could change some half-imperials into paper, the cashier
declined to give more than five roubles, seventy-five
kopecks for each piece. I would not accept these terms,
and went to the Commercial Bank, the cashier here
offering six roubles. On my producing some English
sovereigns he greatly admired them, and said that they
were very beautiful, but refused to give me any roubles
in exchange, unless I would first pay the cost of a
telegram to the head of the firm in St. Petersburg, so as
to inquire what price he would give. I then discovered
that no, one else in Orenburg would change the
sovereigns on any terms whatever, and so had to
accept these conditions.

* Literally in zvonkom metala, in ringing metal.
RUSSIA ON THE VERGE OF BANKRUPICY, 105

The following day I was informed that the Com-
mercial Bank would change my English gold, though
at a much lower rate than that which I had received at
St. Petersburg. After the difficulties experienced with
the sovereigns it can easily be imagined that the
cashier did not Icok with much respect upon Coutts’
circular notes,-or upon a letter of credit from Cox &
Co., the well-known bankers and army agents in Craig’s
Court. The bills might just as well have been waste
paper in so far as the official was concerned, and when
I told him that the paper of these two English bankers
was looked upon in London as being as good as gold,
the clerk shook his head, and evidently did not believe
me.

In spite of the amount of silver which is supposed
to be found in Russia, there is a great deficiency of this
metal in the banks; the cashiers object to pay any one
more than five roubles, or fourteen shillings, in silver
pieces, and confine their business almost exclusively to
paper notes. When a Russian is about to leave
Orenburg for a long drive by post, and a supply of
silver is absolutely necessary, he has to send different
people as commissioners to the bank; each man will
then receive five roubles’ worth of silver, and in this
manner the traveller can eventually get sufficient small
change for his journey. Indeed, without a certain
supply of silver coin it is almost impossible to travel
in Russia, the station inspectors hardly ever having
any change. The amount of paper in circulation
throughout the Tzar’s dominions is somewhat startling
to a foreigner, and if the financial prosperity of a nation
can be gauged by the amount of gold it possesses
Russia must be on the verge of bankruptcy.

In the evening I dined with a party of Russian
106 A RIDE TO KHITA,

officers, amongst others the chief of the telegraphs at
Orenburg. The conversation turned on the chance of
any immediate rupture with Germany ; and one of the
guests assured me that it would be impossible for a
German army to make use of its own railway-carriages
on the Russian lines, as the gauge has been made
purposely of a different width to that employed in
Germany and Austria. However, another of the party
here remarked that, according to a recent account, the
Prussians had got over this difficulty, an Engineer
officer having invented a system for building carriages
and engines by which the wheels can be made to fit
any kind of line, and that if this statement were true a
German advance would not necessarily be impeded on
account of the difference of gauge. The telegraph
official was very inquisitive, and asked a great many
questions about my journey, finally stating to G——,
“You may depend upon it we shall never see him
again. He has been sent out by his Government, and
when he has done what they want, he will return, but
not by this road.”

It was Christmas Day. I had been exactly twenty-
five days on my journey—enough time to go from
London to New York and back—and was still no
further on my road than Orenburg. All of a sudden
Mr. Bektchourin was announced, his first question
being, “ Have you seen the servant?” “Yes,” was
my reply, “not only seen him, but engaged him, and
given in advance fifty roubles, on account of his bed-
ridden mother. He was to have been here yesterday
morning at six, but he has not turned up.”

“Oh, the dove!” said Mr. Bektchourin; “oh, the
cunning little scoundrel. You do not know how he has
deceived my wife. He came to her in my absence,

 
THE CHIEF OF THE POLICE. 107

and said that he had seen me, and then persuaded her
to lend him five roubles to take his passport out of
pawn. She gave him the money, and he has bolted
with it. Oh, the cunning one!”—and Mr. Bektchourin
shook his fist with raye—“ but we will catch him. His
little back shall smart. My dear sir, I will go to the
police ;” and the good man hurried off as fast as he
could in that direction.

Later on I called on the same authorities, and was.
fortunate enough to find Colonel Dreir, the Chief
of the Force at Orenburg. He informed me that
Mr. Bektchourin had been already there, and that
the case was in the hands of Sergeant Solovef, the
most intelligent of the thief-catchers in the district. As
he uttered these words, the colonel touched a bell, and
desired the servant to summon the sergeant.

A moment afterwards the latter stood before us.
He was a stout-built fellow, with a firm, resolute mouth,
and a hawk-like nose and eye. He saluted in the
military fashion, and remained at attention, standing
stiff and erect before his chief.

“You have heard of this English gentleman who.
has been robbed by a Tartar servant ?”

“ T have heard.”

“ The rogue must be caught.”

“T will catch him.”

“ The money must be got back.”

“ The money shall be got back—if he has not spent
it,’ muttered the sergeant.

“ Immediately.”

“ Immediately.”

“ Go at once,” said the colonel.

“T obey,” was the answer; and the sergeant,
swinging round on his heel, saluted, and left the room.
108 A RIDE TO KUIVA.,

The difficulties of obtaining a servant at Orenburg
seemed to be so great that I made up my mind not to
delay a day longer on that account, but to go alone on
my travels—at all events, so far as Kasala. Once
there, I could try again, and see whether in that part
of the world an honest Tartar was such a vara avis as
in Orenburg. In the meantime, Colonel Dreir gave
me an order for a podorojnaya as far as Fort Number
One (Kasala), and told me to go to the Kaznacheistvo,
or Treasury, where the necessary document could be
obtained. On receiving the pass, I found that it was
worded as follows :—

BY THE ORDER OF
HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR ALEXANDER,
TulE SON oF NICOLAS,
AUTOCRAT OF THE WHOLE OF RUSSIA,
etc., etc.

From the town of Orsk to the town of Kasala, to the Captain of
the English service, Frederick, the son of Gustavus Burnaby, to give
three horses, with a driver, for the legal fare, without delay. Given
in the town of Orenburg, 15th Dec., 1875.

I had barely returned to my hotel, when Bektchourin
was again announced; and whilst we were drinking
some tea, the clashing of a sword-scabbard on the
-staircase, arid a considerable noise and clamour going
on outside, warned us that something unusual was
occurring. The head waiter now entered the room.
[iis face wore a look of intense importance, coupled
with admiration for something he had seen. He was
evidently bursting to impart to me a startling piece of
news; and if he had been an English groom, I should
have thought that my best horse had broken his leg.

“Well, what is it?” I inquired. “Is the house on
fire, or your wife dead?” “No, one of noble birth;
THE DELINQUENT CAUGIT. 109

they have caught him.” “What, the thief?” cried
Bektchourin. “ Yes; the sergeant has him outside. The
rogue is weeping; the servants are all looking on—the
lodgers, too: they all know that he is caught. It is
grand; praise be to God! May the sergeant bring
him in?” “ Byall means,” I said. A moment later the
door opened, and the delinquent was precipitated into
the room.

The sergeant followed. His mien was imposing.
He took two short steps, then a long one, advanced to
the side of the prisoner, placed his left hand on the
culprit’s shoulder, and saluted majestically with the
right. It was a comical gathering—the servants in
the room, their hair bristling with awe; the lodgers
outside, eager to know what was the matter; the head
waiter wiping his perspiring forehead with a table-
napkin—which he had brought me as a substitute for
a towel—his huge mouth extended from ear to ear,
and alternately opening and shutting with astonish-
ment; the prisoner pleading for mercy ; the sergeant
erect and consequential; whilst Bektchourin, who was
more excited than I could have believed it possible for
an Oriental to become, was shaking his fist in the culprit’s
face. “So they have caught you, brother. Ah! my
little pigeon, you have come back. So you wanted to
throw discredit on our race. Oh, you dear one! But
now, stick, stick, stick! you shall have it! Ah, my
love! you may cry,” as the prisoner groaned at the
allusion to the whipping in store for him. “ But the
money, sergeant, the money; what has he done
with it? and where did you catch him?”

The policeman was not gifted with the same
command of language as his interrogator, and to gain:
time to collect his thoughts he once more saluted, then
IIo A RIDE TO RIAIVA,

jerked out, “He spent twenty-five roubles in drink
—there are twenty-five here. Women, women—
there were two with him!” and having disburdened
himself of this statement, the sergeant produced the
money he had taken from the culprit, and laid it on
the table.

“For the sake of Heaven, pardon me,” cried the
prisoner, going down on his knees, and trying to kiss
Bektchourin’s feet; “but I drank, she drank, we all
drank. I will return the money.”

“Very well,’ said Bektchourin. “First of all the
money, and then we will take into consideration the
whipping; so remove him, sergeant, and see if he is
able to make good the deficiency.”
CHAPTER XIII.

A Sheepskin Suit—Servant Hunting—A Tartar Dwarf—Nazar—Packing the
Sleigh—Kirghis Camels—Ural Mountains—Krasnogorsk—Bouran—Off the
Track—Harness Broken—Driver Loses his Way—Nazar Famished—Keeping
Awake under Difficulties—The Rescue—Nazar’s Culinary Composition—
Benighted Travellers—The Courier—An Officer and his Wife—The Doctor
—Bleeding—Curiosity—Tropical Heat or Extreme Cold, which is the worst
to bear?

THE excitement created in the household by the
prisoner’s arrival having calmed down, I set out
with my friend G to see if I could purchase a
sheepskin suit such as is worn by the Russian
peasantry. In the meantime, Bektchourin very good-
naturedly went off in search of a servant. “I must get

 

you one,” he said. “ You shall not go alone. It shall
not be said that there is not one honest Tartar servant
in Orenburg.” G—— drove me to a street mainly

inhabited by dealers in sheepskin. On entering one
of the shops, we were nearly compelled to beat a
retreat, owing to the smell. A few years ago the
Thames on a hot summer’s afternoon, and at low
water, had a bouquet peculiarly its own, and one
which startled the olfactory nerves; but the odour in
this little Russian shop was infinitely more disgusting.
The sheepskins were in every stage of preparation.
The heat thrown out by a large drying-stove was
very great, and only the absolute necessity of ordering
some warm clothes forced me to remain for an instant
112 4 RIDE TO Kiva,

in the establishment. The things I had brought from
St. Petersburg were of no use for the journey on
horseback. The shuba or pelisse, which reached to
my feet, would not have been suitable attire when I
was in the saddle, and sheepskin garments, in spite of
their disagreeable smell, are much the warmest clothes
that can be worn. I was measured for a riding-coat,
the wool to be worn inside, for some trousers of the
same material, and for a pair of high stockings, or
rather buckets, also made of sheepskin. These last
would be drawn on over four pairs of fishing stockings,
and in their turn be encased in some high cloth boots
—experience had already taught me that any leather
about the feet is a mistake—and when my new clothes
were put on over those which had been made for me
in London, I thought myself proof against any amount
of frost.

In the evening Bektchourin returned to the hotel,
accompanied by a Tartar, the most diminutive of his
race, and certainly not five feet high. I was informed
that he was of noble birth, his father having been an
officer in the Russian army; but the family was poor,
and Nazar—this was his name—liked travelling and
adventure. The man expressed himself as ready to
do anything and go anywhere. He said that he never
drank. I found out that he could speak Russian very
well, and also the Kirghiz dialect. Bektchourin said
that he could answer for the fellow’s honesty, and as
he wanted fifty roubles on account to leave with his
wife, I agreed to advance this amount, though with a
slight feeling of hesitation after the way I had been
taken in by the man with the aged mother. The
money was paid. Bektchourin embracing me said
good-bye, and it was agreed that the servant should
PACKING THE SLEIGI. 13

come to the inn the following morning, when we would
start on our travels.

Long before daybreak I was up making prepa-
rations, and by the time the Tartar arrived, I had
packed up most of the provisions. And then came the
tug of war, for there were the servant, sleigh, horses,
and luggage; but how on earth to put the luggage into
the vehicle, and afterwards to find room for my legs,
this was a problem which it appeared impossible te
solve.

Nazar first arranged the parcels in one manner and
then in another, but all to no purpose. At last, thie
inventive genius of the head waiter came to the rescue,
when by firmly tying some of the provision boxes to
the edges of the sleigh, there was sufficient space
left for me to sit down. Fortunately my servant was
a dwarf; his personal luggage being adapted to his
stature. Balancing himself on the top of the gun-case
and saddle-bags, he looked round for orders. “Off!” I
cried; and away we galloped down the principal street
of Orenburg, escorted by the good wishes and farewells
of the inmates of the hotel.

A biting east wind, but a bright clear atmosphere,
and in a few moments I was driving along the river
Oural. Every now and then we encountered a caravan
of camels drawing sleighs Jaden with cotton from
Tashkent. Any one only accustomed to the camels of
the Libyan sands would hardly recognise any affinity
between the undersized and shaggy animals with lion-
like manes which are met with in the steppes, and the
huge sleek “ships of the desert” to be found in the
African Sahara. Nature has supplied the Kirghiz
camels with every requisite for resisting a bitterly cold
clime, and the hardy beasts could be seen striding

H
114 A RIDE TO KHIVA.,

through the snow where it was four feet deep, and
where horses would have been of no avail. Here a
Cossack galloped by us, brandishing his long spear as
he quickly vanished in the distance; and then we met
some Kirghiz wanderers, their ruddy faces—red as
lobsters—offering a striking contrast to the sallow-
visaged Russians I had left behind.

I must say I congratulated myself on the purchase
of the sheepskin clothes. In the keen air which
surrounded us it was impossible to perceive the
slightest smell, and for the first time during my sleigh
journey I was feeling tolerably warm. We arrived at
the station-house in capital time. In less than ten
minutes fresh post-horses were harnessed and I was
again ez route. Nothing could have been more
uninteresting than the country through which we were
travelling ; naught but a bleak white plain, save for
the low ridge of Ural mountains which, lying far away
on our left, slightly broke the monotony of the scene.

Three stations had been left behind us; I had
determined to put another stage—Krasnogorsk—be-
tween myself and Orenburg. Nazar was a little
famished; he had started without any breakfast, and
a delighted expression passed over his countenance
when I announced to him my intention of halting a
short time at Krasnogorsk.

“Excellent milk there,” he remarked, at the
same time smacking his lips; “eggs, too. Please God
we will stop.”

I was myself beginning to experience a sensation of
emptiness in my inner man; the glass of tea and
rusk I had swallowed before leaving Orenburg were
not very staying condiments, and I desired the driver
to hurry on as fast as possible. However, the old
“ BOURAN.” 115

proverb, “The more haste the less speed,” proved,
alas, to be a true one.

The afternoon was drawing to a close, and the
golden orb could be seen dimly descending in the far-
off west, when I became aware, by the numerous
exclamations of my Tartar driver, principally con-
sisting, as I afterwards ascertained, of strong expres-
sions, that he was not at all contented with his horses.
At starting I had remarked upon their appearance,
They were as thin as laths, or, as Jorrocks would have
said, “as herring-gutted as greyhounds,” the ribs of
the animal in the shafts looking as if they might at any
moment pierce the skin. The driver had harnessed
his beasts in what the Russians call goose fashion, that
is to say, one in the shafts and the other two as leaders.
His short whip, with lash some twelve feet long, and
which previously he had allowed to trail behind the
sleigh, was now continually in the air, whilst the thong,
thick as my wrist at the handle end, resounded from the
flanks of the over-taxed animals—sounds like pistol
' shots breaking the deep stillness of the snowy waste.

In answer to the question as to what was the
matter, the one word “ Bouran” was his answer; and, by
the way, the gradually-rising gale was beginning to
drift the snow across our path, it became evident that
we were about to encounter a heavy storm.

Presently the atmosphere became denser with flaky
particles, the cold becoming more and more intense.
The last rays of the setting sun had disappeared from
view, and in spite of all my wraps I began to feel the
first insidious onslaught of the elements.

Darker and darker grew the shades around, till at
last I could barely distinguish the driver's back; and
my little Tartar servant, perched like a monkey at his.
110 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

side, informed me, in a melancholy tone, that we had
lost our way. It was the case. We were off the track.
;whilst our wearied animals, up to their flanks and
breast deep in the snow, were vainly endeavouring to
plough a passage forward. A final effort, caused by
the pitiless lash of our driver's whip, and the goaded
steeds burst through the barrier. Up and down went
the sleigh, bounding wildly over the treacherous fur-
row, till at last one of the horses stumbled and fell,
breaking his rope harness, and bringing us to a dead
halt.

Our team had collapsed, that was evident, and the
driver seemed to have equally succumbed, for he left
off swearing, and his whip, which up to that moment
had never ceased cracking, lay stretched out behind
the vehicle. He got off the seat, and having with
difficulty succeeded in raising the fallen animal, jumped
on his back and made a wide cast round in the hope
of discovering the track.

“Tam starving,” said my little Tartar in a melan-
choly tone; “I had no breakfast, my belt is very loose,”
and suiting the action to the words he commenced
tightening the strap around his waist, in order the better
to resist the wolf inside. I had some bread and
chocolate in my pocket, and dividing it with him, we
stopped for a while the pangs of hunger.

In about an hour's time the driver returned, and in
a mournful tone informed me that he had lost his way,
that we must sleep out, and that in all probability we
should be frozen. Nota pleasant piece of intelligence’
with the thermometer below zero, and a hurricane
searing the face as if it were with a red-hot iron if we ex-
posed the smallest piece of skin to its onslaught, whilst
the flakes, drifting higher and higher around the sleigh,
KEEPING AWARE UNDER DIFFICULTIES. II7

threatened, if the storm continued much longer, to bury
us alive.

There was no wood in the neighbourhood —nothing
with which we could make a fire—and the sleeping- sack,
which I at once thought of, proved useless, owing to
the small size of the aperture. We had no shovel to
make a snow house, and there was naught to do save
to sit it out the lifelong night.

My hands and feet first began to smart, and the
nails to ache as if they were being scorched over a fire
—a nasty burning, gnawing sensation which ate into
the joints and then died away in a dull feeling of in-
describable numbness which seized all the limbs. The
pain was considerable, although it did not amount to
that agony experienced from severe frostbites, and
which I had to undergo later on in the journey. A
heavy weight seemed to bear me down, and I dosed off
for a second, till aroused once more to the reality of
existence by the groaning of my little servant. He
was murmuring something to- himself in a low tone,
-but not one word of complaint ever escaped his lips.

I desired him to get inside, and giving the Tartar
coachman all the furs that could be spared, we pulled
ourselves together, as it is commonly termed, strung
our nerves for the occasion, and determined not to go
to sleep.

There was now no more pain, and my thoughts
began to wander to far-off places, whilst well-known
faces came and looked at me, then flitted away in the
waste, and were replaced by well-spread banquet-halls,
Jaden with viands which vanished as in my dream I
strove to partake. It was over, and I was lost to con-
sciousness, when I was suddenly aroused by a sharp
tap on my elbow and a violent shaking from the hands
118 A RIDE TO XHIVA,

of my follower. ‘Do not close your eyes, sir,” he
said, “or you will never open them again.”

It was a hard task making the effort, but it was
done, and presently I had in my turn to keep him from
succumbing to the cold. All this time the driver was
uttering some grunting exclamations from beneath the
snow, which my slight knowledge of the Tartar lan-
guage did not allow me to comprehend; loud hoarse
sounds and ejaculations blurting forth at intervals
and breaking the stillness of the night, for the wind
had fallen and a dead silence reigned around.

“What is he doing?” I inquired of my servant,
“is he praying ?”

“No, sir,” was the reply; “he is only lamenting his
fate, and swearing at the horses for having brought us
into this plight.”

So the night wore on, and those only who have laid
ona sick bed, and heard the endless tick of the clock
as the hands go round the dial, can tell how glad we
were when the first faint streak of colour in the far-off
east warned us that the day was breaking. We then
pulled out the driver from beneath his cold white
canopy, and found him, though very stiff, otherwise not
much the worse for his night’s lodging. He shook the
snow from off his furs, and then stretching himself two
or three times to see if his joints were all right, pro-
ceeded to mount one of the horses, and said that he
would ride off to the next station for help. This he
did, making his way as best he could to the road now
distant from us nearly a mile, at times disappearing
from our gaze as horse and rider struggled through the
piled-up snowy ridges.

An hour sped by, and yet another, but there was
no longer.any danger in seeking sleep, and at mid-day
BENIGHTED TRAVELLERS. TIg

[ was aroused by a friendly pressure from the hand of a
farmer, who had been summoned to our assistance by
the driver.

“Well, brother,” said the jolly, round-faced old
countryman; “cheer up, we have arrived in time,
praise be to God!” “Now, then, children,” to some of
his labourers who had come with him, and who were
provided with spades and shovels, “dig out the sleigh.”
This was soon done, a well-earned remuneration be-
stowed on the kind-hearted peasants, when with three
fresh horses we soon regained the road, and an hour
later the station.

It had beena slow journey, for we had taken twenty-
one hours to go eighteen miles; however, we were
fortunate in not having lost something else besides
time. A little while after our arrival, having partaken
of a strange culinary composition of Nazar’s, made of
rice, eggs, and chocolate, boiled in milk, over a spirit
lamp—this strange mixture proving in our ravenous
state the most savoury of dishes—I felt myself once
more in working order and ready to start.

My bad luck still continued. The Fates were again
unfavourable. On arriving at the next station I found
congregated there four passengers, all prevented from
travelling by a snow-storm. Among them was the
courier with the mail from Orenburg to Tashkent, a
short, thick-set, sturdy-looking fellow, with a revolver at
his waist, and a determined dare-devil expression on
his countenance, not the sort of fellow that any Kirghiz
or Tartar marauders would be likely to get the better
of in an encounter.

He told me that the storm was very great, it
was useless attempting to go forward for the present,
as if he were to do so he certainly wouid be benighted
120 A RIDE T0 KHIVA.

on the road, and very likely be frozen. The wind,
according to him, was the main difficulty, for, cutting
keenly against the horses’ faces, it caused them so
much pain that the poor beasts could not face it. This,
he said, was the reason that travellers found themselves
so constantly driving off the track.

Then came an officer and his young wife, who
were returning to St. Petersburg from Tashkent. The
lady looked little capable of resisting the rough life
she would have to lead before reaching the railway at
Sizeran. They had a comfortable close sleigh, arranged
with every requisite for keeping the travellers protected
from the elements, but in spite of this the lady, who
unfortunately looked in a delicate state of health, had
suffered a great deal in the journey.

Notwithstanding all the precautions which had been
taken, she had found it impossible to keep her feet warm,
the circulation in her extremities being sometimes
quite checked by the cold wind which penetrated to
the bones through carriage wraps and all.

Another benighted traveller was a doctor on his
way, to visit a patient who lived in a village about fifty
miles further on the road. The sick man’s residence
was situated miles from a physician, and he had to
send all the way to Orenburg for medical assistance.
It appeared that he was suffering from a violent quinsy,
or sore throat, an illness which is exceedingly rapid in
its effects; the despatch for the doctor had been sent
off eight days previous, and probably when the son of
Esculapius arrived he would find that the invalid had
cither recovered entirely or had been buried in the family
vault. The medical gentleman had come away without
any caustic, and eagerly inquired if any of us had a
medicine chest or could supply the ceficicncy.
BLEEDING, [21

My own travelling companions, the Cockle’s pills
and some bottles of cholera medicine, did not seem to
be applicable in the case mentioned, though, if the
sick man had beenan Arab, I should have administered
the former freely, and probably with success, as faith
is worth any amount of physic and effects most mar-
vellous cures.

Bleeding is still very much in vogue amidst the
Russian practitioners, and one of the party suggested
that a little blood-letting might be advisable, and lower
the patient's inflammation.

The doctor shook his head, and immediately com-
menced a long professional dissertation, which he
interlarded with various Latin words, in order to duly
impress us with his classical education. He did not
seem entirely to dislike the idea of the lancet, which I
have but little doubt he eventually tried upon the
unfortunate patient.

There was not much reticence amongst the party,
each traveller being plied with different questions, and
having to submit to a cross-examination as to who he
was, from whence he came, where he was going to, and
what was his business. In fact, the inquiries were of
so exhaustive a character, the more particularly those
made by the surgeon, that I had serious thoughts
of telling him my age, income, and what I had for
dinner the previous evening, in the hope of fully
satisfying his curiosity.

The evening wore on, and one by one our party lay
down to sleep or to find what rest they could obtain on
the wooden planks of the floor, the lady being accom-
modated upon the sofa. In spite of the hardness of
the boards we were all speedily plunged in the arms
of Morpheus, the cold winds and exposure having
122 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

taken more out of me than any other clime which I
had hitherto experienced.

The burning rays of a tropical sun on an African
Sahara dry up the sap of the human frame. A long
camel journey fatigues the rider, but nothing like the
pitiless cold and physical suffering which inevitably
accompany a winter tour through Russia.

At long intervals travellers arrived from Orenburg,
and then the repose of our party would be broken for a
moment by the new comers, who strode in to take a
share of the planks. There was no light in the room,
and the fresh arrivals, in their endeavours to find a clear
space on the floor, freely trod upon the body of the
courier. Some strong language issued from the lips of
the man with the letter-bags, for which he was rebuked
by the son of Esculapius, who even at that hour of
the night could not refrain from inflicting upon us a
quotation,
CHAPTER XIV.

A Start with the Courier—Tea-money—A Breakdown—The Book for Complaints
—Improvement in Scenery—Trade in Shawls—An Eastern Tale—Podgor-
naya—A Precipice—Oura—The Inn at Orsk—A Basin and a Table Napkin
—A Servant with a Joyful Countenance—No Horses at the Stable—A Man
who has Horses for Hire—You have a Grandmother—A Blue-eyed Siren.

I DETERMINED to take advantage of the presence of the
man with the mails, and said that I would continue the
journey with him, hoping by this means the quicker
to reach my destination. The courier had no objection,
and, after a considerable delay in obtaining horses
for our sleighs we started. There was an advan-
tage in accompanying him, for he was well provided
with shovels and spades to dig out his vehicle in the
event of the horses straying from the path and stumbling
into a snowdrift. The main difficulty I should have
would be to keep up with him, this being owing to
the superiority of the teams which are supplied for
the post. However, I hoped to do this by the means
of tea-money, an open sesame to the affections of
Russian sleigh-drivers, and which I had hitherto found
their most vulnerable point. Let it be known that
you tip handsomely, and your Jehu will drive you along
regardless of his master’s interest, whilst the regulation
ten versts an hour can often be converted into half as
much again.

Alas! all my calculations were upset ; once more I
was doomed to disappointment. I began to think that
there was some influence behind the scenes, purposely
124 A RIDE 10 KHIVA,

doing its best to retard me on my journey. The tinkle
of the bell on the courier’s sleigh resounded in my ears
for the first half-hour or so, when I fell asleep.

On awaking a few moments later I found that
the sounds were lost in the distance ; my _ horses
were travelling at a foot pace. The driver, who
had descended from his seat, was flogging his poor
beasts unmercifully, vainly endeavouring to get them
into a trot.

“How far are we from the station behind us?” I
inquired.

“ Five versts” was the answer.

I looked at my watch. We had been one hour and
a-half coming about three miles, and in spite of the
sleighman’s whip and imprecations, it seemed im-
possible that his weak team could drag us to the next
stage.

It was no use going on, so I desired him to return
immediately. On arriving at the station I sent for the
inspector, and also for the book in which travellers in-
scribe any complaint they may wish to make.

I wrote in it that the courier and myself had been
detained forty-five minutes, counting from the time when
our horses had been first ordered, and that the animals
which had been supplied me were so bad that they
could not go out of a walk. I concluded my remarks
by expressing a hope that the inspector would be
punished for keeping such useless animals in his
establishment.

Having written down my grievance, I read it out to
the interested party, to the great satisfaction of some
other travellers who, like myself, had suffered from his
carelessness. The man now became seriously alarmed,
and said that he had never been complained of before,
FIORSES FULL OF FIRE AND BURSTING IVITH CORN. | 25

that he would be ruined, and that if I would only pardon
him on this occasion he would never err against another
traveller. .

“ Please, little father, pardon,” he cried; “and I will
send you on with three beautiful horses, full of fire and
bursting with corn.”

“Will you promise to make up for the lost time and
to catch the post at the next station? If so, I will
pardon you, but if not, you shall suffer for your care-
lessness.”

The man caught at the chance, and I wrote down at
the bottom of the page that I would forgive him if he
fulfilled these conditions, which, much to my surprise,
he succeeded in doing.

The country now improved very much in appearance.
The low chain of mountains on my left was sometimes
broken abruptly for a mile or so. Occasionally a
single giant would rear itself up into space before us
as if by its altitude to block the intervening gap.
Various-coloured grasses could be seen through the
fleecy snow. Golden-tinted and bright chestnut were
the hues which predominated amidst the rising vegeta-
tion. Olive-coloured bramble, and sombre fir and pine
forests, strongly contrasted with the pale carpet glisten-
ing beneath a mid-day sun. Spider-like webs of frozen
dew were pendent from the branches. The tenuous
icicles reflected through their transparent surface all
the prismatic colours of a rainbow. Here a myriad
threads of icy film spanned the frequent bushes.
There, broken by a pitiless beam from the orb over-
head, they hung in silky tresses, and floated in the
rising breeze. Gnarled stumps and quaintly-shaped
blocks of timber; half-hid from the gaze by their
wintry raiment, might have been antediluvian giants of
126 A RIDE TO KHIVA.

a former world, awakened to existence, and shaking
off their snowy coverlet.

A considerable trade is carried on in the district
between Orenburg and Orsk in shawls and_neck-
wrappers. These are made of gossamer-like webs of
goats’-hair woven into the articles above-mentioned.
They are marvellously light, a very large shawl, which
can be put into an ordinary-size official envelope, not
weighing more than a few ounces. What most sur-
prises the traveller is the excessive warmness of these
Oriental wraps, as well as the softness of their texture.
Many of them are so delicately made that they
can be passed through a finger-ring. Any one who has
seen the extraordinary lightness and softness of this
material can understand what the author of an Eastern
tale had in his mind’s eye when he invented the
story of the fairy tent which could shelter an army,
and was yet so light as to be hardly perceptible to
the touch.

Amongst other kinds of shawls offered for sale at
the various station-houses on the road, and where the
good woman and her daughters entreat the traveller to
purchase in so plausible and winning a manner that it
is difficult to say nay, are wraps made of hares’-down.
This is woven by the wives of the farmers and peasants
in the neighbourhood into very warm shawls, and which
are softer, if possible, than those made of goats’-hair,
although they are not nearly so light.

The price of these articles of female attire is not by
any means exorbitant. A good shawl can be obtained
for from thirty to forty roubles. I feel convinced
that if some of our London tradespeople were to send
their travelling-agents to those parts, a very profitable
return would be made on the capital invested; for the
A PRECIPICE. 127

shawls in question would demand a ready sale in this
country.

Just before reaching Podgornaya, a halting-place on
the highway, the road became very precipitous. It
was a dark night, though fortunately unaccompanied
by wind; but a thick mist—which had upraised itself
from the mass of vegetation which abounded through-
out the district—made it extremely difficult for our
driver to see the path before him. The road was bad,
and in some places dangerous—now descending a steep
decline, then taking a sudden bend, when a hair-
breadth to right or left would have caused a general
smash, At last we came to a spot where the slope was
fearfully abrupt. Atits steepest part our road branched
off at right angles from the line in which we had been
previously driving, and which terminated in a precipice.
It was not quite the sort of spot that any one would have
cared to drive over on a dark night. As for myself,
I was unaware of the dangers of the route. They
only became apparent when I was returning along
the same track by daylight, and homeward bound
from Khiva.

The two drivers had a long discussion before they
would attempt the descent. When they at last com-
menced operations, it was with the greatest care, and
one sleigh at a time, the two drivers stepping slowly
backwards, and leading the sliding steeds of my vehicle,
after which they returned for the sleigh with the post.
A slip would have been fatal; but luckily the Fates
were on our side, and let us pass in safety.

The weather became much warmer on approaching
Orsk, and I began to flatter myself that the real cold
of the journey was over, little anticipating what was
still in store.
128 4 RIDE TO KHIVA,

After crossing a few frozen streams, we entered the
town, my driver crying out “Oura!”* at every moment
to his horses, which, like himself, did not appear to be
sorry that they had come to the end of thestage. The
town is a clean-looking one. The houses are well
built, and an air of comfort reigned around, delightful
to behold after the rough work we had been going
through for the last few days. The driver pulled up
at a little inn known by the name of the Tzarskoe
Selo. It was filled with farmers and peasants, many of
them much the worse for liquor; and at a bar just
within the portico a man was engaged in pouring
out vodki, which was eagerly demanded by the
customers.

The amount of this spirit, which is quite as strony
as whiskey, that a Russian moujik can drink would be
an interesting theme for Sir Wilfrid Lawson to dilate
upon in one of. his periodical dissertations on the
advantages of temperance. If the teetotalers of
England, like some of their missionary brethren,
should ever think of making converts abroad, they
would have a magnificent ficld for their labours in
Russia. Often when driving through the strects I
have been struck by the sight of some figure or other
prostrate in the snow. “What is it?” I would ask;
“is he dead?” “No; only drunk,” would be the
reply, followed by a laugh, as if it were a good joke to
see a man who had made a beast of himself. It may be
that in proportion to the population there are not more
drunkards in the Tzar’s dominions than in England,
or rather Scotland! but, at all events, to ect drunk

* A Tartar word, from which, perhaps our, word “hurrah” comes,
It signifies “ beat.”
A SERVANT WITH A FYOYFUL COUNTENANCE. 129

lowers a man in the opinion of the public in our country.
It is a feather in his cap in Russia.

Fortunately, there was a vacant room in the inn, and
here I was at once supplied with the smallest of basins
and a table napkin. In the meantime I despatched
Nazar to the post to desire the inspector to send me
three horses immediately. There was no time to lose,
and I wanted to hurry forward that afternoon.

Presently my man returned with a joyous coun-
tenance, which betokened something disagreeable. In
fact, in all countries where I have hitherto travelled,
human nature, as typified in domestics, is much the
same; they invariably look pleased when they have a
piece of bad news to impart to their masters.

“What is it?” Iasked. “Sleigh broken?”

“No, sir. No horses to be had; that is all. General
Kauffmann went through early this morning and took
them all. The inspector says you must wait till to-
morrow, and that then he will have a team ready for
you. It is nice and warm,” continued Nazar, looking
at the stove. ‘Wewill sleep here, little father; eat till
we fill our clothes, and continue our journey to-morrow.”

“Nazar,” I replied, giving my countenance the
sternest expression it could assume, “I command;.
you obey. We leave in an hour's time. Go and hire
some horses as far as the next stage. If you find it
impossible to obtain any at the station, try and get
some from a private dealer; but horses I must have.”

In a few minutes my servant returned with a still
more joyful countenance than before. The inspector
would not send any horses, and no one could be found
in the town who was willing to let out his animals
on hire.

There was nothing to be done but to search myself

I
130 A RIDE TO KHIVA.

Nazar had evidently made up his mind to sleep at
Orsk. However, I had made up mine to continue the
journey.

Leaving the inn, I hailed a passing sleigh, the
driver appearing to me to have a more intelligent
expression than his fellows. Getting into the vehicle,
I inquired if he knew of any one who had horses for
hire.

“Yes,” was the answer. One of his relatives had
some. The house to which I was driven was shut up
No one was at home. I began to despair, and think
that I should have as much difficulty in obtaining
horses at Orsk as I had in procuring a servant at
Orenburg.

I now determined to try what gold, or rather silver,
would do, and said to the driver, “If you will take me
to any one who has horses for hire I will give you a
rouble for yourself.”

“A whole rouble!” cried the man, with a broad
grin of delight. Jumping off his seat, he ran to
a little knot of Tartars, one of whom was bargain-
ing with the others for a basket of frozen fish, and
began to ply them with questions. In a minute he
returned. “ Let us go,” he said; and with a “ Burr”
(the sound which is used by Russians to urge on their
horses) and a loud crack with his lash, we drove
rapidly in another direction.

I had arrived at the outskirts of the town. We
stopped before a dirty-looking wooden cottage.

A tall man, dressed in a long coat reaching to his
heels, bright yellow trowsers, which were stuffed into a
pair of red leather boots, whilst an enormous black
sheepskin cap covered his head, came out and asked
my business. I said that I wanted three horses to go
A MAN WHO HAS HORSES FOR HIRE. 131

to the next stage, and asked him what he would drive
me there for, the regular postal tariff being about twe
roubles.

“One of noble birth,” replied the fellow, “the roads
are bad, but my horses will gallop the whole way.
They are excellent horses; all the people in the town
look at them, and envy me. They say how fat they
are; look, how round. The Governor has not got any
horses like mine in his stable. I spoil them; I cherish
them ; and they gallop like the wind ; the people look,
wonder, and admire. Come and see the dear little
animals.”

“IT have no doubt about it. They are excellent
horses,” I replied; “ but what will you take me for?”

“Let us say four roubles, your excellency, and give
me one on account. One little whole silver rouble,
for the sake of God let me put it in my pocket, and
we will bless you.”

“ All right,” was my answer. “Send the horses to
the Tzarskoe Selo Inn immediately.”

Presently the fellow rushed into my room, and,
bowing to the ground, took off his cap with a
grandiose air. Drawing out the money I had given
him from some hidden recess in the neighbourhood
of his skin, he thrust the rouble into my hand, and
exclaimed, “ Little father, my uncle owns one of the
horses; he is very angry. He says that he was
not consulted in the matter, and that he loves the
animal like a brother. My uncle will not let his
horse leave the stable for less than five roubles, What
is to be done? I told him that I had agreed to take
you, and even showed him the money; but he is hard-
hearted and stern.”

“Very well,” I said; “bring round the horses.”
132 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

In afew minutes the fellow returned and exclaimed,
“ One of noble birth, I am ashamed!”

“Quite right,” I said; “you have every reason to
beso. But go on, is your uncle’s horse dead ?”

“No, one of noble birth, not so bad as that; but
my brother is vexed. He hasa share in one of the
animals, he will not let me drive him to the next’
station for less than six roubles,” and the man putting
on an expression in which cunning, avarice, and
pretended sorrow were blended, stood on one leg,
and added, “ What shall we do?”

I said, “ You have a grandmother ?”

“Yes,” he replied, much surprised. “How did
you know that? I have; a very old grandmother.”

“Well,” I continued, “go and tell her that, fearing
lest she should be annoyed if any accident were to
happen during our journey—for you know misfortunes
occur sometimes ; God sends them,” I added, piously
(Yes, He does,” interrupted the man; “ we are simple
people, your excellency;”) “and not wishing to hurt the
old lady’s feelings, should the fore leg of your uncle’s
horse or the hind leg of your brother’s suffer on the
road, I have changed my mind, and shall not go with
you to-day, but take post-horses to-morrow.”

The man now became alarmed, thinking that he
was about to lose his fare. He rubbed his fore-
head violently, and then exclaimed, “I will take your
excellency for five roubles.”

“ But your brother ?”

“ Never mind, he is an animal ; let us go.”

“No,” I answered. “I shall wait—the post-horses
are beautiful horses. I am told that they gallop like
the wind; all the people in the town look at them, and
the inspector loves them.”
WE START AGAIN. 133

“Let us say four roubles, your excellency.”

“But your uncle might beat you. I should not
like you to be hurt.”

“ No,” was the answer, “ we will go ;” and the knotty
point being thus settled, we drove off much to the
dissatisfaction of my little servant, Nazar—a blue-eyed
siren in Orsk having, as the Orientals say, made roast
meat of his heart, in spite of his being a married
man,
CHAPTER XV.

Nomad Tribes—A Picture of Desolation—Nazar is Worn Out—The Inspector—
Price of Land, Cattle, and Provisions—The Cattle Pest—Vaccinating the
Animals—The Kirghiz do not Believe in Doctors—Small Pox—Strict Orders

“to Prevent Englishmen travelling in Russian Asia—The Cost of Post Horses

—Robbing Peter to pay Paul—Postal Track let out to Contractors—Fort
Karabootak—Filthy Stations—Horses wanted—Whipping, the Order of the
Day—The Emperor Nicholas—A Snow Storm—Asleep in the Sleigh—
Frostbites—Physical Pain—Mental Agony—Cossack Soldiers—Brothers in
Misfortune.

Tur. aspect of the country now underwent an entire
change. We had left all traces of civilisation behind
us, and were regularly upon the steppes. Not the
steppes as they are described to us in the summer
months. Then hundreds of nomad tribes, like their
forefathers of old, migrate from place to place, with
their families, flocks, and herds. The dreary aspect
of this vast flat expanse is relieved by picturesque
kibitkas, or tents, and hundreds of horses, grazing on
the rich grass, are a source of considerable wealth to
the Kirghiz proprietors.

A large dining-table covered with naught but its
white cloth is not a cheery sight. To describe the
country for the next one hundred miles from Orsk, I
need only extend the table cover. For here, there,
and everywhere was a dazzling, glaring sheet of white,
as seen under the influence of a midday sun; then,
gradually softening down as the god of light sank
into the west, it faded into a vast melancholy-looking
colourless ocean. This was shrouded in some places
A PICTURE OF DESOLATION. 135

from the view by filmy clouds of mist and vapour.
They rose in the evening air and shaded the wilder-
ness around. A picture of desolation which wearied,
by its utter loneliness, and at the same time appalled
by its immensity; a circle of which the centre was
everywhere, and the circumference nowhere. Such
were the steppes as I drove through them at nightfall
or in the early morn; and where, fatigued by want
of sleep, my eye searched eagerly, but in vain, for a
station.

On arriving at the halting-place, which was about
twenty-seven versts from Orsk, Nazar came to me,
and said, “I am very sleepy; I have not slept for
three nights, and shall fall off if we continue the
journey.”

When I began to think of it, the poor fellow had a
good deal of reason on his side. I could occasionally
obtain a few moments’ broken slumber, which was out of
the question for him. I felt rather ashamed that in
my selfishness I had overdriven a willing horse, and
the fellow had shown first-class pluck when we had
to pass the night out on the roadside. Saying that
he ought to have told me before that he wanted
rest, I sent him to lie down. He stretched his limbs
alongside the stove, and in an instant was fast asleep.

The inspector was a good-tempered, fat old fellow,
with red cheeks and an asthmatic cough. He had
been a veterinary surgeon in a Cossack regiment, and
consequently his services were much in request with
the people at Orsk. He informed me that land could
be bought on these flats for a rouble and a half a
desyatin (2°7 acres); that a cow cost £3 2s. 6d.;
a fat sheep, two years old, 12s. 6d.; and mutton or
beef, a penny per pound. A capital horse could be
136 A RIDE TO KHIVA.

purchased for three sovereigns, a camel for £7 I0s.,
whilst flour cost 1s. 4d. the pood of 4o lbs. These
were the prices at Orsk, but at times he said that
provisions could be bought at a much lower rate, par-
ticularly if purchased from the Tartars themselves.
The latter had suffered a great deal of late years from
the cattle pest, and vaccinating the animals had been
tried as an experiment, but, according to my informant,
with but slight success.

The Kirghiz themselves have but little faith in
doctors or vets. It is with great difficulty that the
nomads can be persuaded to have their children vac-
cinated ; the result is, that when small-pox breaks out
amongst them it creates fearful havoc in the population.
Putting this epidemic out of the question, the roving
Tartars are a peculiarly healthy race. The absence
of medical men does not seem to have affected their
longevity. The disease they most suffer from is
ophthalmia, which is brought on by the glare of the
snow in winter, and by the dust and heat in the
summer months.

After leaving Orsk, the podorojnaya or passport
system came in force, and my pass and self underwent
the most rigid scrutiny; the officials at the stations
being very much alarmed lest any one should escape
their vigilance and drive by the stations without having
his papers examined.

I could not help asking the inspector, at a place
where the examination was carried on in a very
searching manner, if some horrible crime had not been
committed in the neighbourhood, as it appeared.to me
that he was on the look out for a criminal.

“No,” said the man; “that is not the reason; but
we do not want any foreigners, particularly English-
ARRIVAL AT KARABOOTAK. 137

men, in these parts; our orders in this respect are very
strict.”

The cost of travelling was now reduced from four
kopecks per horse to two and a half; however, we
found that a traveller did not gain much by this
reduction, as the amount paid for the podorojnaya
very nearly made up for the difference. I now
learned that the postal track was let out to some
contractors, who receive a subsidy for carrying the
post, and at the same time have to keep a certain
number of horses for the convenience of passengers.
The stations were filthily dirty, and the sofas in a
disgusting state. Indeed, there were no arrangements
made for washing, or for ablutions of any kind. It
seems that the Russians are of opinion that soap and
water are not required when travelling, and that the
less washing done on these occasions the better.

On arriving at Karabootak, a small fort the
Russians have built, 317 miles from Orsk, I found
that the term fort was a misnomer. The place is not
fortified in any sense so as to resist a disciplined force,
although a few resolute men could doubtless hold it for
a long time against any number of Kirghiz or Tartar
horsemen.

I was obliged to halt for a time at this station.
There was a snowstorm going on, whilst the wind
howled and whistled about the house, driving before it
in its course such clouds of flaky particles that no horse
could face its onslaught. Later on, and when the
wind had a little abated, I asked the inspector to give
an order for three horses to be harnessed to my sleigh.
But there were no animals in the stable, and we had
to wait several hours before some could be procured.
As a rule, however, there was but little delay, and
138 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

the inspectors carried out their instructions to the
letter.

Formerly, and even in European Russia, passengers
were sometimes detained for days waiting for horses at
the stations, the inspectors not troubling their heads
about any traveller, unless he happened to be an
officer. There is a story to the effect that a French-
man, who had been kept waiting a long time for post-
horses, and who could not induce the inspector to give
him any, was much astonished by the behaviour of a
Russian captain. The latter, on asking for a fresh
team, was told that there were no animals in the stable.
However, he at once procured a whip, and chastised
the official, the result of the whipping being the instant
discovery of some horses.

‘The Frenchman seized the idea, and taking his
cane followed the example set him, which he found a
most marvellous specific in the course of his travels
through Russia.

Only a few years ago whipping was the order of
the day; and, according to some accounts, the late
Emperor Nicholas himself occasionally administered
chastisement to his officers. But whipping in these
days is out of the question, and so I had to remain
kicking my heels about in the waiting-room, although
in this instance I had a suspicion that the inspector
had some horses in the stable.

After waiting for several hours I was informed that
some horses had been procured. The snowstorm had
somewhat lulled, but the wind was almost as high as
ever, and the cold more intense than anything hitherto
experienced. On leaving the station I had forgotten
to put on my thick gloves, and took my seat in the
sleigh, with each hand folded in the sleeve of its fellow,
FROSTBITTEN. 139

the fur pelisse in this way forming a sort of muff, and
protecting my hands from the cold. The road was
less jolty than usual, and the sleigh glided along, com-
paratively speaking, smoothly. The change of motion
before long produced an effect; leaning back in the
vehicle, I fell fast asleep.

In the course of my slumber my hands slipped
from the warm fur covering in which they were in-
serted, resting themselves on the side of the sleigh,
unprotected by any thick gloves, and exposed to the
full power of the biting east wind. This, if impossible
to withstand when stationary or on foot, was now
doubly dangerous owing to the movement of the
sleigh, which, going in an opposite direction, added
considerably to the force with which the wind blew.

In a few minutes I awoke, a feeling of intense pain
had seized my extremities; it seemed as if they had
been plunged into some corrosive acid which was
gradually eating the flesh from the bones.

I looked at my finger-nails; they were blue, the
fingers and back part of my hands were of the same
colour, whilst my wrists and the lower part of the arm
were of a waxen hue. There was no doubt about it,
I was frostbitten, and that in no slight degree; so
calling to my servant, I made him rub the skin with
some snow in hopes of restoring the vitality. This
he did for several minutes, but all this time the same
pain previously described was gradually ascending up
my arms, whilst the lower portions of the limbs
were lost to all sensation, dead to pain—dead to
every sense of feeling—hanging quite listlessly by my
side, Nazar in vain using all his energies so as to
restore circulation.

“It is no good,” he said, looking sorrowfully at me;
140 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

“we must get on as fast as possible to the station.
How far off is it?” he inquired of the driver. -
“ Seven miles,” was the answer.

“Go as fast as you can,” I cried.

The pain, which by that time had ascended to the
glands under my arms, had become more acute than
anything I had hitherto experienced. Apparently,
extreme cold acts in two ways on the nervous system :
sometimes, and more mercifully, by bringing on a
slumber from which the victim never awakes, and at
others by consuming him, as it were, over a slow fire,
and limb by limb.

All this time the perspiration was pouring down my
forehead, my body itself being as if on fire, the pain
gradually ascending the parts attacked.

There are moments in a man’s life when death
itself would be a relief; it was about the day that
an unfortunate criminal* would have to undergo the
last dread sentence of the law, and I remember dis-
tinctly the thought occurring to my mind, as to whether
the physical pain I was then undergoing was less than
the mental agony of the poor wretch on the drop.

Would the distance that separated us from the
station ever be traversed? Each mile seemed to
me a league, and each league a day’s journey. At
last we arrived. Hurrying to the waiting-room, I
met three Cossacks to whom I showed my hands.
The soldiers led me into an outer room, and having
taken off my coat and bared my arms, they plunged
them up to the shoulder in a tub of ice and water.
However, there was now no sensation whatever, and
the limbs, which were of a blue colour, floated pain-
lessly in the water.

* Wainwright.
KIND-HEARTED COSSACKS, I4!I

The elder of the Cossacks shook his head and said—
“ Brother, it is a bad job, you will lose your hands.”

“They will drop off,” remarked another, “if we
cannot get back the circulation.”

“ Have you any spirit with you?” added a third.

Nazar on hearing this ran out and brought in a tin
bottle containing naphtha for cooking purposes, upon
which the Cossacks, taking my arms out of the icy
water, proceeded to rub them with the strong spirit.

Rub, rub, rub, the skin peeled under their horny
hands, and the spirit irritated the membrane below
At last a faint sensation like tickling pervaded the
elbow-joints, and I slightly flinched.

“ Does it hurt?” asked the elder of the Cossacks.

“ A little.”

“ Capital, brothers,” he continued, “rub as hard as
you can;” and after going on with the friction until
the flesh was almost flayed, they suddenly plunged my
arms again into the ice and water. I had not felt
anything before, but this time, the pain was very acute.

“Good,” said the Cossacks. “The more it hurts
the better chance you have of saving your hands.’
And after a short time they let me take them out of
the tub.

“You are fortunate, little father,” said the elder of
the Cossacks. “If it had not been for the spirit your
hands would have dropped off, if you had not lost
your arms as well.”

Rough, kind-hearted fellows were these poor
soldiers; and when I forced on the elder of them a
present for himself and comrades, the old soldier
simply added, “Are we not all brothers when in
misfortune? Would you not have helped me if I
had been in a like predicament ?”
142 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

I shook his hand heartily, and went to the waiting-
room to rest on the sofa, as the physical shock just
undergone had for the moment thoroughly prostrated:
-me. My arms also were sore and inflamed, the spirit
having in some places penetrated the raw flesh; and
it was several weeks before I thoroughly recovered
from the effects of my carelessness.
CHAPTER XVI.

Kashgar—English Officers said to be Drilling the Inhabitants—Yakoob Bek’s
Envoys—Perfidious Albion—Tashkent—Commerce with Bokhara—A Rail-
way to Tashkent—Irghiz—A Wolf—Terekli—The Boundary Line—How Far
does Russia Extend?—Uncivil Inspector—Bottles Broken by the Frost—
Passengers’ Necks—Tartar Sleigh-Drivers—A Ruined Contractor—A Team
of Camels—Head-over-heels in the Snow—The Kirghiz Horses—A
Hundred Miles’ Ride—Two Hundred Miles in Twenty-four Hours (on
two horses)—Two Extraordinary Marches,

A Few stations further on I met an officer who asked
very eagerly if I were going to Kashgar—he had
found out, by inquiry from the inspector, who I was—
and he afterwards assured me that there were thirty
English officers in the above-mentioned Khanate en-
gaged in drilling the inhabitants. He said that my
compatriots had already organised a force of 10,000
men to resist the Russian advance, and declared that
this information had come from Yakoob Bek’s envoys,
who had been sent from Kashgar to Tashkent, and
who had stated it to the Russians.

I assured my informant that there was no truth
whatever in the story, but with no effect; and he
seemed thoroughly impressed with the idea that I was
another agent of perfidious Albion, sent either to stir
up the Kokandians or aid the Kashgarians against the
designs of their Northern foe. I could not help re-
marking that if such were my designs it would have
been far easier for me to have gone from India to
Kashgar than to have come through Russia, and, as it
144 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

were, through the heart of the enemy’s country; but
even this argument had no effect. Tashkent, accord-
ing to him, was a sort of Paradise, the climate was
excellent, and the inhabitants actually boasted a theatre.
He said that the city contained 5,000 Europeans
and about 75,000 natives, besides the garrison. The
commerce with Bokhara was rapidly increasing, and
Tashkent becoming a great emporium for all mer-
chandise to and from Central Asia.

According to my informant, the great desire of
General Kauffmann, the Governor-General of the Pro-
vince of Turkistan, was to establish a railway from
European Russia to Tashkent. The road from Oren-
burg wdé Orsk, Kasala, and the town of Turkistan,
had been surveyed, and was impracticable, owing to
the nature of the soil. The line which would eventu-
ally unite the Capital with the East would most likely
pass through Western Siberia, and before very long
some decisive steps would be taken with the object
of carrying this idea into execution.

As we were nearing Irghiz, another fortress on
the Orenburg-Tashkent road, which is on a larger
scale than the stronghold at Karabootak, although
equally unserviceable, should it ever be attacked by a
force belonging to a civilised power, Nazar suddenly
exclaimed, “Wolf!” and, seizing my gun-case, com-
menced unstrapping it. But the animal showed no
disposition to allow me to come to close quarters, and
he slunk away as soon as he saw us, at a good jog-trot,
not giving a chance for a shot.

After another long and uninteresting drive through
the same sort of desert snow-covered country which I
have previously attempted to describe, we came to
Terekli, a station which divides the territory under
THE PICKLES FROZEN. 145

General Kauffmann’s authority from the vast province
which acknowledges the government of Kryjinovsky,
the Governor-General at Orenburg. I was now 761}
versts, or nearly 500 miles, from Orenburg, and about to
enter the Province of Turkistan, which extends from
this point to a line not yet decided upon by the
Russian geographers.

A colonel was in the waiting-room, and he had
desired the inspector not to allow any travellers to
enter this apartment, for the official refused to allow
me to go there, and took me into a little den inhabited
by himself.

Here the podorojnaya again underwent a most rigid
examination. The inspector was very uncivil, saying if
I wanted to rest I might stop in his room, but by no
means enter the one set aside for travellers; and he
then remarked that it was a gross piece of presumption
on my part to think of associating with so exalted an
individual as a Russian colonel.

The station-houses were much more comfortably
arranged than those which I had seen in General
Kryjinovsky's district. They were no longer con-
structed of wood, which, by the way, was so infested
with insects as to be a perpetual source of torment to
the traveller, but of cement. The stoves, too, were
better arranged, and the waiting-rooms furnished with
divans covered with Oriental rugs, where we could
rest, spared from the war hitherto waged on us by the
insect tribe.

Nazar now came to me with a melancholy face.
“The bottles are broken,” he said. On looking I
found that the contents of some bottles of strong
pickles had become frozen into a solid mass of ice, and
that in consequence the glass had been fractured. On

J
146 A RIDE T0 KHIVA,

a closer inspection, I found that the other bottles were
in a similar state, and all of them had to be thrown
away. The havoc made by the frost was the more
remarkable as the articles in question had been care-
fully packed in cotton wool and in wooden cases, which
in their turn had been thickly covered with hay.

The disregard shown for the passengers’ necks by
the Tartar sleigh-drivers in General Kauffmann’s district
was, if possible, even greater than in Kryjinovsky’s
province. Whenever the road allowed, the driver made
his horses gallop the whole way, never once letting
them trot. There was a notice put up in the waiting-
rooms at each station to the effect that if a traveller
should urge his driver to go more than the regulation
pace, ten versts an hour, and in consequence any damage
occur ‘to the horses, that the traveller was to be fined
forty roubles. I could not help thinking that in Russian
Asia the authorities cared less for the travellers’ lives
than for horses, there being no punishment whatever
for the drivers should they upset their fares. To
put it more tersely, I could not harm a horse for less
than forty roubles, whilst my driver might break my
neck for nothing.

At another station Nazar, who had jumped off the
sleigh to order a fresh team, ran back to inform me that
there were no horses in the stables. It appeared on
inquiry that the man who had contracted to supply
the track with horses had been ruined. The animals,
which under the most favourable circumstances never
received much care during the winter, had been half-
starved, some had died, and others been seized by the
creditors in liquidation of their accounts. The conse-
quence was that instead of being supplied with three
fresh horses, their place was taken by three gigantic
A TEAM OF CAMELS. 147

camels. I should have thought that one of these enor-
mous quadrupeds would have sufficed to draw my tiny
vehicle; but no! the order on the podorojnaya was tc
supply the bearer with three horses, and the number
must be adhered to—such was the explanation given
me by Nazar.

It was a strange sight to see these gigantic beasts
harnessed by ropes to the little vehicle. I have
tried many ways of locomotion in my life, from fire
balloons to bicycles, from canoes and bullocks to cows,
camels, and donkeys; whilst in the East the time-
honoured sedan of our grandfathers has occasionally
borne me and my fortunes, but never had I travelled in
so comical a fashion.

A Tartar rode the centre camel. His head-gear
would have called attention, if nothing else had, for he
wore a large black hat, which reminded me of an
inverted coal-scuttle, whilst a horn-like protuberance
sticking out from its summit gave a diabolical appear-
ance to his lobster-coloured visage. The hat, which
was made of sheepskin, had the white wool inside,
which formed a striking contrast to the flaming coun-
tenance of the excited Tartar. He had replaced the
usual knout used for driving, by a whip armed with a
thin cord lash, and he urged on his ungainly team more
by the shrill sounds of his voice than by any attempt at
flagellation, the Tartar seldom being able to get more
than four miles an hour from the lazy brutes.

All of a sudden the camel in the centre quickly
stopped, and its rider was precipitated head-over-heels
on the snow. Luckily, it was soft falling; there
were no bones broken, and in a minute or so he
was again in the saddle, having changed the system of
harnessing, and placed one of the camels as leader,
148 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

whilst the other two were driven as wheelers. We got
on very fairly for a little while, when the foremost of our
train having received a rather sharper application of the
lash than he deemed expedient, remonstrated with his
rider by lying down. Coaxing and persuasion were
now used; he was promised the warmest of stalls, the
most delicious of water, if he would only get up. But
this the beast absolutely declined to do, until the cold
from the snow striking against his body induced him
to rise from the ground.

We now went even slower than before. Our driver
was afraid to use his lash for fear of another ebullition
of temper on the part of the delinquent, and con-
fined himself to cracking his whip in the air. The
sounds of this proceeding presently reaching the ears
of the leader, perhaps made him think that his com-
panions were undergoing chastisement. Anyhow, it
appeared to afford him some satisfaction, for quickening
his stride he compelled his brethren behind to acce-
lerate their pace, and after a long wearisome drive we
eventually arrived at our destination.

The country now began to change its snowy aspect,
and parti-coloured grasses of various hues dotted the
steppes around. The Kirghiz had taken advantage of
the more benignant weather, and hundreds of horses
were here and there to be seen picking up what they
could find. In fact it is extraordinary how any of
these animals manage to exist through the winter
months, as the nomads hardly ever feed them with
corn, trusting to the slight vegetation which exists
beneath the snow. Occasionally the poor beasts
perish by thousands. A Tartar who is a rich
man one week may find himself a beggar the next.
This comes from the frequent snowstorms, when the
THE HORSES OF TARTARY. 149

thermometer sometimes descends to from 40 to 50
degrees below zero, Fahrenheit; but more often from
some slight thaw taking place for perhaps a few
hours. This is sufficient to ruin whole districts.
The ground becomes covered with an impenetrable
coating of ice, and the horses simply die of starvation,
not being able to kick away the frozen substance, asi
they do the snow from the grass beneath their hoofs.
No horses which I have ever seen are so hardy
as these little animals, which are indigenous to the
Kirghiz steppes; perhaps for the same reason that
the Spartans of old excelled all other nations in
physical strength, but with this difference, that nature
doles out to the weakly colts the same fate which
the Spartan parents apportioned to their sickly off-
spring.

The Kirghiz never clothe their horses even in the
coldest winter. They do not even take the trouble to
water them, the snow eaten by the animals supplying
this want. Towards the end of the winter months,
the ribs of the poor beasts almost come through their
sides; but once the snow disappears and the rich
vegetation which replaces it in the early spring comes
up, the animals gain flesh and strength, and are capable
of performing marches which many people in this
country would deem impossible, a ride of a hundred miles
not being at allan uncommon occurrence in Tartary.
Kirghiz horses are not generally well shaped, and
cannot gallop very fast, but they can traverse enormous
distances without water, forage, or halting. When the
natives wish to perform any very long journey, they
generally employ two horses; on one they carry a little
water in a skin and some corn, whilst they ride the
other, changing from time to time to ease the animals.
150 4 RIDE TO KHIVA,

It is said that a Kirghiz chief once galloped with
a Cossack escort (with two horses per man) 200 miles
in twenty-four hours. The path extended for a
considerable distance over a mountainous and rocky
district. The animals, however, soon recovered the
effects of the journey, although they were a little lame
for the first few days.

An extraordinary march was made by Count Borkh
to the Sam, in May, 1870. The object of his expedi-
tion was to explore the routes across the Ust Urt,
and if possible to capture some Kirghiz auls (villages),
which were the head-quarters of some marauding bands
from the town of Kungrad. The Russian officer
determined to cross the northern Tchink, and by a
forced march to surprise the tribes which nomadised on
the Sam. Up to that time only small Cossack detach-
ments had ever succeeded in penetrating to this locality.
To explain the difficulties to be overcome, it must be
observed that the Ust Urt plateau is bounded on all
sides by a scarped cliff, known by the name of the
Tchink. It is very steep, attaining in some places an
elevation of from 400 to 600 feet. The tracks down
its rugged sides are blocked up by enormous rocks and
loose stones. Count Borkh resolved to march as lightly
equipped as possible, and without baggage, as he
wished to avoid meeting any parties of the nomad
tribes on his road. His men carried three days’ rations
on their saddles, whilst the artillery took only as many
rounds as the limber-box would contain, The ex-
pedition was made up of 150 Orenburg Cossacks, 60
mounted riflemen, and a gun, which was taken more by
way of experiment than for any other reason, the
authorities being anxious to know if artillery could be
transported in that direction.
AN EXTRAORDINARY MARCH, I51

The troops at the outset met with serious obstacles
in the passes over the northern Tchink; horses and.
men coming down every minute. The gun had to be
dragged up the first pass by fifty dismounted Cossacks
supplied with ropes. But, notwithstanding the diffi-
culties experienced, the troops marched sixty miles,
and did not halt till they had descended the following
day to Kurgan Tchagai. Now commenced a long
sterile sandy steppe. There was no forage underfoot,
and no water save at considerable intervals, the wells
being 180 feet deep. However, the little force again
marched for sixty miles without a halt, when its leader
was obliged to abandon the enterprise and retrace his
steps, owing to the absolute dearth of provisions; the
Kirghiz having received timely warning of his approach,
and made off a few hours before the arrival of the
party. The troops reached their quarters (Jebyske) on
the sixth day, after a march of 266 miles over a deso-
late and arid country. The heat had been excessive,
the thermometer sometimes reaching 117 degrees
Fahrenheit during the day, whilst the nights were
cold and frosty. The insufficiency of supplies had
been so felt that the men on the fourth day of the
expedition were obliged to kill and eat a Cossack’s
horse. There were no sick in the party, and only
twelve horses, which had been ridden by the riflemen,
were found to have suffered from sore backs. This
being occasioned by the men not having properly
adjusted their saddles before mounting. Similar
rapidity characterised a raid made by Count Borkh in
the summer of 1869 upon the atl of the Kirghiz
Amantai, a chief who nomadised at that time on the
Teress-Akhana, a tributary of the Khobda.

Count Borkh, who was then constructing the Ak-
152 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

Tiube Fort, formed a flying column of 70 Orenburg
Cossacks, and riding nearly 133 miles in two days,
through a little-known country, reached Murtuk.
Here intelligence was received that Amantai was
nomadising with his kinsmen, the Chiklins. The
ties of clanship are held in great esteem among the
Kirghiz, and the whole success of the detachment de-
pended upon its falling upon the Chiklins unawares.

The object of the detachment was favoured by the
inclemency of the weather, which was such as is seldom
experienced even in the steppes. Taking advantage
of the darkness, Count Borkh ordered the Cossacks to
tie up their sabres, cover their stirrup-irons, and put
nose-bags over their horses’ mouths, to prevent them
neighing.

In utter darkness, and amid the howling of the
storm, the Cossacks passed among the sleeping auls.
They were led by a trusty guide. Occasional flashes
of lightning lit up, for a moment, their path.

At daybreak the detachment was far on its road.
The leader perceived on the banks of a rivulet the
traces of some Kirghiz, who had just quitted the spot.
He trotted forward, and soon descried in a large ravine
some auls, among which was that of Amantai.

It was necessary to gallop at the enemy as
quickly as possible, so as not to give the Kirghiz
time to recover. Forbidding the Cossacks to fire,
Count Borkh dashed at the auls and commanded the
astonished Kirghiz to surrender Amantai. He was at
once given up.

Apprehending an attack on their return journey,
the Cossacks formed a sort of movable square, and
throwing out a chain of skirmishers around the herd
which they had captured (about 900 head), prepared,
AN EXTRAORDINARY MARCI. 153

in the event of attack, to dismount and fire over the
saddle. The Kirghiz followed at a respectful distance,
but observing the precautions which had been taken,
commenced gradually to drop off. The detachment
reached Ak-Tiube in six days, without any loss. It
had marched 333 miles. Only two horses were lame.

From the incidents which I have cited, it will be at
once seen that the Kirghiz horses yield to none in
strength and endurance. A nation which is able to
dispose of from 300,000 to 400,000 horsemen,*
mounted upon steeds such as I have described, is a
very formidable embodiment of military power. It
must be remembered that the Cossacks are constituted
no longer as irregular cavalry. They are being as
highly trained as any troops in Russia. Great atten-
tion is paid to their shooting, and they are continually
being instructed in dismounted service. The Russian
cavalry bought its experience in the Crimea. Formerly
it was the worst-led force in Europe; it is now well
supplied with intelligent officers. In the next war in
which Russia is engaged, her Cossacks will be found a
very different foe from those undisciplined and badly-
armed horsemen whom we encountered in the Crimea.

* A number which will each year increase, owing to the law of
military conscription. It is said that this law is shortly to be applied to
the Kirghiz.
CHAPTER XVII.

Break-down of the Sleigh—Fresh Vehicle—The ‘‘Scavenger’s Daughter ”—The
Sea of Aral—A Salt Breeze—Less Snow—Christmas Day in Russia—
Amorous Females in Search of a Husband—Supper for Two—Kasala, or
Fort Number One—The Garrison—The Aral Fleet—The Inn of Morozoff—
Comparisons in Dirt—In Search of a Lodging—‘‘ Go with God, Brother ””—
The Jews’ Quaiter—A Commandant.

Tue jolting imparted by the motion of the camels to
the sleigh had been too much for the wooden framework.
An inspector who gave me this information declared
that it would be impossible for us to continue the
journey save in another carriage.

Nazar, however, was of opinion that this statement
on the part of the official was an interested one, and
only made to induce me to hire one of his own vehicles.
But as the chances appeared tolerably evenly balanced
in favour of my sleigh reaching Kasala, or of my being
left on the road—nota pleasant thing to look forward to,
in the month of January, in the steppes—I determined
to be on the safe side, and leave it behind, though with
feelings of regret, as if I were parting with an old
friend ; for it had carried myself and fortunes for more
than a thousand miles.

The sleigh in which we now found ourselves was
still more like a coffin than the one I had abandoned.
In addition to being narrow, it was short. After
once wedging myself in, there was no possibility of
stretching my legs till I arrived at the next station.

There is in the Tower a singular instrument of
THE “SCAVENGERS DAUGHTER.” 155

torture, invented by some diabolical genius of the
Middle Ages. Itiscalled the “Scavenger’s Daughter.”
The victim who was wedded, as it was termed, to this
fiendish contrivance could not make the slightest move-
ment, his limbs and body being compressed into the
‘smallest space. Of such a nature was the sleigh in
which I was now travelling. If Dante had ever
been placed in a similar predicament, he would un-
doubtedly have added yet another way of punishing
the ungodly to the long list of torments in his
“ Inferno.”

Our driver pulled up at a station called Soppak.
We were rapidly nearing Kasala. When we con-
tinued our journey, we passed by some small salt-lakes,
which were covered with thick ice. Far away in
the distance, and about forty versts from us, lay the
Sea of Aral. This, according to the inspector, was
also frozen for several versts from its shores, thus
rendering navigation impossible. A salt breeze was
blowing straight in our faces. It parched and dried up
the skin, and, in spite of the cold weather, produced
a state of feverishness. The tea which we drank
was not at all calculated to quench our thirst, as the only
water which could be procured had a brackish taste
and strong saline flavour. In fact, the whole country
in this district is impregnated with salt for miles
around, and undoubtedly at some not very remote
date has been covered by the sea.

The snow became less and less. At last the
horses could scarcely drag the vehicle over the thinly-
covered ground ; and when we stopped at a halting-
place about five stations from Kasala, it was necessary
to abandon the sleigh, and hire a carriage. Slowly
we rolled along the road, a rough and fatiguing one for
156 4 RIDE TO KHIVA,

the half-starved horses, which were so weak from want
of food that they could hardly put one leg before
another. Presently another heavy snow-storm warned
us that winter was still raging on in front.

The evening was well advanced. The last station
but one had been reached, so I resolved to sleep
there, and enter the town the following morning, not
knowing where I should be able to find accommoda-
tion should we arrive at Kasala in the still hours of
the night. There was no inspector in the station, for
it was Christmas Day—not according to our English
reckoning, for that had been passed at Orenburg, but
the Russian anniversary of the same event, which is
‘celebrated according to the Old Style, and takes place
twelve days after our own. The official, finding it dull
all alone, had given himself a holiday, and gone off to
Fort Number One, there to eat, drink, and be merry.

I must say I was sorry not to have been able to
arrive in time for the anniversary of this time-honoured
festival, which is kept by the Russians with not one whit
less pomp or feasting than in our own country. With
them, as with us, it is customary for all the members of
a family to assemble beneath one roof. Rich and poor
relations unite together, the festive board is spread,
and unusual hospitality prevails. Later on a
Christmas tree laden with fruit and presents rejoices
the souls of the more juvenile population. Pleasure,
however, has its dark side, and vodki, like punch,
cannot be drank with impunity. The appearance
of the Russians the morning after the feast plainly
tells its tale.

Russian girls frequently amuse themselves at this
time of year by attempting to discover what sort of a
husband will eventually lead them to the altar. A
IN SEARCH OF A HUSBAND, 157

favourite manner of doing this is by so-called
divination. The amorous female who is tired of a
celibate life sits, in the mystic hours of the night,
between two large mirrors. On each side she places
a candle, and then eagerly watches until she can
see twelve reflected lights. If the Fates are pro-
pitious, she ought also to discern the husband she
desires portrayed in the glass before her. Another
method of divination is to have supper laid for two.
If the young lady is in luck, the apparition of the
future husband will come and sit down beside her; but
in order to secure success, the girl must not divulge to
any one her intention of thus attempting to dive into
futurity.

There is a story told in Russia to the effect that the
daughter of a rich farmer was in love with a young
lieutenant, and he, suspecting that she would probably
have supper laid for two, climbed the wall of the
garden, and, sitting down by her side, partook of the
prepared banquet; the girl being under the impression
that it was his apparition, and not the real Simon
Pure. On leaving the room, the officer forgot his
sword, which he had unbuckled before he sat down
to supper. The girl, finding the weapon after his
departure, hid it in the cupboard as a memento of the
visit. Later on she married another suitor, and he,
fancying that there was some rival who supplanted him
in his wife’s affection, and one day discovering the
sword, was confirmed in his suspicions, and killed her
in a fit of passion.

Sometimes the inquisitive husband-seeker will take a
candle, and, melting the wax, pour it on the snow, after
which she strives to discern in the hardened substance
the likeness of him she seeks; whilst a very favourite
158 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

amusement at this season of the year, and when several
girls are congregated under the same roof, is to divine
by the aid of a cock. Each girl taking some corn,
makes a small heap on the floor, and there conceals a
ring. The chanticleer is then introduced, and is let
loose beside the corn. Presently he begins to peck at
the heaps of grain. At last one of the rings is exposed to
view, when its owner, according to the popular belief,
will outstrip her companions in the race for matrimony.
We left our quarters at daybreak. I had been in-
formed that there was an inn at the fort, and determined
to drive there at once, and not to go to the regular postal
station at Kasala, so as to avoid losing any time.
As we neared our destination, the country on both
sides of the road was covered with sheets of ice.
The frozen water was an overflow from the Syr
Darya, or Jaxartes, which in the autumn had risen
far above its banks and inundated the country in the
neighbourhood. The air was bright and pure, and
my spirits rose with the idea that probably my sleigh-
travelling was over, and that now I was about to com-
mence another phase in my journey—the march to
Khiva. From the information which I had been able
to gather on the road, it appeared that there was snow
on the ground all the way from Kasala to the newly-
annexed khanate. If so, it was all the better for my
journey, as we should have no difficulty about water.
We now drove into the little town of Kasala, other-
wise known as Kasalinsk, or Fort Number One. The
inhabitants are composed of nomad Kirghiz, who pitch
their £7dc¢kas or tents in the outskirts of the town, and
there pass the winter, migrating once more in the early
spring; of Russian and Tartar merchants, who live in
one-storied brick or cement-built houses; whilst Jews,
FORT NUMBER ONE. 159

Greeks, Khivans, Tashkentians, Bokharans, and repre-
sentatives of almost every country in Asia, are to be
met with in the streets. Kasala is a place possessing
considerable commercial importance in Central Asia,
owing to its geographical position. All goods coming
to Orenburg from Bokhara, Khiva, Tashkent, and Kokan
have to pass it on the way. The entire population is
about 5,000. At the time of my visit it was garrisoned
by a local infantry force of 350 men, under a comman-
dant, and a cavalry regiment of about 400 strong. In
addition to this force, there were the sailors of the Aral
fleet. This consisted of four small steamers, drawing but
little water, and able to ascend the Amou Darya to within
a few miles of Petro-Alexandrovsk, a Russian fort,
built on Khivan soil. This territory has been recently
annexed to the Russian Empire, in spite of Count
Schouvaloff’s assurance* to her Majesty’s late Govern-
ment. The crews of these vessels augmented the
garrison by about 750 men. There were a few nine
and four-pounders, and a small detachment of artillery
permanently stationed within the walls. There
were also fourteen small guns, capable, however, of
throwing a ten-pound shell. These had been taken
out of the steamers, and were available should they be
required.

The fort itself is in the shape of a half star. It
is an earthwork, defended on the south by a bastioned
front which extends to the banks of the Syr Darya, here
about half a verst wide. The fort is surrounded by
a dry ditch and a parapet about eight feet high and
twelve thick, the ditch being about thirty feet broad
and twelve deep. Within the structure there are

® See Appendix E. The promise not to annex Khivan territorv,
160 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

barracks sufficiently large to contain 2,000 troops, and
also warehouses filled with stores. These buildings
are constructed of bricks and dried clay. The plan of
the fortification is badly designed, and the place might
be very easily taken ; however, it answers the purpose
for which it was intended, namely, to check the Kirghiz.

The hostelry to which we were bound was called
the Inn of Morozoff. Morozoff being a speculative
Russian who had built a small one-storied house
and roughly furnished it, trusting to make his profits
out of the officers of the garrison and the Russian
merchants who were continually passing through
Kasala.

On inquiring if I could have a room, the waiter, a
man of Jewish type, informed me that the town was
full, and that there would be no room vacant for several
days. However, he gave us the name of an individual
who kept a sort of lodging-house.

“It is very dirty,” observed the waiter, “but I
dare say you don’t mind that,” and he looked con-
temptuously at my sheepskin attire.

The man who addressed us was himself begrimed
with dirt, and Morozoff’s inn, in point of cleanliness,
would have been surpassed by the pigstyes in many
of our Leicestershire farms. However, there are
comparisons in dirt. The proprietor of the lodging-
house where I now betook myself was even more
unwashed than the waiter above mentioned.

“Rooms ?” said he; “no: we are here five and six
in a room, and our passages are full too.”
~ “Do you know of any other lodging-house?” I
inquired.

“ Lodging-house? no; go with God, brother’--
with these words he slammed the door in my face,
A MOHAMMEDAN’S PARADISE. 161

Icaviny Nazar and myself looking pensively at each
other outside.

“ Heis the son of an animal!” exclaimed my faithful
follower; “ but it is cold here. One of noble birth, what
shall we do ?”

An idea struck me. “ Drive to the Jews’ quarters,”
I said to the sleighman, thinking that perhaps amongst
the tribes of Israel I might find quarters for the
night.

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were now visited but in
vain, and the Mohammedan inhabitants were equally
impervious to an offer. The fact was, that a feast
peculiar to the followers of the Prophet happened to
fall on the same date as the Russian Christmas. * People
had come from every part of Asia to meet their friends
and relatives. Unusual rejoicing was going on. The
Russian making his heart gay with vodki, whilst the
follower of Islam, after stuffing himself with pillaffs of
rice and mutton, was seeking in the fumes of opium relief
from the cares of this world, and a foretaste of the one
to come; a Mohammedan’s paradise consisting of an
unlimited seraglio, which costs nothing to keep, and
where the female inhabitants require no guardians, do
not quarrel or pull his beard, and are always young.

As it was impossible to find any lodgings in
Kasala, I resolved to drive to the fort and see if the
commandant could do anything for us. This officer
received me very courteously, and at once sent his
servant to search everywhere in the town for rooms.
In the meantime he offered me an apartment in his
own house. A large brass basin was brought in, and
I now enjoyed the luxury of soap and water, which
was well appreciated after a continuous journey for
twelve days.

K
162 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

Foreigners cannot understand an Englishman’s
love of water, and look upon us as dirty for re-
quiring so much washing. Russians consider a
vapour bath once a week an emdarras de richesse in
so far as cleanliness is concerned, whilst the mere
idea of any one having a cold bath every morning is
beyond their comprehension, and another proof of the
eccentricity appertaining to an insular character.

The room in which I found myself was furnished
in the simplest manner, a bedstead and a few wooden
chairs being all the furniture; however, it was clean,
and free from insect life. Presently, the servant
sent out by the commandant in search of lodgings
returned. He had been everywhere in Kasala and
there was not a room, or even the share of a room, to
be had. I now learned that privacy is not considered -
at all essential in the steppes, where three or four
cfficers will often share the same apartment.
CHAPTER XVIII.

An English Engineer Officer at Kasala—A Russian Scientific Expedition
—Surveying the Oxus—The Rapidity of the Stream—A Future Fleet--
Transport and Fishing Barges—Lady Smokers—Disturbances in Kokan
—The Juvalide Newspaper—Abuse of Yakoob Bek—Dinner— Anything
you ask for”—Cabbage Soup and Cold Mutton—Colonel Goloff—His Resi-
dence—An Assembly—The Beauty and Fashion of Kasala—Steamers—
Wood instead of Coal—Great Expense to Government —‘‘ When we Fight you
Fellows in India”—Zakuski—Russian Linguists—System of Teaching
Languages—Our Schools in England—Latin and Greek, or French and
German—A Foundation ; or, a Two-storied House.

Tue Commandant pressed me to remain beneath
his roof, at least until such time as I could find
sleeping quarters. His wife now informed me that
an English engineer officer* had resided beneath
their roof the previous summer, and had subsequently
accompanied a Russian scientific expedition as far
as Petro-Alexandrovsk, the object of his journey being
to survey the Oxus. The members of the expedition
had, at the time my compatriot was with it, navigated
the stream to the fort, but since his departure some
Russian officers had ascended the river seventy versts
beyond that part; indeed, the Commandant informed
me that when a steamer then being built was finished,
which would draw but little water and steam twenty
versts per hour, it would be able to ascend the stream
for a much greater distance, and perhaps to the source
of the river. The chief obstacle hitherto experienced

* Major Wood,
164 A RIDE TO KHIVA,’

had been the rapidity of the current, and as the
engines on the vessels in commission were of little
horse-power, it had been difficult to make headway
against the stream.

Permission had been given to a merchant to
build a fleet of fishing vessels for the Sea of Aral,
which is said to abound with the finny tribe. This
would doubtless be a great convenience, as in case of
necessity these barges could be used to transport troops
up the Oxus.

The distance from the Sea of Aral to European
Russia is considerable. The Black and Caspian
Seas abound with every kind of fish. It is to be
feared that the enterprising individual who is about
to construct this fleet of fishing barges will find his
speculation anything but a lucrative one, although
from a military point of view it will be extremely
useful. . ; ‘

My hostess poured out some tea, and, handing me
a cigarette, lit one for herself. This is not at all an
exceptional proceeding in Russia, where the women
smoke as much as the men. In the best society
at St. Petersburg it is not at all an uncommon spectacle
to see the married women and aged chaperones in-
dulging in cigarettes. Fortunately the girls have not
as yet taken to the habit.

The disturbances in Kokan, by all accounts, had
been much exaggerated, and the Russian troops had
not at any time been in danger. An officer who
had passed through Kasala, on his road from Tash-
kent to St. Petersburg, had said “that his comrades
and self were very surprised to find that they were
such great heroes. This was all owing to the Juvalide
newspaper, for the Russian military journal had be-
“ANYTHING YOU ASK FOR.” 165

lauded the officers under Kauffmann to a ridiculous
extent: but that it was well this organ had done so,
as there would now be plenty of medals and decora-
tions. If the paper would only continue its abuse of
Yakoob. Bek, it would very likely bring about a
campaign in the summer against Kashgar, and that
this was the wish of General Kauffmann, the Governor-
General of Turkistan.”

I now proceeded to Morozoff’s hostelry to see what
could be obtained for dinner, as I felt excessively
hungry, the keen air of the steppes having produced a
most healthy appetite. On asking the same domestic
who had greeted me in the morning what there was to
eat—

“ Anything you ask for,” was the immediate reply.

This, when submitted to investigation, proved
to be slightly incorrect, for some cabbage soup and
cold mutton were the sole contents of the larder.

“We have magnificent wine,” observed the
servant, producing a bottle of port as black as ink,
and which appeared to be a concoction of Russian
spirits, thickened with soot. “Delicious! taste it; our
wine is famous all over the country.”

The room in which I found myself was of an
oblong shape, and without any furniture save a table
and bench. A few sheepskins in a corner showed
that the apartment was already taken. In reply
to my inquiry I was informed that three merchants
had slept there, but that they not being at home the
waiter had taken possession of their room.

According to him, it was a delightful Christmas.
More vodki had been drank the previous evening
than had ever been known in the annals of Fort
Number One. Universal drunkenness still prevailed,
166 A RIDE TO KHIVA.,

and the inhabitants in consequence were thoroughly
enjoying themselves.

I ordered a sleigh, but had some difficulty in
obtaining one, as there were only five of these vehicles
in Kasala. I then drove to the house of Colonel
Goloff, the District Governor. He was not at home,
but engaged in paying visits to the families of the
principal officials in the garrison, as it is the custom
in Russia to call on your friends during the Christmas
week, and offer them the congratulations of the season.
His servant, however, told me that the Governor
would soon return, so I resolved to await his arrival.

The house was a substantial and well-built edifice,
but only one storey high, like almost every other
building in Kasala. The two sentinels outside the
building, and whom I could distinguish through the
thick double-glass windows, every now and then took a
short run backwards and forwards in front of their
sentry-boxes, so as to keep up the circulation in their
feet, the cold being very great.

A small entrance-hall afforded every convenience to
the visitor for hanging up his fur pelisse and depositing
his goloshes. Four large and lofty rooms opening
one into the other formed the dwelling apartments
of the family. There were fine parquet floors in
each of these rooms. Some full length mirrors, with
a few chairs and tables, constituted the entire fur-
niture. Large stoves set in the walls were arranged
so as to impart a genial warmth throughout the build-
ing, whilst three or four back rooms, used as offices
and kitchen, looked out upon a small garden and
stable which were behind the Colonel’s residence.

Presently the rattle of a sleigh which stopped
before the portico announced to me that the Governor
A PEREMPTORY WAY OF SHOWING HOSPITALITY. 167

had returned, and a minute later he entered the
room. ‘

He was a tall but somewhat corpulent man,
evidently on the wrong side of fifty, and clad in a dark
blue uniform. I introduced myself to him, and apolo-
gised for the liberty I had taken in calling.

He said that he had heard from the authorities at
St. Petersburg that I was on my way, at the same
time observing that he could not allow me to remain
under the Commandant’s roof. “ His house is small,”
remarked the Governor; “besides that, he has a wife
and children; here, I am all alone, my family has gone
to Russia. You must come and stay with me.”

“Nay, you must,” he added, somewhat sharply, as
I hesitated to intrude myself.on his hospitality ; so
thanking him for the invitation, I drove back to the
Commandant’s quarters. It was with difficulty that I
could persuade him to let me depart, and then it was
only by saying that the Governor had expressed
his wish, or rather orders, on this subject in such a
peremptory manner that it was impossible for me to
refuse.

On returning to the Governor's I found the recep-
tion-room filled with officers who had come to offer
him the usual Christmas congratulations. He then
told me that there would be an assembly at his
house later on in the evening, when I should have the
opportunity of seeing all the beauty and fashion of
Kasala.

The apartments were thrown open and fairly lit.
Shortly afterwards the ladies began to arrive, all: of
them being in high dress, and little coteries were
speedily formed. Some settled down to play whist,
regardless of the buzz of conversation around them.
168 4A RIDE TO RKHIVA.

Others promenaded about the rooms with the lady of
their choice. Men and women all with cigarettes in
their mouths, and filling the apartments with clouds of
smoke. There was no stiffness anywhere, and every-
thing was done to make a stranger feel thoroughly at
home. General Kauffmann had passed through Kasala
a few days previous, and had left a very pleasant im-
pression upon the fairer part of the community, with
whom the aged General was decidedly a favourite, and
many remarks were made as to why he had gone to
St. Petersburg.

One of the officers spoke Portuguese, having been
some time at Lisbon. He had been attached to a
Russian squadron which had sailed to America a few
years ago, and he was now doing duty on board a
vessel belonging to the Aral fleet. He informed me
that his ship drew but little water, not more than from
three to four feet, and that she could steam from
Petro-Alexandrovsk to Tashkent; the great difficulty,
however, was the scarcity of fuel, for they had to burn
wood instead of coal. It was very difficult to carry a
sufficient supply of this article, which was very bulky,
for a long journey, whilst the expense to the Govern-
ment was enormous. .

The officers in the garrison were unanimous in
envying the luck of their more fortunate comrades in
Kokan, who had been engaged during the recent
disturbances, and they bitterly complained of the
slowness of promotion and the dreary existence at
Kasala.

“ Anything for a change,” remarked one of them,
a dashing little fellow with several medals, “we are
bored to death here.”

“Yes,” added another, “when we fight you fellows
RUSSIAN LINGUISTS. 169

in India then we shall have some promotion; as to
fighting with the Kokandians we might as well shoot
pheasants ; none of our seniors get killed.”

“T don't think England will interfere with us about
Kashgar,” remarked an officer apparently much older
than his comrades.

“Who knows, and who cares?” said another;
“if we do fight we will shoot at each other in the
morning, and liquor up together when there is a truce,
Come along and have a drink,” and with these words
he led me into an adjoining room where some servants
had just brought in what the Russians call Zakuski—
caviare, salt-fish, little bits of bread and cheese, slices
of highly-flavoured sausage, and spirits of every
kind.

I was surprised to find that so few of the party
could speak French; in fact there was hardly a lady
present who could converse in this language, indeed,
they did not blush when acknowledging their ignorance.
It was quite a pleasure to meet with some people who
were not ashamed of their own language. There is a
general opinion in England that Russians are good
linguists, because their own tongue is so difficult that
all others become easy to them afterwards. This
is an entire fallacy. The true reason why some
Russians speak two or three foreign languages
well, and with a perfect pronunciation, is the attention
that is paid to the subject, the more particularly in
Moscow and the capital. There the child has an
English or French nurse as soon as he is able to speak,
and he learns the foreign languages at the expense
of his own, for the pronunciation first acquired
is the one to which we generally adhere. By the time
he is ten or eleven years old he often speaks French,
170 A RIDE TO KHIVA.,

German, and English, whilst these languages are gram-
matically studied as he gets older.

Now in England we fall into the opposite extreme;
we usually neglect the modern languages, and even
omit the study of our natural tongue. We occupy
the whole of our boy’s scholastic and college career with
the study of Latin and Greek, imagining that we are
laying a good foundation for the lad to learn modern
languages later on in life, and when he leaves college.
But this is then a hopeless task; after twenty it is very
exceptional to find any one who can tutor himself to
a new pronunciation. Lads and men when leaving
school or college have generally but little time for
further education. The result is that we are as a
nation the worst linguists in the world. As it is, our
schools are kept up for the advantage of the masters,
who having been trained themselves in a special branch
of study, would be ruined if any other system ot
education were insisted upon by the parents. ‘The
masters benefit, the boys suffer. If, at our schools,
Latin and Greek were made to change places in
relative importance with French and German, many
lads on entering life would find that they had built a
two-storied house, instead of having merely laid the
foundation of an edifice which they will never have
time to complete.

The evening wore on. Thicker and thicker grew
the clouds of tobacco-smoke which escaped from the
lips of the smokers. Some servants now brought in
two magnificent sturgeon, which were placed on the
supper-table. The host walked up to his different
guests and invited them to partake. Tobacco did not
affect the appetites of the party, and a bite and then a
whiff would often be indulged in by some of the
THE SUPPER-TABLE. 17!

guests. Wines of all kinds were placed on the table.
The clinking of champagne-glasses, as the guests
pledged their host, mingled frequently with the con-
versation.

“So you are going to Kashgar?” said a young
officer, who had been so kind as to point out to me the
different celebrities of the evening.

“No.”

“Why do you not go there?” he continued; “you
would meet a quantity of English officers who are
teaching Yakoob Bek’s men to fight.”

“ Do not talk politics,” said another, his senior; “of
course we shall have to fight England some day;
but the English, although they fought against us in
the Crimea, were much better fellows than the
French.”

Trays were now brought in with dishes containing
small beefsteaks and fried potatoes, which were replaced
at intervals of about half an hour by fresh courses.
But it was getting very late, and with difficulty I could
keep my eyes open. It was ten days since I had taken
off my clothes to sleep, and a sleigh journey over the
steppes takes a little out of any man’s constitution.

Fortunately my host observed my inability to
keep awake, and volunteered to show me my sleeping
apartment.

“You have brought your bed-linen ?” he remarked.
“ But of course you have. You are too old a soldier
not to have done so,” and with these words he shut a
door which separated me from the rest of the company.

I had fortunately, in anticipation of some such
event, brought an air mattress from England. It did
not weigh above two or three pounds, was easily
inflated, and very portable. This, being blown up
172 A RIDE T0 KHIVA,

and placed on the floor, made a capital couch; whilst,
as I had no sheets or blankets with me, I did what the
Russians do under similar circumstances, and lay
down with my pelisse as a blanket. The door of the
apartment wasthin. The partition-wall which separated
my room from those occupied by the guests offered
little impediment to the sound; but ringing laughter
and jingling of glasses do not keep a man from sleeping
if he is once really exhausted, and I speedily became
lost to consciousness.
CHAPTER XIX.

Ablutions under Difficulties—The Turkomans—An Escort of Cossacks—The
Khan and his Executioner—In Search of Horses—Provisions for the March—
Snow instead of Water—Exceptional Winter— Frozen to Death—The
Unclean Animal—Kirghiz Amazons—Ural Cossacks—Dissenters and the
Tzar—The Town of Kasala and Fever—Kibitkas—Mr. MacGahan and the
Fair Sex—A Wife for One Hundred Sheep—The Matrimonial Lottery—
A Russian Officer— Liquor is the only thing worth living for”—Shadows
of War.

Tue following morning at ten, Nazar, coming into my
room, informed me that Colonel Goloff was dressing,
and that breakfast would soon be ready.

On asking for a basin, I was informed that it was
not the custom to wash in the sleeping apartment, but
that a regular room was set aside for this purpose. I
was then taken into a sort of scullery, with a sink and
large copper utensil. In the last-mentioned article was
a supply of water. This, on pulling a string attached
to a plug in the vessel, streamed out from an
aperture in the side.

It was a primitive sort of arrangement, as I could
only wash one hand at a time, and very cold, as there
was no stove, whilst the icicles hung about the window-
frames. Under these circumstances the morning
ablutions became a tedious process, and rather a pain
than a pleasure.

The Colonel now entered my room, and invited me
to breakfast. The repast was of a frugal nature;
it merely consisted of tea and dry bread, more sub-
stantial food being considered quite out of place at
174 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

such an hour of the day; the habit the Russians have
of eating supper in the early hours of the morning
not being conducive to appetite.

My host then informed me that he had himself
been five times to Petro-Alexandrovsk.

The Turkomans, he said, gave a great deal of
trouble, as they crossed the Oxus, when the river was
frozen, and made frequent raids upon the Kirghiz,
carrying off their sheep and cattle. Indeed, on this
account he thought that it would be better for me to
have anescort of Cossacks; “for then,” he added, “it
can accompany you to our fort, and Colonel Ivanoff,
the Chief of the Amou Darya district, will send you
on to Khiva, which is about sixty miles from Petro-
Alexandrovsk, with a fresh escort.”

On asking what would happen to me if I were to
visit the Khan’s capital alone and unprotected—

“That would never do!” he said. ‘“ Why, the
Khan would very likely order his executioner to gouge
out your eyes, or would keep you in a hole in the
ground for five or six days before he admitted you to
an audience. The Khivans are very dangerous people.”

I thanked him very heartily for the information,
which, I dare say, was given in a friendly spirit. It
was refreshing to find that the good Governor of
Kasala valued my life so highly, and I shall always
feel deeply indebted to him for his kindness.

He now promised to get me a guide; and, ringing
a bell, desired the servant to send for a Kirghiz
officer. The latter could communicate with his country-
men, and tell them that I wanted to buy some horses,
for the journey would have to be accomplished on
horseback, and it was impossible to hire any animals
in Kasala.
FORAGE FOR THE FOURNEY. 175

Camels would also be required, and a kibitka,
or circular tent. As for provisions, the Colonel re-
commended me to take some séchz, cabbage soup,
with meat cut up in it. This, he declared, was very
portable, as it would become frozen, and keep for any
amount of time, whilst it might easily be carried in iron
stable-buckets. The principal difficulty for a traveller,
in his opinion, was the forage; a sufficient supply of it
must be taken for a fourteen days’ journey, twelve
pounds of barley per diem being the ordinary allowance
for a horse. This would add enormously to the
weight of baggage, as for three horses we should
require thirty-six pounds of barley a day, or 504
pounds for the march. According to the Colonel, I
need not burden the caravan by taking a supply of
water, as in all probability there would be snow on the
ground the whole way. However, I had better
purchase some sacks, so that in the event of it
appearing likely that any part of the route before us
would be thinly covered with snow, we could put some
in our sacks and thus carry it on the camels.

The cold would be my greatest enemy, as the
winter we were then experiencing was the most severe
he had ever known at Kasala, and several people had
been frozen to death. When we had finished our
breakfast, the Governor left me till dinner, which he
said would be on the table about 2 P.m., and departed
to go through his routine of duties, when I determined
to walk through the town and look at the Kirghiz
population.

I took Nazar with me to act as interpreter, in the
event of my wishing to converse with any of the
inhabitants who could not speak Russian. The little
man was full of admiration at the splendour and luxury
176 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

in the Governor’s residence. He described to me in
glowing terms the magnificent banquet he had par-
taken of the previous evening; his only fear being
lest in some disguised form or other he had eaten of
the unclean animal, for this is a sore point with
the Tartars, as, indeed, with all other Mohammedan
nations. The bazaar, he said, would not be open, on
account of its being a feast day, and he had been to the
Treasury to change some money and found that this
establishment was also closed. Presently some Kirghiz
men and women rode by, the latter sitting astride
their horses, and managing their palfreys with the
most consummate ease and grace.

We now met some Bokharans and Khivans, the
marked Jewish type and swarthy faces of the former
contrasting strongly with the Khivans, who were several
shades lighter in complexion. Every one, man or
woman, was enveloped in some kind of fur or other,
and not a particle of their skin was left uncovered save
just about the eyes.

A few Cossacks from the Ural, who were exiled
from their far-off home, walked in little knots before
their dwelling-houses, some discussing the chance of a
pardon anda return to their families at Uralsk, others the
hardship of a journey to Khivan territory, whither it
was rumoured they were shortly to be sent. Many of
these men appeared to be considerably past their prime,
and the journey to Kasala must have been a very
trying one for them. Their one idea was that the
Emperor himself had not wished their offence to be
punished in so stern a manner, and that the order for
their banishment had been obtained through some
source, which, unfavourable to the dissenters, had
exaggerated the facts of the case to the Tzar.
FILTHY STATE OF KASALA. 177

The town of Kasala was kept in a very dirty
state, and did not reflect credit on those authorities
whose duty it was to see after such matters. Filth
and ordure were strewn about the thoroughfare, and
if it had not been for the extreme frost which kept
everything congealed, the effect upon the atmosphere
would have been anything but pleasant. Indeed, it
is a wonder that more sickness does not ensue, the
more particularly in the early spring. In houses
where there is a certain pretension to wealth and
comfort the refuse is never removed, and the retiring-
rooms are left in a state which must be seen to be
believed ; indeed, any attempt at description would
inevitably disgust the reader. The result is that when
the cold takes its departure and a thaw sets in, the
houses become a hotbed of fever, whilst the death-
rate amongst the population is often doubled.

On the outskirts of the town some Kirghiz had
pitched their kibitkas. These tents are the homes of
the nomad tribes, and are carried by them on camels
from place to place. One of these abodes was adorned
inside with thick carpets of various hues, and bright-
coloured cushions, on which the inmates reposed. A
small fire in the centre of the apartment gave out a
thick white smoke, which wreathed itself round in
serpent-like coils, till, gradually reaching the roof, it
escaped through an aperture left for that purpose,
Very pungent and trying to the eyes was this dense
atmosphere—a wood, or rather sort of bramble, called
saksaool, which is found in large quantities on the
steppes, being used for fuel. The women in the tent
appeared to have no fear of strangers, and did not
cover up their faces, as is the custom amongst other

Mohammedan races. They were evidently delighted at
i
178 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

our visit, and, laying down fresh rugs on the ground,
invited me to sit by their side. As a rule, there
could not be much said for the beauty of their ap-
pearance; indeed, making every allowance for Mr.
MacGahan’s advocacy of the fair sex in Tartary, I
cannot help thinking that the energetic correspondent
is either extremely susceptible, or else very easily
pleased, as a moon-faced, red-cheeked girl, the acme of
perfection fron a Kirghiz point of view, does not quite
answer to my ideas of a beauty. Most of the women
have good eyes and teeth, but the breadth of
the face and the size of the mouth take off from
these advantages ; whilst the girls are not at all
graceful, although on horseback they appear to per-
fection.

An elderly man, clad in a long brown dressing-
gown thickly wadded to keep out the cold, was the
proprietor of the kibitka. Pouring some water into
a huge cauldron, which was suspended from a tripod
over the fire, he proceeded to make the tea, whilst a
young girl handed round some raisins and dried
currants. The inmates were surprised when I
told them that I was not a Russian, but had come
from a land far away towards the setting sun.

“Anglitchanin, Englishman,” said Nazar; and the
party gravely repeated the word Anglitchanin. One
of the men now inquired if I had brought my wife
with me, and he was astonished on _ hearing
that I was unprovided with a helpmate, the whole
party being of the opinion that such an appendage was
as necessary to a man’s happiness as his horse or
camel.

The Kirghiz have one great advantage over the
other Mohammedan races, They have the oppor-
BIDDING FOR A WIFE. 179

tunity of seeing the girls whom they wish to marry,
and of conversing with them before the bargain is
concluded with their parents—one hundred sheep
being the average price given for a young woman.
Among those Tartars who have fixed residences, and
who do not migrate from place to place, this state
of things is not allowed. Here the man who wishes
to buy a wife has to run a considerable risk, for he
seldom has an opportunity of judging of her looks,
temper, or disposition. The girl always keeps. her
face covered when in public, and is concealed from
the men as much as possible. The man’s mother, or
some other female relative, occasionally acts as his
agent, and arranges so that her client may be hid
behind some cupboard in their house. They then
invite the girl to visit them, when the latter, thinking
herself alone, is induced to uncover her face. The
suitor now makes a mental calculation as to how
much she is worth. The bidding then commences,
the young lady’s parents asking at first much more
than they will eventually take.

“She has sheep's eyes, and is lovely,’ says her
mother.

“Yes,” replies the female relative, the wife-seeker’s
advocate, “she has sheep’s eyes, but is not moon-
faced, and has no hips whatever! Let us say 200
roubles.”

And so the bidding goes on, until eventually, the
bargain being concluded, the ceremony, such as it is,
takes place, very few preliminaries being considered
necessary.

“Do you like Kasala?” I inquired of the best-
looking of the girls.

“No,” replied an aged female, not giving the
180 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

maid I addressed time to speak; “we all prefer the
steppes.” And with these words she glanced contemp-
tuously at her daughter, who, as Nazar afterwards
informed me, liked the slight civilisation that Kasala
was able to afford better than the beauties of nature
and the trackless wastes in Tartary.

On leaving the kibitka I proceeded to Morozoff’s
hostelry to call upon a young Russian officer, to whom
I had been introduced the previous evening. I found
my acquaintance at home. He inhabited a small
room in company with another officer, who had been
waiting for six weeks to join his regiment at Petro-
Alexandrovsk, and who, to all appearance, did not
much fancy the journey, as he was still at Kasala
when I returned there six weeks later.

The room was fitted up very simply. The furni-
ture consisted of two small bedsteads; some coloured
French prints and photographs were suspended from
the walls, whilst a few books ‘and two strong wooden
chairs completed the arrangements.

The officers were glad to see a visitor, and have an
opportunity of talking about St. Petersburg. One of
them at once produced some bottles of vodki, and was
much surprised to find that I was not addicted to strong
drinks. “You do not mean to say that the officers
in your army do not get drunk?” he said. “Why,
liquor is the only thing worth living for!” and he tossed
off a tumbler of the pure spirit. The main difficulty,
however, was to disabuse my friends’ minds of the idea
that I had been sent out by the English Government,
and that the authorities at home paid for my expenses,

“And so you might have spent all your leave of
absence in St. Petersburg, and yet only remained there
ten days! How very strange! said the elder of the
SHADOWS OF WAR, 181

two, evidently wondering how I could have stopped for
so brief a time at this elysium in the eyes of a Russian
officer.

This gentleman had been in the Guards, but, like
many of his comrades, had outstripped his allowance
and run into debt. In consequence of this he had
been removed to an appointment at Kasala, which
happened at that time to be vacant; and my young
friend now found himself acting as a sort of police
magistrate—rather a change from his former life at
St. Petersburg. Existence in the fort, according to
him, was fearfully dull—hardly any female society,
and but little to do. Now at Khiva there was
always the prospect of a war with the Turkomans,
or some little excitement in the shape of a rebel-
lion to suppress, and then men might have a chance
of seeing service.

In fact, you cannot be with Russian officers in
Central Asia for half an hour without remarking how
they long for a war. It is very natural; and the
wonder to my mind is why Russia has not extended
herself still farther in Central Asia. If it had
not been for the Emperor, who is, by all accounts,
opposed to this rapid extension of his dominions, the
Russians would already be on our Indian frontier.
Nothing would be so popular with the officers in
Central Asia, or indeed, for the matter of that, in
European Russia also, as a war with England about
India; and as the only public opinion which can be
said to exist in the Tzar’s empire is represented by
the military class, which in a few years will absorb
all the male population of the nation, we ought to be
thoroughly prepared for any emergency. Indeed,
should Russia be permitted to annex Kashgar, Balkh,
182 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

and Merve,* an invasion of India would be by no means
so difficult or impossible as some people would have
us believe. Russia, if her reserves were called out,
would be able to dispose of 1,300,000 men. In the
event of a campaign the 847,847 men in her active
establishment could be reckoned upon as available
for offensive purposes.

The Province of Turkistan is the one which most
closely adjoins our Indian empire. Here, according
to Russian data, there are 33,893 men. I use the
term Russian data because we have no means of
knowing whether these figures are accurate. At
the present moment, the greater part of the forces in
the Western Siberian, Orenburg, and Kazan districts
might be concentrated in the neighbourhood of Tash-
kent and Samarcand, and no one in this country would
be the wiser. We have no consular agents in any of
the towns through which these troops would have to
march on their road to Turkistan. No Englishmen
are allowed to travel in Central Asia. Owing to the
Russian newspapers being completely in the hands of
the authorities, the information which is published may
be purposely intended to mislead. If the Governor-
General in Turkistan were forming large é¢/ages, or
depots, of provisions and arms in Samarcand, Khiva,
and Krasnovodsk, we should be equally ignorant, until
awaking up one morning we might discover that
instead of our having to fight an enemy 2,000 miles
distant from his base of operations that a base had
been formed within 350 miles of our Indian frontier,
which was as well supplied with all the requisites for
war as St. Petersburg or Moscow.

* For importance of Merve from a military point of view, see
Appendix G,
MILITARY DISTRICTS. 183

In the Caucasus there is a standing army of
151,161 men within easy water communication of
Ashourade. Along the valley of the Attrek to Herat
there are no natural obstacles to impede an advancing
force; indeed, if the Afghans, tempted by the idea
of looting the rich cities in the plains of India, were
to join an invader, he might give us a little trouble.*

* The Russian Empire is divided into fourteen military districts
(besides the Province of the Don Cossacks). Most of these districts
include several governments, which are specified below. The follow-
ing table shows the number of soldiers in-each district :—

DISTRICTS, MEN,
1. St. Pctersburg—This includes the governments of

St. Petersburg, Novgorod, Pskof,

ee Archangel, Esthonia ... 84,353
2. Finland... see .. 14,787
3. Vii Trcledine ‘iis, ‘Home, Grodns, Vitebals,

Minsk, Mohilev, Livonia, and

Courland ... i +. 93,370
4. Warsaw—Including Warsaw, Kalisz, Kidlee, ‘Lomsha,

Radom, Lublin, Petrikau, Plock,

Siedlec, Suwalki ... ais .. 113,686
5. Kiev—Includes Kiev, Podolia, Volhynia eee .. 58,816
6. Odessa—Includes Kherson, Ekaterinoslav, Tayside,

and Bessarabia... 63,391
7. Kharkof—Includes Kursk, Oriel, Tchernigov, Poliava,

Kharkof, ened Voronetz ... ..» 65,457

8. AZoscow—Includes Moscow, Tver, Jaroslav, Vologda.
Kostroma, Vladimir, Nijni-Nov-
gorod, Smolensk, Kaluga, Riazan,

and Tambov oF 85,024
9. Kazan—Includes Kazan, Perm, Viatka, Simbirsk, std
Samara sie one 34,300

10, Caucasus—Includes the provinces of Rutan, Terek,
Daghestan, Zakhatali; the govern-
ments of Tiflis, Erivan, Baku,
Stavropol, and Kutais... eos 151,161

11. Orenburg—Orenburg and Ufa ... sie Sas ws 14,680
12. Western Siberia ... sis sia tee aus we “16,256
13. Eastern Siberia ‘ ea aes ws. 18,673

14. Turkistan—Comprising the eevedinent of that name 33,893

Total number of men ae ... 847,847

 
CHAPTER XX. ,

A Priest—Only one Wife allowed—Russian Bread—The Telegraph in Turkistan
—General Milutin might change his Mind—Horse-dealing—Five Pounds for
a Horse, Saddle and Bridle, &c.—A Guide—The Expedition to Khiva—The
Russian Troops on the March—Forty degrees below Zero, Fahrenheit.

On returning to the Governor's I found that gentleman
awaiting me for dinner. In the course of conversa-
tion he said that the Kirghiz officer had sent round to
inform his compatriots that I wished to purchase some
horses, and that several animals would be brought for
my inspection on the following morning.

The priest now came in—he was a man about
thirty, of an unwashed appearance, and with long
uncombed locks reaching half way down his back.
On the Colonel’s invitation, he sat down by my
side. He was a married man. The Greek religion
allows every Russian priest to marry; but if his
wife dies, the reverend gentleman cannot marry
again. This is not a bad rule for the women, as
the husbands look after all their ailments with the
greatest care. Our conversation was chiefly about
horses, when I discovered that the visitor had one
for sale, and that this was the object of his visit. The
Kirghiz, he informed me, do not have their horses
shod, except when about to travel over very rocky
ground. In winter and in summer the active little
animals traverse the deserts, the hoof itself affording
ample protection, and a lame or unsound steed is with
RUSSIAN BREAD. 185

them a rarity, whilst a hundred miles in a day has
frequently been accomplished by some of the Kirghiz
horsemen.

I had arrived at Kasala at a bad time for a
man who, like myself, wished to push forward im-
mediately. The following morning on inquiring if
any horses had been brought for my inspection, I
was informed that the festival was not over. The
Kirghiz were still engaged in stuffing themselves with
rice and mutton, and in drinking sour mare’s milk
(koomyes). They could not be induced to leave their
houses, even on the chance of selling a horse to a
Christian. I thought that Nazar’s services might be
put into requisition, so I desired him to go into the
town and proclaim to his co-religionists that I was
prepared to give a good price provided that they
could bring me some animals which would suit.
Under other circumstances I should continue my
journey along the sleigh road to Fort Perovsky, and
buying horses at that spot, ride from there to
Petro-Alexandrovsk, my idea being that if the Tartars
at Kasala heard that I was going to leave the fort and
purchase horses elsewhere, they would take a little
more interest in the matter.

I also desired him to make arrangements about the
preparation of some séchz, or cabbage soup, for the
journey, and also to order forty pounds of bread, of
which half was to be made as light as possible. The
Russian bakers possess the secret of making bread
which is not much heavier than rusks would be, if made
of the same size as the loaves in question. This isa
great advantage in the desert, for at times, when no
firewood can be obtained, the ordinary bread becomes
so hard frozen that it has to be chopped with an axe;
186 A RIDE TO KHIVA.

whilst a knife is utterly useless against the granite-like
substance into which the flour is converted. Indeed, on
one occasion I broke my best knife when attempting to
cut a loaf of frozen bread.

My real intentions were not in favour of continuing
the journey to Perovsky, if this could possibly be
avoided, for by doing so we should be nearer the
Capital of Turkistan. St. Petersburg is now in direct
electric communication with Tashkent, whilst I believe
that the wire has been recently extended so far
as Kokan. The distance is about 670 miles from
Kasala to Tashkent. There is also a wire from St.
Petersburg to Orsk, which is about 500 miles from
Kasala; but any communication coming from St.
Petersburg would be more likely to pass through the
head-quarters of General Kauffmann than by another
route. I was not desirous to approach nearer to Tash-
kent than was absolutely necessary, as, although I had
obtained permission to travel in Russian Asia from
General Milutin, the Minister of War, it was not impos-
sible that he might change his mind—such in fact
having been the opinion of my friends at St. Peters-
burg, who had advised me to lose no time on the road.

Nazar’s message to his countrymen proved of the
greatest use. My departure for Perovsky would have
affected them in their most susceptible point—the
pocket—and in spite of its being feast-time they pro-
ceeded in search of all the animals which could be
obtained in Kasala.

Now, the Kirghiz are not like the Arabs in one
respect, though similar to them in many others. The
descendant of Ishmael will seldom sell his horses, no
matter how much money you may offer for these animals;
whilst the Tartars will sell everything they have for
PURCHASING A HORSE. 187

money. The result was they began to think that it
might be a good occasion to palm off some of their lame
animals and utterly worthless screws upon the innocent
Christian; or, if I would not fall into the trap set for
me by the Faithful, to take advantage of my inex-
perience with reference to the average price of horses
in that part of the world, and sell me a good animal,
but at three times its market value. However, the
steppe coper is not unique in this respect, and he
would not get much the best of a London dealer.

Forthwith there appeared a procession before the
Governors house. This was composed of excited
natives, looking, many of them, like animated bundles
of rags, so thickly were they enveloped in shreds and
tatters. Each of these animated bundles was astride
on some sort of quadruped—camels, horses, donkeys,
all were brought on the scene, forming a comical
picture, which will never be effaced from my memory.
The horses were, for the most part, of the worst
description; that is to say, so far as appearance was
concerned. Their ribs in many instances almost pro-
truded through the skin, the proprietors of the
quadrupeds having apparently been engaged in solving
the knotty point as to how near they could reduce
them to a straw-a-day diet without their animals suc-
cumbing to the experiment.

Don Quixote’s steed, the far-famed Rosinante, was
by all accounts not the best-fed of animals. The poor
brutes which can be seen each summer expiring beneath
the horns of the bulls in the Plaza de Toros of Seville
do not carry much flesh, but many of them would have
been equine Daniel Lamberts if compared with the
horses now brought for my inspection.

If ever there was a Banting system especially
188 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

devised for four-footed animals, that system had been
carried out to its fullest extent. Some of the poor
beasts were so weak that they could hardly move one
leg before the other. Except for their excessive lean-
ness they looked more like huge Newfoundland dogs
than as connected with the equine race, and had been
turned out in the depth of winter with no other
covering save the thick coats which nature has given
them.

The late Mr. Tattersall himself could not have
eulogised any animals brought to the hammer more
than did these red-faced, high cheek-boned, ferret-eyed
Tartars their respective quadrupeds; whilst each man
commented on his neighbour’s property in terms of
scorn and derision. At last, after rejecting a number
of jades which looked more fit to carry my boots
than their wearer, I selected a little black horse. He
was about fourteen hands in height, and I eventually
became his owner, saddle and bridle into the bargain,
for the sum of 45, this being considered a very high
price at Kasala. The saddlery was of the most gaudy
description, the saddle being made of highly-painted
wood, richly decorated with gilding and enamel, whilst
a small knob about six inches long, sticking up at the
pommel, looked especially contrived for the impalement
of the rider.

The following day the Kirghiz official, who had
been desired to procure a guide, called upon me with
a candidate for that office.

The latter was a tall, muscular-looking man, with a
cunning and avaricious expression about the corners of
his mouth whenever he indulged in a smile. His
head attire consisted of a tall black sheepskin hat, of
the sugar-loaf pattern; the thick wool around the
A GUIDE. 18g

lower part of it was so arranged as to protect his éyes
against the glare of the snow. His neck was encircled
by a dirty goat’s-hair shawl, which had been once
white, but was now almost of the same hue as his
coarse black beard and moustache. A bright yellow
dressing-gown, thickly wadded to protect the wearer
from cold, was girt around his waist by a green sash.
Yellow leather trousers were drawn over his lathy
legs, whilst an enormous pair of boots, the toes of which
were turned up and culminated in formidable-looking
points—fearful weapons to deliver a kick with—pro-
tected his extremities. For arms he carried a short
scimitar, which was buckled around his waist by a
narrow leather strap. However, the sword was not of
much use, as it had been little cared for, and was very
rusty, whilst the steel of which the scimitar was manu-
factured was of an utterly worthless character.

He announced himself as ready to guide me to
Petro- Alexandrovsk, the Russian fort, and his com-
panion, the Kirghiz official, said that the man_had acted
as guide to the troops which marched upon Khiva
during the expedition against that country, and that
he could be thoroughly depended upon.

An agreement was soon made by which he was
to provide me with some camels. He would also bring
his own horse, whilst if I could not find at Kasala an
animal worth buying for Nazar, the little man should
be mounted upon a camel. The price the guide first
demanded for his services was very exorbitant, being
three times more than the ordinary tariff; however,
after a little bargaining, he became more moderate in
his demands. When everything had been arranged
he proceeded in search of some camels, and I deter-
mined to start in thirty-six hours.
I90 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

In the meantime Nazar had tied my recently-ac-
quired purchase to a cart which stood in the Governor’s
orchard, and had gone in search of a shoeing smith.
I did not know what sort of ground would have to be
traversed once we were on the other side of Khiva, and
if it were of a rocky nature, horseshoes would be indis-
pensable. Nose-bags and horse-rugs had also to be pur-
chased, two rugs to be put under the saddle, whilst the
third was to be strapped above it, and thus to inter-
pose between the seat of the rider and the wooden
framework of the saddle, this being the system adopted
in the steppes, and with great success, as the horses
hardly ever have sore backs.

The following day I called upon the Commandant
to say good-bye and thank him for all his kindness.
He informed me in the course of our conversation that
the Russian troops which marched against Khiva*
carried nothing but their arms and ammunition, their
great-coats and knapsacks having been transported on
camels. Occasionally, he said, the men would accom-
plish fifty versts (thirty-three miles) in a day. At
times the heat was very great, and the troops were
then only served out with tea and biscuits, as meat
was supposed to have an injurious effect upon their
marching powers. The Kirghiz, he said, lived entirely
upon milk during the hot weather, and only killed
their sheep in the winter months, or when obliged by
sheer necessity. The nomad tribes could not exist with-
out their flocks, which form their chief source of wealth,
cattle being very scarce amongst them. The Kirghiz,
however, possessed plenty of horses, and a man’s riches
would not be estimated by the number of roubles he

-* This expedition took place in the spring and summer months of
1873.
AN EXCEPTIONAL WINTER. Ig!

had, as in Russia, but by the quantity of horses and
sheep in his possession.

“T am afraid you will havea terribly cold journey,”
said the old officer, as he shook hands with me and said
farewell; “the thermometer was down to 32 degrees
below zero (Reaumur) yesterday (40 degrees Fahren-
heit), and indoors it was bad enough. We piled as
much wood in the stove as it would hold, and sat in
our furs all day long, but in spite of this the cold made
itself felt.”

The winter we were then experiencing was an
exceptional one even for that part of the world, and
when I returned to the Governor’s house I found the
Kirghiz, who were engaged in putting up a kibitka in
the garden for me to look at, grumbling as much as the
Russians at the cruelty of the elements.
CHAPTER XXI,

Water Route from Kasala to Petro-Alexandrovsk—The Irkibai Route—The
Winter March Route—General Perovsky—His Expedition—Loss of Nine
Thousand Camels—New Year’s Day—Two out of Ten Cossacks Frozen to
Death—Major Wood and the Survey of the Oxus—Struggling into the
Saddle—Vour Horse is Tough—Ophthalmia—Cotton Bales—The Moham-
medans and the Deity—Fatalism—The Will of Allah.

THE water route to Petro-Alexandrovsk was closed
to me by the frost, but it affords easy communication in
summer with the Khivan khanate. Indeed, should the
Russian Government ever permit Englishmen to travel
in their Asiatic dominions, Khiva will probably become
known to Mr. Cook, and on the list of his personally-
conducted tours. However, besides the water route
by the Jaxartes, Sea of Aral, and Oxus, there are
several land routes used respectively in summer and
winter.

One way of reaching Petro-Alexandrovsk is the
track taken by the column which marched from Kasala
on Khiva during the war. This route, striking slightly
to the south-east, brings the traveller to the Irkibai
ford, and then diverging to the south-west continues to
Kiptchak. From there the traveller can proceed along
the banks of the Amou Darya river to within a short
distance of the fort. This is a very circuitous route,
the great advantage it possesses being a sufficient
supply of wells on the road to make it a practicable
one during the summer months. The climate of the
Kirghiz steppes being just as remarkable by its intense
DETAILS OF ROUTE. 193

heat during June, July, and August, as by its extreme
-cold throughout the winter. Wyld’s map of Khiva and
the surrounding territories shows this line of march,
which occupies about twenty-five days, very correctly.

Then there is another road which is known as the
winter march road. It is a much shorter way from
Kasala to Petro-Alexandrovsk, the Russian fort in
Khivan territory. This road leads south by east to
Balaktay. It then turns south and slightly south-west
to Tan Sooloo, which is 124 miles from Kasala.
Diverging to the west, it continues south to Kara-
batoor, about 303 miles from Kasala. Finally passing
Tadj Kazgan and Kilte Moonar, it goes straight to
Petro-Alexandrovsk, a distance by march. route of 371
miles from Fort Number One.

This road, however, is impracticable in summer, as
there are scarcely any wells along it. Those which
exist contain water so salt and brackish as to be
only fit for camels, whilst human beings and horses
can only drink it when reduced to extreme necessity.
Along this route there are wells at Balaktay, 30 miles
from Kasala; at Berd Kazgan, 66 miles further
on, there is more water; the traveller then must
journey for 81 miles to a place where there are
some very brackish wells, and from thence it is
126 miles to Karabatoor, where first you find water fit
for human consumption. After this there is a plentiful
supply of water till you reach Petro-Alexandrovsk.

I enter thus minutely into details about this route,
as itis not marked down in any English map that I
have seen, and in the one in my possession it is not
shown accurately, Karabatoor being represented as
close to the Oxus, whereas in reality it is 67 miles
from that river. I am not aware that the above-

M
194 A RIDE TO KHIVA.

mentioned road has been travelled by any Englishman
save myself; indeed, it is seldom used except by the
Tartars or Cossacks on their way to and from Khiva,
and when the snow, which covers the ground for
ten weeks in the year, supplying the place of water,
renders the journey possible.

It is a very arduous march, however, and one which
requires a great many preparations beforehand, as
everything has to be taken by the traveller in the
shape of provisions for himself, barley for ‘his horses,
and occasionally fuel to burn in those places where +
saksaool, the firewood of the steppes, is not to be
‘found. He must also not forget bags to carry snow,
should it appear likely that for any long distance there
will be a deficiency of this substitute for water. The
result was, I found that for myself, whose only personal
luggage consisted of a change of clothes, a few instru-
ments, and my gun, and for my Tartar servant, I could
not do with less than three camels and two horses.

It will be easy from these few details to imagine
the preparations which General Perovsky had to make
in the year 1839, when he attempted to take Khiva in
the winter, and why he failed. Intense frost, heavy
snowstorms, and want of provisions compelled him to
retire when only half-way from Orenburg, having lost
two-thirds of his men, nine thousand camels, and an
immense quantity of horses, from illness, cold, and
hunger—the expense of the expedition amounting to
six and a half millions of roubles. The sum for those
days appears a large one, but it is not so if we con-
sider that the invading column consisted of three and
a half battalions of infantry, two regiments of Ural,
and four sotnias, or 750 Orenburg Cossacks, besides
twenty-two guns and a rocket battery. In all of four
READY TO START. 195

thousand five hundred men, accompanied by a large
intendance, and, in addition to horse transport, ten
thousand camels, with two thousand Kirghiz drivers.

It may be thought that the Khivan enemy assisted
in the destruction of the Russian expedition. But this
was not the case; the greater part of Perovsky’s forces
never saw the foe, and there were only slight engage-
ments with advanced parties, in each of which the
Khan’s troops were put to flight.

The cold on New Year’s Day, eighteen hundred and
seventy-six, Russian style, or the 12th of January accord-
ing to our calendar, was the greatest I ever remember
to have experienced. The sentries posted outside the
Governor’s and Commandant’s houses were obliged to
wear the thickest of goloshes stuffed with hay, and to
keep running backwards and forwards the whole time
they were on duty, to prevent their feet freezing.
The instant any man left the house his moustache was
frozen into a solid block of ice. If his nose were
exposed to the wind for a minute or so it turned first
blue and then white, whilst, as to touching anything in’
the shape of metal with the bare hand, you might as
well have taken hold of a red-hot iron.

Everything was ready for a start. Three camels
and a Turkoman driver were at the door laden with
the kibitka, forage, &c. I had declined the offer of
an escort.

Indeed, it would have been hard upon the poor
Cossacks, giving them a long useless journey over the
steppes, merely on account of the Turkomans ; and it
was as well I did so, as out of a party of ten soldiers
at that time marching from Petro-Alexandrovsk, I was
subsequently informed that two had been frozen to
death and several others frostbitten, the uniform of a
196 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

Cossack not being nearly so proof against the onslaught
of the elements as the thick furs, sheepskins, &c.,
which can be worn by a private individual.

The guide rode his own horse, one, if possible, a
little thinner than mine. The little Tartar servant
was seated on a huge corn sack, balanced on the
other side by a bundle of firewood, and perched: upon
the tallest of the camels. He smiled lugubriously as he
bade farewell to his numerous acquaintances, and turning
to me said— ,

“ Please God we shall not be frozen.”

To which I devoutly replied—

“ Tnshallah.”

In spite of some drawbacks to the road selected,
such as our being obliged to use mélted snow instead
of water, and to carry more firewood than would be
required along the other track, for me it possessed
several advantages.

First. of all I could get to Petro-Alexandrovsk in
half the time employed if I took the Irkibai route, and
secondly I should see a new track, or, at least, one
which was not marked on Mr. Wyld’s map of Khiva,
whilst however much I might wish to visit Khiva in the
summer, and sail across the Sea of Aral, circumstances
over which I had no control would prevent my carry-
ing this into execution.

For provisions I had supplied myself with stchi or
cabbage soup, with large pieces of meat cut up in it.
This, poured into two large iron stable buckets, had
become hard frozen, and was thus easily carried slung
on the back of a camel. Twenty pounds’ weight of
tooked meat was also taken, and a hatchet to chop up
our frozen food, or to cut down brushwood for a fire.
A cooking lamp with a supply of spirit to be used under
4A STRONG PRESENTIMENT, 197

the mess-tins, in the event of our fuel running short,
made up the baggage.

Although I had hired the camels as far as Petro-
Alexandrovsk, I had not the slightest intention of
going there if it could be avoided. I had the permis-
sion of General Milutin, the Russian Minister of War,
to travel in Russian Asia, and considered myself at
liberty to change my direction at pleasure without con-
sulting any officers subordinate to him in the Russian
service,

However, the rumours which had reached my ears
about Major Wood’s journey made me very doubtful
as to whether General Milutin might not change his
mind, and I had a strong presentiment that I should
never see Khiva if, like my compatriot, I once
were to find myself in Fort Petro- Alexandrovsk.
Indeed, as I subsequently learned from Major Wood’s
lips, he had never been permitted to go within sixty
versts of the Khan’s capital, and when he expressed a
wish to Colonel Ivanoff, the Commandant of the
garrison, to be allowed to see Khiva, that officer in-
formed him that there was a strict order from General
Kauffmann on this subject, and no such permission
could be granted.

Since Major Wood’s departure the river Oxus has
been surveyed for a considerable distance beyond the
fort. It is to be hoped that when a more extended
survey takes place, the military authorities at St.
Petersburg will ask Major Wood to participate in it.
It is as important to Englishmen as to Russians to
know how far the mighty stream is navigable. Another
reason also induced me to ride to Khiva without
going to Petro-Alexandrovsk. In the event of
the Russian Commandant permitting me to enter
198 A RIDE TO KHIVA. .

the capital, which was highly improbable, I felt
convinced that it would be with an escort, and
then I should be taken about to see everything couleur
de rose, or as the Russians would like me to see it, and
not be permitted to take my time and wander free and
unrestrained about the city. I was also curious to know
whether the Khivan sovereign was as great a barbarian
as the Russians made him out to be.

It was only after a great deal of struggling that
I managed to get into the saddle. Although my
horse was only fourteen hands high, my sheepskin
. clothes and other thick garments were very heavy, and
could not have weighed less than fifty pounds. The
stirrup-irons also, though huge of their kind, were
barely large enough, as Nazar had covered them with
felt, so as to prevent my feet freezing to the steel.

The little animal groaned as I gained my seat.
The guide here made a remark to Nazar, and a wolfish
expression passed over his countenance. It wore a
hungry sort of look, and he glared at my horse in such
a peculiar manner that it attracted my attention.

“What does he say, Nazar ?” I inquired.

“He says that your horse has very little fat, but
that he is tough,” was the reply.

“JT hope so,” Iobserved, “the poor beast has to
carry me a long way, and he is very much over-
weighted.”

“No, sir, you do not understand me,” continued my
domestic. “ He means that when your horse breaks
down and we have to kill him, that he will be very
tough food.”

“What! you do not intend to say that the fellow
wants to eat my horse ?” I remarked indignantly.

“Oh, yes, the brute will never get to Petro-
WE CROSS THE SYR DARYA, 199

Alexandrovsk, and then we will all have such a feast,”
and my little Tartar’s eyes glistened as much as the
guide’s had done, as he gloated over the anticipated
banquet, horseflesh being considered a great delicacy
by the inhabitants of those regions.

We soon crossed the Syr Darya river, the Jaxartes
of ancient history, which bathes the southern side of Fort
Number One. A high road had been made over its
frozen surface, which glistened beneath the rays of a
midday sun like a vast sheet of burnished steel: The
steamers belonging to the Aral fleet lay embedded
in the ice, the black funnels and smoky appear-
ance of the vessels contrasting strongly with the
bright colours worn by the peasantry who strolled
along the banks.

A few exiled Cossacks from Uralsk were grouped
together busily engaged conversing with a Tartar,
who had just arrived from Orenburg. They were
trying to learn some tidings of the old folks at home;
whilst two wild-looking Kirghiz were haggling with
a knot of Khivans, the latter wishing to buy a sheep
which the natives had for sale.

A little way from the town we came upon hundreds
of cotton bales lying scattered along the path. No one
was left in charge of them, and the huge bundles
seemed at the disposal of any would-be thief. It
appeared that they had been brought from Bokhara ;
the camel-drivers had gone on to Kasala to feast with
their friends in that town, but would return when the
festival was over, and then continue the journey to
Orenburg. In the meantime their master’s property
was left in the steppe, this affording a striking proof of
the happy-go-lucky disposition of the Tartar camel-
drivers.
200 A RIDE T0 KHIVA,

“ Will not some of the cotton be stolen?” I inquired
of Nazar. ‘

“If God pleases,” was the pious answer.

The Mohammedans invariably throw upon the
Deity the responsibility for any mischance that may
occur through their own negligence. The doctrine of
Jatalism thus covers a multitude of sins.

I subsequently discovered that the only way
to impart a little circumspection to my _ careless
camel-driver when, after smashing my boxes, he ex-
cused himself on the ground that the Almighty had
been the cause of his disaster, was to administer to the
delinquent a slight chastisement. This having been
inflicted, I exclaimed, “ Brother, it was the will of God.
You must not complain; it was your destiny to break
my property and mine to beat you. We neither of
us could help it, praise be to Allah.”

This method of dealing with my party had a
capital effect upon them, and much more care was
afterwards taken in loading and unloading the camels.

Kasala now lay far in our wake, and naught could
be seen save an endless white expanse. A gale came
on. The wind howled and whistled, billowing before
it broad waves of snow. Our eyes began to run, and
the eyeballs to ache; the constant glare and cutting
breeze half blinded us as we rode. The horses waded
heavily through the piled-up ridges. The poor beasts
suffered like ourselves; their eyes were encrusted with
frozen tears; and it was as much as we could do to
urge them forward.

I had taken the precaution to bring some tinted
spectacles from England in order to protect my eyes
from this evil, which gives rise to many cases of
ophthalmia amidst the nomad tribes, the dust and sun
SPECTACLES WITH SIDE SPRINGS USELESS. 201

in the summer months being nearly as trying as the
cutting winds and dazzling snow throughout the winter.
However, my shades proved to be useless. The side-
springs were made of steel, and directly they touched
my cheeks I felt as if they had been seared with a red-
hot poker. There was nothing to be done but to
pull my cap well over my eyes, and look as best I
could through the dark fur. This somewhat shaded
the glaring mirror at our feet, and relieved the aching

pupils.
CHAPTER XXII.

Camels—Their Rate of March—How to divide the Marches—The Kibitka—
Better be Cold than Blind—A Tartar Cook—The Turkoman’s Appetite—
A Khivan Caravan—The Main Road goes to Khiva, the Branch Road to
the Fort—Drinking Tea with the Khivans—Sheltering the Camels,

Arter marching for about five hours, the guide asked
me to halt the caravan. The sun was fast disappear-
ing in the west. We had started late, and as it is
always as well to make a short journey on the first
day, in order to see how the saddles fit, and if the
luggage has been well adjusted on the camels, I
consented, but with the express stipulation that we
must strike our camp and start again at twelve that
night.

Camels will only feed in the daytime, and the best
plan is to march them as much as possible during the
night. They walk very slowly, and as a rule cannot go
more than two miles and a third an hour. This is the
average rate of a caravan; however, they walk a little
faster at night than during the day. It is always as
well to halt at sunset and start at midnight, unloading
the camels for about two hours in the day to feed.
By this means the traveller ought to get sixteen hours
per day steady work from his caravan, and march at
least thirty-seven miles.

All this time the Turkoman driver and guide were
cngaged in putting up the kibitka; this was intended
to screen us from the bitterly cold wind which, coming
DESCRIPTION OF A KIBITKA, 203

straight from the east, whistled across the desert,
unchecked by mountain or forest.

The kibitkas* are very simple in their construction.
I will endeavour briefly to describe them. Imagine
a bundle of sticks, each five feet three inches in length,
and an inch in diameter; these are connected with each
other by means of some cross sticks, through the ends
of which holes are bored and leather thongs passed.
This allows plenty of room for all the sticks to open
out freely, they then form a complete circle about
twelve feet in diameter and five feet three in height.
They do not require any forcing into the ground, for
the circular shape keeps them steady. When this is
done a thick piece of cashmar, or cloth made of
sheep’s wool, is suspended from their tops, and reaches
to the ground. This forms a shield through which
‘the wind cannot pass. Another bundle of sticks is then
produced. ‘They are all fastened at one end toa small
wooden cross about six inches long by four broad; a
man standing in the centre of the circle raises up this
bundle in the air, the cross upwards, and hitches their
other ends by means of little leather loops one by one
on the different upright sticks which form the circular
walls. The result is they all pull against each other,
and are consequently self-supporting ; another piece of
cloth is passed round the outside of this scaffolding,
leaving a piece uncovered at the top to allow the
smoke to escape. One stick is. removed from the
uprights which form the walls. This substitutes a
door, and the kibitka is complete.

* Lieutenant Stumm, a German officer who accompanied the Russian
expedition to Khiva, highly approved of these kibitkas for military pur-
poses. He brought one back with him te show to the military authorities
in Berlin.
204 A RIDE T0 KHIVA.

. A fire is now lit in the middle of the tent, some
snow put in a kettle, which is suspended from a tri-
pod of three sticks above the flames, and under the
influence of a few glasses of scalding tea the way-
farer makes himself as comfortable as circumstances
will admit.

However, the smoke from the damp wood filled
the tent. It was of so pungent a character that we
found it impossible to keep on the roof. Our eyes,
which had suffered from the wind and glare, now
smarted from the smoke. It was impossible to keep
them open.

“The wood is damp,” said the guide; “better be
cold than be blind,” and unhooking the upper frame-
work of the kibitka he left only the walls standing.

It was a glorious evening, the stars as seen from
the snow-covered desert were brighter and more
dazzling than any I had hitherto witnessed. From time
to time some glittering meteor would shoot across the
heavens. A momentary track of vivid flame traced
out its course through space. Showers of orbs of
falling fire flashed for one moment and then disap-
peared from our view. Myriads of constellations and
worlds above sparkled like gems in a priceless diadem.
It was a magnificent pyrotechnic display, Nature being
the sole actor in the spectacle. It was well worth a
journey even to Central Asia.

In the meantime the guide, who took upon himself
the office of chef de cuisine, was occupied with an iron
pot, his special property. He was busily engaged
throwing into this receptacle slices of meat which
with difficulty he had hacked from a piece of frozen
mutton. A few handfuls of rice were next added, and
some hunches of mutton fat. This he extracted from a
THE GUIDE'S CULINARY SKILL. 205

hiding-place in his clothes, and the culinary compound
was speedily crackling over the red-hot embers of our
fire.

It was not a very appetising spectacle, nor a dish
that Baron Brisse would have been likely to add to
any of his menus, but after a ride across the steppes in
midwinter the traveller soon loses every other feeling
in the absorbing one of hunger, and at that time I
think I could have eaten my great grandfather if he
had been properly roasted for the occasion.

Nazar’s face assumed a most voracious aspect.
Seizing a large wooden ladle he buried it in the
cooking mass, then first of all filling his own mouth,
with a look of supreme satisfaction he handed me the
ladle.

The guide, baring his arm to the elbow, plunged his
hand into the pot, and throwing about a quarter of a
pound of its contents within his capacious jaws, bolted
it at one swallow. His eyes nearly started out of his
head with the effort. He smiled condescendingly,
pointed to the viands, the result of his culinary
skill, and, rubbing his stomach slowly, gave me to
understand that the meat was done to a turn.

The Turkoman sat in a corner of the kibitka. He
was taking some little square biscuits or cakes, made of
flour, salt, and fat, from a small bag which had been
attached to the saddle of his donkey. His coun-
tenance. wore a melancholy expression, for the biscuits
were frozen as hard as brickbats. From time to
time he would lay one of the cakes upon the embers,
and when it was thawed through, hand it to one of my
party. “Yackshe” (good) he said to me, looking at the
smoking mutton with a beseeching look, as much as to
say, Let me, too, partake; when, notwithstanding the
206 A RIDE TO KHIVA.

disapproving looks of Nazar and the guide, who
wished to eat it all themselves, I desired him to squat
down by their side.

It was a quaint sight, the two wild figures before
me, with their bare arms thrust alternately into the pot,
every now and then swearing and looking fiercely at the
Turkoman, who, to make up for lost time, ate much
more rapidly than they did. I myself was supplied
with a large saucerful of rice and meat, which, in spite
of the rough manner in which it had been prepared,
proved a very savoury compound.

Whilst thus engaged, three Khivans rode up to us.
One was a merchant, who had been to Orenburg. He
had there disposed of his cotton bales, and was now
returning to Khiva with a supply of Russian goods in
the shape of knives, saucers, cups, and bright-coloured
chintzes, such as find a ready sale in the Khan’s territory.

He was a strong-built, sturdy fellow, and about five
feet ten in height. A tall, cone-shaped black Astrakhan
hat covered his head, whilst his body was clad in an
orange-coloured dressing-gown, thickly quilted, and
girt tightly around his loins with a long red sash. A
heavy sheepskin mantle enveloped him from head to
foot, and with his coal-black beard and piercing dark
eyes, he would have been worth a large sum to an
artist as a model.

For weapons, the Khivan had armed himself with
a long single-barrelled gun. This was ornamented with
damascene work, and had a large bell-shaped muzzle.
The barrel was very thin, and I could not help thinking
that the firearm, should it be discharged, would be much
. more dangerous to its owner than to his foe. A short
richly-mounted sabre completed his offensive arsenal.

He was accompanied by two countrymen, his
THE MERCHANT PROPOSES TO FYOIN US. 207

servants. They kept a careful eye on their master’s
goods, and were similarly armed. The party would
have made the fortune of any London stage manager
who might have required some brigands for a piece,
could they have been placed on the boards as I saw
them then attired.

The merchant had twelve camels and four camel-
drivers with him, besides five led horses. He himself
rode a very nice-looking grey, which I afterwards
tried to purchase, but no offer would tempt the owner
to part with his animal.

He could speak a little Russian, having learnt that
language when trading at Orenburg. On my offering
him a glass of tea, he squatted down by the fire and
proposed that we should continue the journey together,
when our united caravans would run less risk if
attacked by any band of marauding Kirghiz. He
also informed me that the track on which we had that
day been travelling led straight to Khiva, but that a
little further on the road, at a place known by the
Kirghiz as Tan Sooloo, there was a branch road
which would take us to Petro-Alexandrovsk.

My guide, however, did not appear much struck with
the new arrival, and here observed that we were not
going to Khiva but to the Russian Fort, and that his
orders were to take me to Petro-Alexandrovsk, whilst
Nazar whispered in my ear that the Khivan and his
followers would be dangerous companions, the more
particularly as their party was, numerically speaking,
far stronger than our own.

It was evident that neither my servant nor the guide
much liked the proposed addition to our caravan, the
real reason being that they thought the Khivans’ appetite
might perhaps surpass the Turkoman’s, and should I
208 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

extend my hospitality to the former as well as to the
camel-driver, there would be little left for themselves
to eat.

My mind was soon made up about the matter.
I had learned one piece of important information.
This was with reference to the road to Khiva. I
determined, if the merchant could only be _ per-
suaded to march as rapidly as ourselves, to join his
party.

On mentioning this to Nazar, he shook his head,
and remarked that we should be at least twenty days
reaching Khiva, even supposing that our guide would
accompany us there, as the heavily-laden camels of the
trader would never be able to keep up with our own.
The thought then occurred to me that the amount of
barley I had brought for the horses would only last
fourteen days, and hearing from the Khivan’s lips that
he did not expect to reach his destination for at least
three weeks, I gave up the idea.

After staying at our fireside for about half an hour,
the merchant left, and in a short time sent a message by
one of his servants asking me if I would honour him by
drinking tea with himself and followers.

I found the party encamped ina small ravine, about
a hundred yards from my own kibitka, and seated round
a fire. They had sheltered themselves in the same way
as ourselves, and, in addition, had raised up an embank-
ment of snow in the direction of the wind, so as to be
better protected from its gusts. The camel-drivers
had unloaded their animals, and were engaged in shovel-
ling away the snow, so as to leave a dry spot upon
which the huge beasts could lie down. Should this
not be done, and the camels rest on the snow, the
heat of their bodies converts it into water, and the
4 BASIN OF TEA. 209

animals get cold in the stomach, an illness which gene-
rally proves fatal to them. The luggage and saddles
were placed around the cleared spot so as to protect the
camels from the wind, and I found that my Turkoman
had joined the party, and that his three beasts were
also within the enclosure.

The merchant, producing a pillow and piece of
carpet, made me sit in the place of honour, nearest the
fire. Presently he handed me a tin slop-basin, full of
what he called tea, but which was the nastiest beverage
it has ever been my bad luck to taste. It was not tea
in our sense of the word, but a mixture which had a
peculiar flavour of grease, salt, and tea-leaves. Swal-
lowing my nausea as best I could in order to avoid
offending my host, I drank off the nasty draught, and
exclaimed, in the best Tartar I could master for the
occasion, “ Excellent!”

My host was much pleased at my appreciation
of the beverage, and said, “ Now I see that you are not
a Russian” (Nazar having previously informed him
that I was an Englishman). “Strange to say, Russians
do not like my tea. Good tea comes from Hindostan.
You will drink some more?”

Fortunately Nazar now came to my rescue. He
called attention to the stars, said that it was late, and
that we were going to start early; so shaking hands
with my host, I escaped from his well-meant but
decidedly disagreeable hospitality.
CHAPTER XXIII,

A Lazy Guide—A Cold Pig—Insubordination—How to awake Arabs—Hot
Embers better than Cold Water—Power of Camels to Carry Burdens much
Exaggerated—Quickest Road to a Tartar’s Affections—Sores from Frostbites.

I rounp the guide lying at full length on an old piece
of carpet, which he had placed by the fire. He
showed no readiness to resign his place on my arrival.
The little Tartar, however, soon removed him, for
taking up the cooking-pot, which was by that time filled
with ice and water, he poured a portion of the contents
on the head of the delinquent. The latter started up,
uttered some fearful language at this summary pro-
ceeding, which he did not seem to relish, then rolling
the folds of his sheepskin tighter round his body, he
threw himself down a few yards further off from
the fire.

“We shall have trouble with him,” said my faithful
follower; ‘he says that we are not to start till to-morrow
morning. I told him that you would strike the camp
at midnight. He remarked in that case we should
go alone, and that he would return to Kasala.”

It was not pleasant at the outset of the expedition
to find this insubordination in one of my party, and I
felt that the only thing for me to do was to bring matters
to a climax before the refractory spirit communicated
itself to the camel-driver.

“We shall march at twelve,” I observed; “call me
INSUBORDINATION. 21fL

if 1 am not awake ;” and buckling my sheepskin tightly
around me, I soon fell fast asleep.

It is a curious fact that almost every one of us, if we
really wish to awake at a certain hour, invariably do so,
and the more frequently a little before the time. The
result was that at half-past eleven I started up thinking
that I had overslept myself, but as half an hour at
least was required to saddle and load the camels, I
determined to awake the guide.

Walking up to his side I shook him well; he slowly
opened his eyes, but seeing me, emitted a grunt of
displeasure, and turned over again. It is always diffi-
cult arousing this class of people, particularly when they
have once made up their minds to sleep till morning.

In the deserts of Africa I used to have the greatest
trouble with them, one old Sheik, who acted as head
man to my party, being the most sleepy of mortals.
However, I discovered a method of arousing him, which
proved invariably efficacious. His attire was scanty
and slightly indecent according to our ideas. It
merely consisted of a large sheet; this he was wont to
wind many times round his body, and sleep, thus pro-
tected from the winds, which are very cutting at night-
time in the Sahara. No amount of kicking would then
awake the old fellow, and I found that the best plan was
to gradually roll him over and over until the piece
of calico was unwound, and the aged gentleman began
to feel the cold breeze against his nude body.

This invariably produced the desired effect, and,
arising from the sand, he, in his.turn, would visit the
other camel-drivers, and perform on them the same
operation. However, my Kirghiz guide and Turko-
man camel-driver wore no such light apparel. Their
sheepskin garments were tightly strapped around their
212 A RIDE TO KHIVA,.

waists, and of course prevented any such action on
my part.

By way of a commencement I took down the walls
of the kibitka, allowing the wind to exercise its
full sway upon the bodies of the sleepers. I
then trampled upon the embers of our fire. Nazar,
who by this time had awoke, now came up, and
solved the difficulty by putting some hot ashes on the
guide’s sheepskin. The fellow had been awake the

whole of the time, and it was only his obstinacy which
prevented him from getting up. In fact, no amount of
blows would have stimulated the man half so much as
the fear that his clothes should suffer.

He sprang to his feet, and, casting sundry impre-
cations upon Nazar’s head, proceeded to arouse the
Turkoman.

It was a strange, wild scene; the vast snow-covered
steppe, lit up as brightly as if it were midday by a
thousand constellations, which reflected themselves in
the cold white sheet below. Not a cloud dimmed the
majesty of the heavens; the wind had lulled, and no
sounds broke the stillness of the night. The Khivan
and his followers were buried in the arms of Morpheus.
The merchant's head rested on his richly-ornamented
saddle, whilst a sword was placed by him ready for
instant action. The camel-drivers lay within the en-
closure formed by their camels) My Turkoman had
huddled himself up for warmth against the body of
our largest quadruped; whilst his donkey, attracted
by the warmth of the fire, had hobbled to the embers,
and was sleeping side by side with the trader.

The Turkoman resented strongly the unceremonious
manner in which he had been awakened ; and he took
hold of the haft of his knife, prepared to avenge this
FOUWER OF CAMELS. 213

kind of treatment. However, the guide placed his hand
upon the hilt of the rusty old weapon which was strapped
to his side, and the camel-driver succumbed. With a
half-suppressed curse he helped to pack our baggage.

There was now no more resistance. My men were
thoroughly aroused, and a few minutes later our
camels could be heard venting their indignation at
being laden by deep, low growls, bursting out at
intervals, as each beast thought that his own load
was heavier than that of his fellow’s.

There is a good deal of nonsense talked and written
about the patience and long-suffering of these so-called
ships of the desert. I should much like any individual
who thus sings the virtues of these huge animals
to ride a thousand miles on a camel, as the writer
of these lines has done, and find his patient quadruped
either running away, or else suddenly lying down
without any forewarning motion. This latter camel
eccentricity is most disagreeable, as the rider has his
back-bone nearly dislocated, or otherwise feels as if his
body had been split up by the unexpected concussion.
The power of camels to carry burdens is also much
exaggerated ;* and although a strong beast will carry
800 pounds day after day for a short journey, he very
soon breaks down if you should increase the march.

I had reduced the weight carried by my own
animals to 400 pounds per camel, and even with this

* A Russian officer, Captain Potto, remarks in his work, “Steppe
Campaigns”: “The weight of a camel-load should be limited to 700
pounds. This load is generally diminishcd in the spring, when the camels
are casting their coats, and increased when the roads are good, when
there is plenty of forage, and when no great speed is required. Then the
load may be increased to 800 and even 880 pounds, which is about the
weight with our traders’ caravans, On the other hand, the English

calculate the normal load at 560 pounds, and the French and Arabs
at from 800 to 960 pounds.
214 A RIDE 170 KHIVA,

light load had great difficulty in making them march
sixteen hours a day.

Nazar by this time had blown up the embers of the
fire intoa flame, and was ready with some large beakers
of boiling tea. This beverage becomes an absolute
necessity when riding across the steppes in mid-winter,
and is far superior in heat-giving properties to any
wines or spirits. In fact, a traveller would succumb to
the cold on the latter when the former will save his life.
The hot liquid soon put the Turkoman and guide in
good humour; and the fond way in which they looked
at my little servant when he handed them each a hand-
ful of sugar showed me that this difficulty was settled.
The quickest road to a dog’s affection is through his
stomach, and a Tartar’s sympathies lie very much in
the same direction. My men had now learned that
they must obey, and the guide, this having once been
thoroughly impressed upon his stolid mind, became
thoroughly amenable to discipline.

A considerable amount of time, however, had been
lost, and it was 3 A.M. before we were in the saddle.
The Turkoman knew the road, and started with Nazar
and the caravan, whilst the guide and myself trotted
forward at the slow, ambling pace peculiar to the
animals of the steppes, and which some of them can
-keep up for twenty-four hours on an emergency. It is
not quite so fast as a huntsman’s average pace when
returning with his hounds to the kennels, but a much
more jolting one, as the Kirghiz horses are generally
very rough. Indeed, I soon found this out to my cost,
for the sores on my arms and elbows were only half
healed over, the limbs not having recovered from the
effects of the frostbites inflicted during my sleigh-
journey. Not being able to change my clothes was
WAITING FOR THE CARAVAN. 215

an additional source of annoyance, for if I could only
have bathed my arms, there would have been less suf-
fering; but undressing in those climes would only have
added fuel to the flame, and created fresh frostbites.

After about two hours’ riding the guide suddenly
stopped. He now proposed that we should wait until
the caravan arrived, and hobbling our animals with a
piece of cord made of horsehair, and which the Kirghiz
use especially for this purpose, we threw ourselves
down upon the snow and tried to sleep.

No fire could be made, as there were no brambles
in the neighbourhood, and the cold, which was be-
coming very intense, penetrated through my sheepskin
clothes.

It was impossible to go to sleep, the frost not being
of that violent nature which utterly prostrates a man,
although it was quite sufficient to make me feel very
uncomfortable. However, the guide seemed to be
impervious to the weather, whilst some loud snoring
informed me that he was lost to consciousness.

There is a sort of dog-in-the-manger feeling which
seizes many of us when we see another enjoying that
of which we cannot ourselves partake, and the weakness
of human nature is such that I felt very much inclined
to awake the slumberer, and make him teach me a little
of the Kirghiz language, instead of letting the fellow
rest in peace. However, I resisted the temptation, and
lighting a cigarette walked up and down, straining my
eyes in the direction of our gradually approaching
caravan. I was looking forward to the moment when
we could once more trot onwards, the rough motion of
the horse, frostbites and all, not being so hard to bear
as this wearisome onslaught of the elements, which
utterly prevented slumber.
CHAPTER XXIV.

The Guide’s Retaliation—Horses’ Nostrils stuffed up with Icicles—Endurance
of the Horses—The Brother-in-Law’s Horses—Kalenderhana—A Sudden
Thought—Stchi—‘‘ The Women expose their Faces”—The Kirghiz Poetry—
Sheep—A Sign of Manhood in the Bridegroom—Jealous Females—Feasting
—A Peculiar Pocket—Games—Horse Races—The Girls and their Admirers
—The Prettiest Girl in the Tribe—A Simple Marriage Ceremony—“ But
supposing she would not have you?”

THE sun now arose bright and glorious. All the
colours of the rainbow lit up the sky. The wind had
calmed. The cold became less searching. Pre-
sently my little caravan loomed in sight. Nazar was
fast asleep, and stretched out at full length on the top
of a gigantic camel. The little Tartar’s legs dangled
on each side of the saddle, whilst, for better security,
he had strapped himself to a corn-sack.

The guide now retaliated upon the sleeper for the
ducking the latter had inflicted upon him the previous
evening; he seized the camel’s nose, and made that
peculiar hissing sound which all Tartars use to these
animals to make them lie down. The big brute
went down at once on his knees with a sudden jerk.
My little servant awoke, greatly alarmed, thinking that
his strap had broken, and that he had been precipitated
to the ground.

In a few minutes we had put up the walls of the
kibitka, a fire was blazing, and one of the buckets con-
taining frozen cabbage soup was gradually becoming
thawed over the flames. It was just 9 am. The
caravan had marched six hours, we having, according to
A WONDERFUL HORSE, 217

the guide, done seventeen miles. What had surprised
me most during our morning’s march was the extreme
endurance of our horses. The guide frequently had
been obliged to dismount and to clean out their nostrils,
which were entirely stuffed up with icicles; but the
little animals had ploughed their way steadily through
the snow, which was in some places quite two feet deep.
The one I rode, which in England would not have
been considered able to carry my boots, was as fresh as
possible after his march of seventeen miles. In spite
of the weight on his back—quite twenty stone—he had
never shown the least sign of fatigue.

“ He is a wonderful horse,” I said to the guide.

“Horse!” observed the latter, very contemp-
tuously ; “call him a horse! You should see my
brother-in-law’s horses at Kalenderhana, for they are
beautiful animals, round and fat.”

“Where is Kalenderhana ?” I inquired.

“ On this side of the Oxus,” was the reply, “and on
the main track.”

“Not on the road to Petro-Alexandrovsk ?” I
observed.

“No, on the road to Khiva.”

A thought suddenly occurred to me. Why not
try and persuade the fellow to take me to Kalen-
derhana under the pretext of buying some horses from
his brother-in-law ? It was true that I should still
be a good many miles from Khiva, but if the guide
could only be induced to continue the journey as far as
his brother-in-law’s village, I might then find some
other excuse to proceed onward, and enter the Khan’s
capital without having put my foot into the Russian fort.

“How far is Kalenderhana from Petro-Alex-
androvsk?” I inquired.
218 A RIDE TO RKHIVA.

“ About forty miles.”

“Tt is a pity your brother-in-law’s kibitka is so
far from Petro, for perhaps you are right about this
animal. He is hardly up to my weight, or fit for so
long a journey ; however, as we are going to the fort,
I shall buy some horses in that neighbourhood. I am
told that the horses there are very beautiful, that they
are round and fat, and they can gallop like wind.”

I had said enough. It seemed to me that the
best course to pursue would be to let the conversation
drop as if I had no particular interest in the matter,
and had made up my mind as to what I was about to
do. Nazar I had gained over to my views. I had
promised him a 100 rouble note the day we reached
either Bokhara or Merve, w@ Khiva. The little
Tartar was well aware that if we once entered Petro-
Alexandrovsk, he had but little chance of earning his
promised reward.

The guide could not have been persuaded to go to
Khiva by a mere offer of money. If this had been
suggested to him he would have become suspicious,
and have made a mental calculation as to whether it
would not have been better worth his while to
obey the Governor at Kasala and receive a reward
from him, for having brought me straight to the
fort, and carried out his instructions to the letter.
However, there is one element in a Kirghiz’s mental
composition that outweighs every ordinary pecuniary
consideration, and that is his intense love for horse-
dealing. No Yorkshire farmer is keener in this
particular branch of commerce than these half-savage
wanderers in the steppes of Tartary.

The Turkoman, who was superintending the czz-
sine, now announced that the soup was ready, and we
THE MERCHANT IS INQUISITIVE. 219

were soon at work swallowing large spoonfuls of
this favourite Russian dish. It was not an appetising
mixture to look at; masses of thick grease floated on
the top of the finely-grated cabbage, whilst a few
sticks mixed with some pieces of meat which had been
cut up in the soup showed that one of the fagots had
fallen into the cauldron.

The camel-driver again distinguished himself as a
trencher-man. On this occasion he ate the whole of a
four-pound loaf. Occasionally he would bury his
head ‘in the soup vessel, and suck up the half-tepid
liquor, much to the indignation of Nazar and the
guide, the former remarking that this way of eating
was not fair, at the same time offering the Turkoman
aspoon. This the latter gratefully declined, and made
my followers still more angry by saying that the soup
tasted better if eaten in his manner.

The time sped by rapidly. On looking up-
wards, I found that the sun would soon be at his
highest altitude, and that we had already been nearly
three hours stationary. The horses had finished feed-
ing; so, saddling the animals, we proceeded on our
journey with the Khivan caravan, which had by this
time caught us up.

The merchant now announced his intention of con-
tinuing the march in our company; at all events for
that day, in spite of the extra weight carried by his
camels.

He was very inquisitive about England and her
manufactures, the more particularly as one of his
relatives had visited Hindostan, and he himself had
been several times to Bokhara and Balkh.

“When the railway is opened from Sizeran to
Orenburg, I shall go to St. Petersburg,” he observed;
220 A RIDE T0 KHIVA.,

“they tell me that it is like an enchantment, that it is
like a fairy city.”

“ The women expose their faces,” I remarked.

“Yes, that I have observed during my visits
to Orenburg, and was at first surprised to see that
their husbands did not mind it any more than do these
barbarous Kirghiz.” As he said these words he looked
contemptuously at the guide, who was riding a little
in advance of the party, engaged in singing a song
descriptive of his love for mutton.

The Kirghiz poetry is filled with odes in the
honour of sheep, the natives placing this animal on
the highest pinnacle of their estimation—after their
wives, and, indeed, sometimes before them. Sheep
make up the entire riches of the nomad tribes. <A
Kirghiz lives upon their milk during the summer and
autumn. At that time of the year he would consider
it a great piece of extravagance to eat any meat.
This is only done should any animal become ill and
die, in which case there is a feast in the kibitka.
However, if a guest arrives, nothing is too good for
him, and hospitality is shown by slaying one of the
flock.

It is then a red-letter day, and it is remembered
long afterwards by the owner of the animal.

In winter, when there is nothing else upon which
the Kirghiz can subsist, they are obliged occasionally to
kill some of their sheep. They vary this diet by eating
either a horse or a little camel’s flesh, but only in case
any of these last-named quadrupeds should meet with
an accident or die a natural death in the neighbour-
hood. A native’s clothes are made entirely of sheep’s
wool manufactured into coarse homespun. When he
wishes to buy a horse or a camel he gives so many
MATRIMONIAL ARRANGEMENTS. 22!

sheep in exchange. When he wants a wife he pays
for her in the same commodity, a good fat sheep being
worth in those parts about four roubles, or eleven
shillings of our money.

The Kirghiz have a custom of betrothing their sons
to girls often several years before the latter have
arrived at puberty. This is done by the parents of
the interested parties, the father of the lad giving so
many of the flock to the girl’s parents. When the lady
is old enough the bridegroom fetches her home to his
habitation. Her father, if he be generous, returns to
the young couple the same number of animals that
he has previously received, with a few in addition as
interest. But this is only among the more wealthy
families; the heads of poorer establishments do not feel
inclined to give back any of their sheep. They prefer
being thought stingy to having nothing to subsist upon
during the winter.

Sometimes the matrimonial arrangement is made
by the would-be husband, who, going straight to the
girl’s parents, strikes a bargain with them for their
daughter.

When all things are arranged he returns alone to his
own kibitka, which is, perhaps, two or three hundred
versts from the young lady’shome. After waiting here
a few days he goes back for his bride.

It is considered a sign of manhood that the bride-
groom should—regardless of robbers and marauding
parties—bring no companions when journeying towards
the kibitka of his betrothed. The young lady herself
sits inside the tent, and sings a ditty which has reference
to her lover’s bravery, to her own good looks, and to
his good fortune, to sheep, and to the festivities about
to ensue.
222 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

The women of the tribe squat on the ground and
form a circle round the tent. If the bridegroom
attempts to enter the bride’s kibitka the jealous
females rush forward and beat him with sticks, the
most unfavoured and elderly of the unmarried women
taking great delight in this performance. However,
love generally prevails; the young man’s back snuarts,
but he forces a passage into the kibitka. His beloved
one now throws herself into his arms, and he soon
finds a solace for his troubles. The young lady
then presents him with some feathers, red silk, and
cloves, this being the accustomed offering made by
a Kirghiz maiden to her bridegroom to testify to him
her purity and affection. The happy couple are now
left alone, the women outside singing some native ditty,
in which the joys of marriage are rather forcibly
described.

Feasting then begins. Friends and relations come
from all parts of the steppe, having brought horses and
sheep as a contribution to the festival; indeed, without
this it would be impossible for the host to give the
entertainment, for he would be literally eaten out of
house and home.

Sometimes a hundred sheep and forty or fifty horses
are slain, the iron cauldron being kept all day long at
boiling point. The Kirghiz stuff themselves to re-
pletion, and afterwards carry away in their trousers,
which they tie up at the knee, the meat they are unable
to swallow at the time.

It is a peculiar pocket, the roast mutton in this
manner coming closely in contact with the Kirghiz
legs; but such little matters do not affect these half
wild wanderers. When the feast is over the games
begin. The animals which have not been killed are
WINNING A WHITE. 223

set apart as prizes, the young men wrestling with each
other; no tripping is allowed, no dexterity comes into
play, and the contest is decided by sheer strength.

After this there are horse races, the length of the
course being from twenty to thirty miles, this distance
being accomplished at the rate of from eighteen to
twenty miles an hour. The successful rider sometimes
receiving eight or nine horses as a prize.

Then the girls mount the swiftest horses which they
can borrow from their friends or relations. One of the
Amazons challenging the men to race against her gallops
across the steppe. She is pursued by a horseman, who
strives to place his hand round her waist. The girl all
this time showers blows with her whip on the head
of her admirer, and does her best to keep him at bay.
If he does not succeed in his attempt, she will
turn round upon him, and so belabour the unfortunate
wight with her whip that he frequently falls off his
horse. He is then an object of scorn and derision to
all the assembled guests. But if, on the contrary, he
succeeds in placing his hand on the girl’s breast, she
surrenders at once, and they ride away together amid
the cheers and encouraging shouts of the company. It
is not considered strict etiquette to follow, as chape-
rons in Tartary are not considered necessary.

The Turkomans sometimes decide the knotty point
of who is to marry the prettiest girl in their tribe
in the same primitive manner. On these occasions the
whole tribe turns out, and the young lady, being
allowed her choice of horses, gallops away from her
suitors. They follow her. She avoids those whom
she dislikes, and seeks to throw herself in the way of the
object of her affections. The moment that she is
caught she becomes the wife of her captor. Further
224 4 RIDE 10 K&HIVA,

ceremonies are dispensed with, and he takes her
to his tent.

“What do you pay in your country for a wife?”
asked the guide, when I had finished questioning him
on these subjects.

“We pay nothing; we ask the girl, and if she says
yes, and her parents do not refuse, we marry her.”

“ But, if the girl does not like you, if she hits you on
the head with her whip, or gallops away when you ride
up to her side, what do you do in that case ?”

“Why, we do not marry her.”

“But if you want to marry her very much; if you
love her more than your best horse and all your sheep
and camels put together ?”

“We cannot marry her without her consent.”

“ And are the girls moon-faced ?”

“ Some of them.”

The guide appeared to be lost ina fit of meditation
very unusual amidst the Arabs of the steppes. _Pre-
sently, removing his sheepskin hat, and rubbing his
closely-shaven head, he said, “ Will you take me with
you to your country? It would be so nice; I should
get a moon-faced wife, and all for nothing. Why, she
would not cost so-miich as a sheep.”

“ But supposing she would not have you ?”

“Not have me!” and the guide here looked at me
in astonishment, which he emphasised in a manner
peculiar to his countrymen, by using his fingers instead
of a pocket-handkerchief. “Not have me! * Well, I
should give her a white wrapper, or a ring for her ears
or her nose.”

“ And if she still refused you ?”

“Why, I would give hera goldornament forher head;
and what girl is there who could resist such a present ?”
CHAPTER AXY.

Disobedience of Orders—A Lesson—A Song about a Sheep—The Importance
of a Traveller gauged in Russia by his Furs, in Asia by his Retinue—Worn
Out—The Pretty Ice-bearer—Moon-faced Girls—Seville—Gztanas—Buying a
Sheep—* Fat !”—A Beautiful Butcher—a Kirghiz Pipe—Kirghiz Tobacco—
Heart Disease—Desultory Warfare—Progress of Russia—The Sword and
the Gibbet—Christianity and the Bible—A Filthy Habit—Snow for Horses
instead of Water—In the Misty Gloom of Awakening Day—Stretching a
Point—“ We will go to Kalenderhana ”—Ootch Ootkool—Tan Sooloo—Tooz
—A Small Salt Lake.

Tue afternoon was now drawing to a close. By this
time the guide and myself had ridden on consider-
ably ahead of the Khivan and his party ; the merchant,
who spoke a little Russian, having sometimes acted as
interpreter between myself and my follower. I had pre-
viously desired Nazar to continue marching with the
Turkoman and our three camels until they came up to us.

From time to time the guide would leave the track,
and, galloping his horse on to any little rising ground
in the neighbourhood, search for a convenient spot
upon which to encamp. At last he selected a small
ravine, sheltered from the wind by two low hills.
There was a great deal of brushwood in the neighbour-
hood, and I then learned that this spot, even in the winter
time, was a resort of the wandering tribes, as a certain
amount of grass could always be found beneath the
snow; in fact, sufficient to keep life in their animals
till the early spring. But now, for as far as we could
see, there was no living soul besides ourselves in sight.

The cold had become more piercing than ever, the

Oo
226 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

felt which covered the stirrup-irons had worn off in
places, and I had continually to remove my feet from
the stirrup-irons in order to prevent their adhering to
the steel. We looked everywhere, but in vain, for
the caravan; so dismounting and hobbling our horses
we began cutting down what brushwood we could find
for a fire, a small axe purchased at Kasala, and which
was hung from my saddle, proving very useful. For-
tunately the wood was not at all damp; the guide had
found some grass as dry as tinder, and in about five
minutes we had made a fire.

An hour passed away, and then another, but no
signs of the caravan.

My follower now began to be alarmed, and pro-
posed that we should retrace our steps.

After about half an hour’s ride we came upon the
Khivan’s encampment. It appeared that he had stopped
at this place; and as our Turkoman had declared that
he did not know the way, Nazar had taken upon
himself to halt and to unload the camels.

My feet by this time were suffering a good deal
from the cold, but it would never have done to have
given in to my lazy followers, or these delays might
be repeated. I instantly ordered them to saddle and
load the camels. A few grumbles could be heard,
but the men obeyed, and I then returned with them
to the spot my guide had originally chosen.

The lesson produced its effect, and the trouble
given in reloading the caravan proved most efficacious,
as on no subsequent occasion did the Turkoman at-
tempt to halt until such time as he had come up with
the guide and myself.

I was now fifty versts from Kasala, and as the
camels had marched for sixteen hours with but a short
A STEEP RAVINE. 227

halt the previous evening, I determined to remain till
dawn, and then start. This time I had little difficulty
in awaking my party; they were becoming disciplined,
and the moment I shook the guide he arose and began
to load the camels.

I had promised to buy a sheep if we met any
Kirghiz on the road who would sell us one. This
had greatly raised the spirits of my followers. The
guide had improvised a song about the liberality of
the Englishman who was about to give them a whole
sheep, of which he was to have the liver and the most
délicate morsels as his own portion.

Quantities of shrubs on both sides of the path, and
extending right and left as far as the eye could reach,
varied the sameness of the scene; bright-coloured
grass and low brushwood in great abundance were
interspersed with thick masses of stunted bramble-
trees. Evidently we were approaching a locality fre-
quented by beings like ourselves, for human footsteps
could be plainly traced in the track leading to some
black dots yet only dimly seen in the gradually breaking
morn. Larger and larger they became, until at last a
thick cloud of dark blue smoke issuing from the roof
of these dark objects showed us that we were ap-
proaching the dwelling-place of some Kirghiz.

On descending a steep ravine we came upon what
appeared to have been a sheep-pen, for the footprints
of these animals could be here seen in great abund-
ance, and an enclosure of piled-up logs showed where
the sheep had but recently been confined. The guide
now got off his horse and looked at me complacently.
“ Bah, bah,” he said, and opening his mouth from ear
to ear showed a row of white teeth which would have
been the envy of many a London dame,
228 A RIDE TO KHIVA.

However, he did not wish to go forward at once to
the kibitkas. We should not present the same majestic
appearance alone and unaccompanied, as we should
make a little later, and at the head of our caravan.
In Russia the importance of a traveller is gauged by
the value of his furs, in Asia by the number of his
retinue. The guide was aware of this, and in spite of
his longing for mutton he was enabled to restrain
himself until such time as we could appear with
proper dignity.

I myself was not sorry of the opportunity afforded
me to obtain a little sleep. Continued travelling had
thoroughly tired me out, and flinging myself down
by the side of a huge bonfire of brambles I became
instantly lost to consciousness. When I awoke the sun
was descending towards the west, and Nazar coming
up told me that the caravan had been waiting there
two hours, but seeing that I was so fast asleep he
had not wished to awake me.

Another half hour, and we rode up to the principal
kibitka. It evidently belonged to a wealthy Kirghiz.
The dwelling was three times the size of an ordinary
kibitka. The walls were ornamented with straw
plaiting of different colours, whilst an abundance of
hay in an enclosure adjoining the dwelling showed that
the proprietor was a prudent man and had laid in a
supply of fodder for his horses.

A girl who was carrying a large sheet of ice to the
tent came up to the guide, who asked her if there
were any sheep for sale. This inquiry instantly pro-
duced a sensation in the kibitka, and the whole family
came out to have a look at the Croesus who actually
wanted to buy a whole sheep.

The head of the kibitka was a man considerably
TITE PRETTY ICE-BEARER. 229

above the middle age. He must in his earlier days
have been a splendid type of mankind, for even now
his muscular neck, square shoulders, and enormous
girth of chest, showed that he would be a dangerous
opponent in a hand-to-hand struggle. He was fol-
lowed by a woman suckling a child, and in rear of
her, and taking a shy inquisitive glance at the new
arrival from behind the door of the kibitka was the
girl the guide had accosted on arrival.

She was an exception to the generality of Kirghiz
women, who rarely exhibit any marked signs of beauty,
and their high cheek-bones, bullet heads, and low fore-
heads are not often appreciated by the foreigner.

A moon-faced girl in a London ball-room would be
added to the list of wall-flowers, though ina Tartar’s
estimation that class of beauty is the highest to which
the fair sex can aspire. The ice-bearer, however,
would have held her own, if pitted for good looks,
against any European belle; and her complexion, two
or three shades darker than that of her companions,
made my thoughts wander several thousand miles in
another direction, and I bethought me of far-off Seville,
for the girl might have been a gz¢taza (gipsy girl), from
Triana, by the side of the Guadalduiver.

She was evidently from a southern clime, her
small mouth and well-shaped nose—a relief from the
pug probosces which, for the most part, distinguish the
Tartars—denoting a Persian origin. Very likely the
daughter of a captive who, in years gone by, had been
carried off in a raid from the country on the other side
of the Attrek, and found favour in the eyes of her
master. —

The old man volunteered to lead us to the sheep-
fold. Dismounting from our horses, we accompanied
230 4 RIDE 10 KHIVA,

him in that direction. The pretty girl, who had
recovered from her shyness, hurried forward to
catch one of the flock for our inspection. She ran
like a hare over the rough stumps and brushwood
which studded the snow-covered ground, a large
number of black-faced sheep scampering before her.
At last she came up with one which, fatter than its
companions, could not keep up with the flock. Sud-
denly stooping, she seized her victim by one foot, and
with a rapid movement turned him over on his back.

A clear ringing laugh resounded from her lips.
She turned round to us, and pointed triumphantly at
the sheep; then drawing her hand across her neck, she
went through in pantomime the operation of cutting
his throat.

My guide was now in his element; he rushed
forward, and bending down punched the unfortunate
animal in the ribs, then looking up at me he made.use
of the one word, “ Fat!”

A bargain was soon struck, the price being four
roubles; and we returned to the kibitka to pay a visit
to the proprietor, the girl going on in front with her
arm round the neck of my recently-acquired purchase.
The slight shadow of sentiment created in my mind
at the first sight of her beautiful face became rapidly
effaced as I saw how eager she was to play the part
of a butcher.

On entering the tent I found that the ground was
covered with thick carpets; a layer of hay having
been put down between them and the ground. The
carpets were of many colours, and on inquiry I learnt
that they had been purchased from a merchant who
had passed that way on his road to Kasala. A
cushion was brought for me, and I was given the
4A KIRGHIZ PIPE. 231

post of honour by the fire, which consisted of a
few red embers piled up in a shallow basin of dried
clay. The proprietor, squatting down opposite me,
whilst the rest of his family, seated on their hams,
their knees and chins touching, gazed curiously upon
the newly-arrived stranger.

The children were so wrapped up in skins and
furs that each child looked three times his natural
size. They were amusing themselves by teasing the
unfortunate sheep, which was tied up to the door of
the kibitka. A single-barrelled gun—the barrel tied
to the stock by a leathern thong—and two old swords
were hung up in the corners of the tent. A few
iron cooking-pans, a bright-coloured earthenware tea-
pot, and some wooden spoons stood on a gaudily-
painted wooden box; this contained the valuables of
the proprietor.

A large. brass pipe was near the fire. It resembled
a Turkish so-called hubble-bubble, as the smoke had
first of all to pass through some water which was
contained ina receptacle below the bowl, whilst, instead
of there being a long india-rubber tube through which
to inhale the fumes, this was substituted by a wooden
stem about two feet long, to the end of which was
a horn mouthpiece. The tobacco smoked was very
different to any I have seen in other countries. It
was so strong that two or three whiffs were sufficient
to prostrate for the moment any man not accustomed
to its use.

The host, taking up his pipe, slowly inhaled the
fumes, until after about half a minute he fell back
upon his carpet, apparently stupefied by the effects
of the tobacco. Indeed, I subsequently heard that
all natives who much indulge in this kind of smoking
232 A RIDE T0 KHIVA.

are subject to heart disease, and a number of sickly
Khivans were pointed out to me as victims to this habit.

We were informed that the snow on the desert
in-front of us was very deep in several places, and
that we should have a great deal of difficulty in riding
through some of the drifts. To the guide’s inquiry
whether there had been any bands of Turkomans
in those parts, the answer was “ No,” that the country
was comparatively speaking quiet, but that as the Oxus
was frozen no one could tell whether some Turkoman
party or other might not have crossed the river during
the last few days.

There is a sort of desultory warfare,* which is
carried on at intervals between the Russians and some
of the Turkoman tribes, the former shooting down the
Bedouins of the steppes without any mercy whenever
they catch them. Where might is right, a great
deal can be done by this terrorizing system. How-
ever, it is as well to call things by their proper names.
It would be more correct to say that the progress
of Russia in the East is based upon the sword and
the gibbet rather than upon Christianity and the Bible.

The guide now became impatient, and proposed
that we should return to our tent, which had been
pitched at about ten minutes’ walk from the ad#/
(Kirghiz settlement). He was a little alarmed lest I
should invite his compatriots to the feast, in which
case, as it is always the custom to help the guests first,
and their appetites he gauged by his own, he thought
that there would be little or nothing left for himself
and Nazar. In the meantime the young lady—the
ct devant object of my admiration—had cut the sheep’s

* See Appendix H, Russian operations against the Yomud Turkomans.
THE MARCH CONTINUED. 233

throat, and a little while later the carcase was brought
to our encampment, the fair butcher receiving the skin
and head as a recompense for her trouble.

My followers were in their element. Huge lumps
of half-cooked meat and fat rapidly disappeared
down their throats, the feasting going on steadily
during several hours. At last nature could do no
more, all the belts had been let out to the last hole,
and Nazar, putting his head close to mine, eructated
loudly in my face, the Turkoman and the guide per-
forming the same operation, but fortunately at a little
distance. This was done in honour of the enter-
tainer, and in order to show their appreciation of the
repast. Indeed, to such an extent is this filthy habit
fashionable in Central Asia, that a Kirghiz who has
eaten nothing in his friend’s house will do his best to
eructate outside, so that all the bystanders may say—

“ See how he has been entertained! Howhe must
have feasted! His host has honoured him. He must
bea distinguished man!”

We continued our march at daybreak, and rode to-
wards a spot known by the Kirghiz as Berd Kazgan,
where there was said to be a well of brackish water.
Our horses and camels had not drank since leaving
Kasala. They had only eaten snow, and although the
Kirghiz never give their herds of horses any water
during the winter months, but leave them to shift for
themselves, the animals suffer very much in conse-
quence, and when they are doing hard work the owner
has to give them water at least every fourth day.

Our course now lay nearly due south. Occasionally
we came to places where the wind acting upon the
snow had blown it into all sorts of curious forms and
shapes. Sometimes in the misty gloom of awakening
234 4 RIDE TO KHIVA,

day we seemed to be riding through endless cemeteries,
the frozen patches resembling slabs or marble grave-
stones, this apparently unbounded burial-ground ex-
tending across the desert as far as the eye could reach.

As I was riding across the plain my horse stumbled
slightly, when the guide remarked, “ How thin the poor
beast is! If you could only see my brother-in-law’s
horses |”

“Well,” I replied, “it is rather out of the way to
ride to Kalenderhana, but, to oblige you, I would not
object to stretch a point and go there instead of to
Petro-Alexandrovsk.”

“What would the Commandant say ?” observed the
guide. “He might punish me; perhaps I should be
beaten.”

“That is your business, not mine,’ I remarked;
“but the horses are beautiful at the fort. We will go
there.”

“No,” said the guide, “we will go to Kalenderhana,
and then from my azi/ to the fort. It will be a little
way round—however that does not signify—we will
not say a word to the Commandant, and you shall buy
such a horse! You will look with scorn at every other
horse you may see, and people will say, ‘ What a for-
tunate man.’”

We had now thoroughly outstripped the Khivan,
being at least twelve hours ahead of his caravan. I
was not sorry for this, as otherwise the sudden change
in my route might have surprised him. We had
left Ootch Ootkool, a spot marked on Wyld’s map of
Khiva, considerably to our rear, whilst the country was
a succession of hill and dale; but much more undulating
towards my bridle hand than in the direction of the
setting sun.
A SALT LAKE, 235

Our course, as we neared a spot known by the Kir-
ghiz as Tan Sooloo, was south-south-west. From this
place to Tooz, our next halting-place, the distance was
forty-five versts. On either side of the track there were
deep hollows and ravines innumerable, whilst saksaool
and brushwood became each moment more scarce.
Apparently all this country had been at some remote
period buried beneath the sea. Frequently we came
across shells and other marine crustacea scattered in
profusion along our path, whilst at Tooz we passed a
small salt lake which lay about a hundred yards to the
east of the track, and was frozen as hard as adamant.

Tooz signifies salt in the Tartar language, and the
sand all about the lake is saturated with salt. Indeed,
the traveller does not require any stronger testimony
to this fact than the peculiar taste of his tea, for how-
ever carefully the snow is chosen it is sure to become
mixed with a little sand, and the more you drink ‘the
thirstier you become. According to the guide there
were two much larger sheets of salt water to the west,

dividing the ground between ourselves and the Sea
uf Aral.
CHAPTER XXVI.

The Turkoman on his Donkey—Jana Darya—A once Fertile Country—A
Barren Waste—The Grandfather of the Khan—English Horses and Kirghiz
Horses—Russian Cavalry—A Sea like Molten Gold—Isles as if of Silver—-
Kamstakak—A Fresh Water Pond—A Return to Vegetation—Saigak—
Pheasants—The Camel Driver is taken IlI—The Moullahs—Conjuring the
Evil One—A Dog of an Unbeliever—The Guide’s Fight with the Khivan—-
A Revolver is sometimes a Peace-maker—Khivan method of Preserving
Grass throughout the Winter—Deep Chasms—Tombs—The Vision of the
Kirghiz—The Kazan-Tor Mountains—Auriferous nature of the Soil.

IT was a quaint spectacle to watch my little caravan as
we rode away from our different encampments. First
came the guide, clad in a long dressing-gown of crim-
son cloth, which he had exchanged for the more homely
garment in which he commenced the journey. His
robe, which was lined with sheepskin, was tightly girt
round his loins with a broad blue sash; a tall, conical-
shaped black hat surmounted his bronzed countenance.
His sword dangled at his side, and he used the
weapon sheathed as a whip to urge on his steed, now
a little done up by this constant marching through
the snow.

Then appeared a still more ludicrous figure—the
Turkoman camel-driver. He rode a donkey he had
purchased just before leaving Kasala; the long legs of
the rider nearly touched the ground, whilst tis figure
was wrapped up in a tattered robe, that looked as if it
might have formed part of an old Turkish carpet. His
YANA DARYA., Py

head was adorned with a white sheepskin hat of the
coal-scuttle pattern. His feet, which had first been
carefully wrapped up in many thicknesses of cloth,
were inserted in a pair of enormous high boots.
Around his arm was hitched the end of a rope; this
was attached to a huge camel which strode behind the
donkey.

On the top of the camel lay my Tartar ser-
vant, generally fast asleep, with arms and legs out-
stretched. A cord was bound round his waist, and
attached to some corn-bags to keep him from
rolling over. The other two camels stalked along
in the rear, the whole cavalcade throwing weird and
grotesque shadows on the pale carpet of snow, which
exaggerated a thousand times in its reflections the
motley appearance of my party.

We were approaching Jana Darya, the dried-up bed
of a river which is lost in the sand. All the desert in
this neighbourhood was once thickly inhabited; canals
cut on all sides irrigated the now parched-up soil, and
this not so long ago, for there are men alive who say
that they have heard tell of the former richness of this
district.

The grandfather of the present Khan of Khiva is
said to have been the cause of this once fertile plain
having been changed into an absolute waste, for,
fearing that the Russians would make use of the Jana
Darya and its communication with the Syr Darya as a
means to advance upon Khiva, he had a dam built
near the junction of the rivers. The Syr Darya then
no longer supplied the Jana’s channel; gradually the
water dried up, and the inhabitants of this formerly
rich district emigrated by thousands to the other side
of the Oxus.
238 A RIDE TO KIIVA,

Later on, and after the Russians had built Fort
Perovsky, the dam was destroyed, and the Jana Darya
once more fertilised the district. However, the Jaxartes
became then so shallow that the steamers in the Sea of
Aral could with difficulty ascend to Tashkent. The
old channel was once more blocked, and thousands
of acres of once fertile territory are now a barren
waste.

From Jana Darya we rode sixty versts, or forty
miles, without a halt. I must say that 1 was astonished
to see how well the Kirghiz horses stood the long
journeys. We had now gone 300 miles, and my
little animal, in spite of his skeleton-like appearance,
carried me quite as well as the day he left Kasala,
this, probably, being owing to the change in his food
from grass to barley. We are apt to think very highly
of English horses, and deservedly, so far as pace is
concerned ; but if it came to a question of endurance,
I much doubt whether our large and well-fed horses
could compete with the little half-starved Kirghiz
animals. This is a subject which must be borne in
mind in the event of future complications in the
East.

Now the snow became scarcer along the track,
and could only be found in thin patches, the sand being
almost everywhere visible, and looking, beneath the
influence of a glaring sun, like a sea of molten gold
studded with silver isles. Presently the latter, in
their turn, could no longer be seen; the snow had
entirely disappeared from our gaze, and an unbounded
ocean of sand lay behind us, before us, and all
around.

It must not be thought that the cold had equally
taken flight. The two days’ march when the ground
SIGNS OF VEGETATION. 239

was exposed to view were the most trying of the
journey. The mercury had descended to 30° below
zero, and the wind was more biting than ever—in fact,
we could not take off our gloves for an instant without
the hands and fingers being instantly benumbed, and
powerless to do their work. My followers had a
great advantage in this respect, as their Eastern attire
required no buttoning; whilst, if ever I unbuttoned
my coat, my firigers lost their feeling, and the little
Tartar’s services had to be called into requisition to
button it for me again.

Just before reaching a spot known to the Kirghiz
as Kamstakak, we rode through a raised plain sur-
rounded by sand-hills. It formed a vast natural
amphitheatre, of a circular shape, with a diameter of
quite five miles. In the centre of this plateau we
came upon a freshwater pond, the result of the rain,
which falls very heavily during the rainy season in
the months of February, March, and April. A good
supply of ice was chopped out with the axe, and some
large pieces of the frozen water strapped to the saddle
of one of the camels, for us to melt if required during
our onward journey.

The country again showed signs of a return to
vegetation. It was covered with thick brushwood. The
shrubs were much larger; and the general appearance
of the landscape betokened that we were approaching a
more fertile soil. For the first time since I left Kasala,
traces of game were to be found. Here and there
a hare would dart across our path, whilst herds of
saigak, as difficult to approach as the chamois, could be
seen bounding away from us at the first sound of our
approach. Pheasants were said to be plentiful in the
neighbourhood, and occasionally we could see the birds
240 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

running before us in the distance, seeking to hide
themselves in the thick foliage.

Up to this time everything had gone smoothly with
my party, and no one had shown any symptoms of
illness; but this happy state of things was not des-
tined to continue, for the camel-driver began to show
decided signs of being done up. He had caught a
fever some years before at Bokhara, and was subject to
periodical attacks of this malady. He groaned a great
deal, could not look at food, and on trying to mount
his donkey fell backwards in the attempt. There was
nothing for it but to strap him on to a camel and con-
tinue our march, the poor fellow writhing with pain at
every movement of the animal. I offered him some
quinine, but he had a horror of medicine, and said that
he should not be well till he saw his moullah, or priest,
when the latter could conjure the evil one out of him.

The Turkomans and other nomad races in the
steppes often attribute a disease or illness to the
devil, and think, like some nations of old, that they
cannot be cured unless a holy man will exorcise the
demon, and with him their malady. All that night the
camel-driver groaned incessantly, and he showed such
signs of prostration that I much feared we should
never get him alive to the guide’s avi.

About twenty miles from the freshwater pond in
the wilderness we came to a place known as Karakol.
Here we saw, to the west of our route, what appeared
to be a large lake. However, the guide said that it
was an overflow from the Amou Darya. Close by the
water there were a few Kirghiz kibitkas. The ground
was cultivated in this neighbourhood, whilst corn and
various grasses for cattle abounded throughout the
district.
THE GUIDE INSULTED. 241

We now encountered a small party of Khivans.
My guide gave them the ‘customary salutation, “ Sada
aaleckom ;” however, they made no response. Their
leader had observed by my dress that I was a
foreigner. He looked fixedly at us, and recognised
our guide as the one who had aided the Russians
during their advance against the Khan’s country.
The Khivan stopped his horse, and called out to
him, “ There you are again, with dogs of unbelievers.
I have little doubt but that you are an unbeliever
yourself.”

This was too much for the equanimity of my guide,
who piqued himself upon his rigid observance of all
Mohammedan rites.

Did he not wash his feet with snow the prescribed
number of times a day in spite of the danger of having
them frostbitten, and had he not once suffered in
consequence ?

Did he not rub his hands with snow before eating ?
and had he ever been known to put his left hand in the
dish? No; I might be called a dog of an unbeliever,
and that was very likely the case. Had he not seen me
eat some sausages of that kind which, when at Kasala,
he had been informed was made of the flesh of the
unclean animal? Was not one pot of the preserved
meat which I had purchased at Orenburg, and of
which he always refused to partake, also a composition
of the same foul beast ?

The insult was too great to be borne, and he made
a tremendous effort to draw his scimitar. This was
a hopeless task, so rushing forward with his whip in
the air he commenced the attack by smiting vigorous
blows on a new Astrakhan cap which adorned the head

of the Khivan. The latter retaliated by striking the
P
242 A RIDE T0 KHIVA,

guide on his crimson dressing-gown with a short camel
stick. The damage done to their clothes was great, and
the Khivan suddenly seizing the skirt of my guide’s
garment tore it up the back. The sound of the tear
made my follower more furious than ever, for he was
very proud of the robe in question, and was looking
forward to displaying it to his brother-in-law at
Kalenderhana.

The combatants became breathless with their
exertions. The Khivan’s companions surrounded the
guide, and began to play with their knife-handles in
a menacing manner. They were six men to two,
as the guide and myself had outstripped our caravan
by several versts. I now drew a pistol from its
holster, and this action on my part immediately pro-
duced the desired effect. A revolver is a formidable
weapon, and the band of Khivans had sufficient dis-
crimination to recognise its use. Their party fell back
a little, and one of them putting his knife down on the
ground said something to me, which I understood meant,
“Tt is not your business to interfere; let them settle
it between themselves.” To this I could not make
any objection, when the opponents, seeing that they
were to be the only combatants, left off wrestling
together.

My guide, who was very much out of breath, now
blew his nose with his fingers as a sign of contempt
for his adversary, and squatted on his haunches on the
ground. His foe, not to be outdone, performed the
same feat with his nasal organ, and sat down opposite
him. They then began a verbal battle, in which the
reputations of their respective female relatives were
much aspersed. This continued for about five minutes,
when becoming tired with waiting I walked up to them
KIRGHIZ TOMBS. 243

and said “Aman” (peace); then taking hold of their
wrists I forcibly made them shake hands. “ Salam
aaleckom” (peace be with you), at last said the guide.
“ Aaleikom asalam ” (with you be peace),.was the
answer, and the combatants separated.

We now encountered a party of men and women
who were engaged in unearthing a quantity of grass
from a deep cutting in the ground. This grass had
been mown in the previous autumn, and was thus pre-
served until such time as the owner required it;
the extreme cold, or perhaps the dryness of the air,
keeping the grass as fresh as the day it was cut. Our
10ad became less clearly defined, frequently making
the most circuitous turns, and winding round in a
northerly direction to turn once more due south.
We passed by deep holes and chasms in the path.
The chasms were caused by the heavy rainfall
which occurs during the wet season. This would
have made it dangerous travelling after nightfall if
it had not been for the brightness of the moon and
stars, which lit up the surrounding country and
turned the night almost into day.

The camel-driver at last showed symptoms of re-
covery ; the fever had left him, but he was wretchedly
weak, and could not sit on his donkey, Nazar riding
that animal, having given up his own huge steed to the
Turkoman. Presently we came across some Kirghiz
tombs which were constructed of clay dried in the sun.
Some of them rose from thirty to forty feet above the
ground. These marked the resting-places of the richer
Kirghiz, who, like Abraham and the forefathers of old,
wandered from place to place with their flocks and
herds, seldom however omitting to select a plot of
ground and build a tomb to contain their ashes.
244 A RIDE T0 KHIVA.,

So, like the vanity of the human race, we too build
tombs in order that some distinguished personages may
be remembered, whilst posterity soon forgets the very
name of the departed.

How many Egyptians are there that know who built
the pyramids, and for whom they were constructed ?
How many Englishmen can tell us in whose honour
some of the statues in the parks and squares of London
were erected? The poorer Kirghiz, like the poor in
other countries, have no such honours paid to their
remains—no pillar or stone marks the spot where their
bodies are turned to dust. ‘ Where the tree falls, there
let it lie.” This old saying well applies to them: a hole
is dug, a few shovelfuls of sand are thrown over their
remains, and, save perhaps by their horses and camels,
the children of the desert are soon forgotten.

The guide and I had by this time ridden a long way
in front of our caravan. We determined to await its
arrival. We were on the borders of Khivan territory.
It was impossible to say how the inhabitants would
receive us.

We lay down by the side of the road, and in a few
minutes were fast asleep. Indeed, after several days
of almost incessant travelling, I found myself continually
dozing off on horseback, and then clutching convulsively
at the pommel of my saddle, as the animal swerved and
threw me off my balance. When we awoke, the guide
was anxious to know whether the camels had passed us
during the night. Looking down on the ground, he
carefully inspected the various tracks—one of our
camels having a peculiar mark upon a hind foot,
which enabled my man to distinguish her tread from
that of a million quadrupeds.

The vision of the Kirghiz is very extraordinary
KAZAN-TOR. 245

and my guide would often discern objects with the
naked eye which I could barely distinguish with
my glasses. His knowledge of locality was also very
remarkable. Sometimes when no track could be seen,
he would get off his horse and search for flowers
or grass. If he could find any, he would then be
able to judge by their appearance as to the district
in which we were.

The Book of Nature was as familiar to this semi-
savage Kirghiz as the Koran to his moullah. Presently
pointing to a chain of mountains, which, rearing them-
selves up before us, extended east and west of our
path, he observed that Kalenderhana was just behind
them; then making a sound suggestive of a kiss,
he informed me that he should not be sorry to see
his wife.

The scenery became more striking as we approached
this mountain barrier. Picturesque crags and large
masses of sparkling quartz dazzled the eye with their
glinting. Broken patches of frozen snow at intervals
carpeted the sandy soil, and formed a mirror which
flashed beneath the midday sun. Many streaks down
the rugged sides of the heights around us showed
where. the rain, pouring down on their crests in the
early spring, diverged in foaming torrents. Here,
dashing with irresistible force through the narrow
pass, they would furrow a road before them; there,
emerging from the gradually widening defile, they
would rush in a hundred different channels to swell
the volumes of the mighty Oxus.

This mountainous ridge was called by the guide
Kazan-Tor. My first impression was that the pass,
which gives access to some fertile plains, would prove
a formidable obstacle to an invading column. How-
246 A RIDE TO KHIVA.

ever, the chain of hills does not extend very far in an
easterly direction. It comes to an abrupt termination
about twenty-five miles from the track upon which I
was travelling, and the flank can be easily turned.
The defile is about a quarter of a mile broad, and
about seven miles long, the ground having a strongly-
marked auriferous nature; whilst, from the appearance
of some of the rocks, I should say that a search for
copper would not prove unremunerative to an engineer
or his employers.

We emerged upon a vast plain, which was in-
tersected by a quantity of water-courses, or canals.
These, springing from the Amou Darya, are employed
by the inhabitants of the adjacent villages for irrigating
their fields during the summer.
CHAPTER XXVIII.

Villages Fortified—The Turkoman Raids exaggerated—A Retrospect—The Cos-
sacks Invade Khiva—Urgentch—Peter the Great’s Idea about Khiva and India
—Prince Bekovitch—Careful Preparations for the Expedition—Points Selected
by the Shores of the Caspian—Forts St. George, Alexander, and Kras-
novodsk—March across the Ust Urt—Destruction of the Russians—Expedi-
tion in 1859—Chikishlar Taken—Military Posts Established—Chikishlar
Occupied in 1871—Russian Statement about the Shah’s Recognition of the
Tzar’s Claim to Ashourade—Russians Established at Four Points in Turkomar
Territory—The Adayefs—Forced Contributions—Taxes Raised 150 per Cent.
—Dissatisfaction—Letter from the Khan—Adayefs Overcome—The Khan’s
Letters to the Emperor and to the Viceroy of the Caucasus—The Russian
Chancellor’s perfect understanding with Mr. Gladstone’s Government—Count
Schouvaloff’s Statement to Lord Granville—Positive Assurances to Parliament
about Khiva—The Force Employed by Kauffmann in his Advance upon
Khiva—The different Columns —Difference of Opinion between Kryjinovsky
and Kauffmann—Capture of Khiva—Markosoff’s Failure—War Indemnity—
—Prince Gortschakoff’s Principles—Treatment of the Turkomans—General
Kryjinovsky’s Statement about this Subject—Court Martial on Two Turko-
mans—Sentence of Death—Russian Treaty with Khiva—Khivan Territory
given to Bokhara,

PRESENTLY we came to some kibitkas which were
evidently constructed as a permanency. Wide ditches
were dug around them, and high wattled palisades,
which in every instance encircled the dwellings, showed
us that the inmates feared attack. Indeed, from this
spot until we crossed the Oxus, each village was for-
tified in some such a manner. Formerly the Kirghiz
and Turkomans lived in a continual state of war. The
Kirghiz made marauding expeditions into their neigh-
bours’ territory, and carried off horses and cattle.
Their foe, in his turn, frequently crossed the Oxus
in armed bands of from fifty to sixty horsemen,
248 A RIDE TO KHIVA.,

plundered the Kirghiz kibitkas, and carried away
the spoil. At the present moment, from Russian
sources, we only hear of the marauding disposition
of the Turkomans, and of the peaceful disposition
of the Kirghiz. The Turkoman raids are purposely
exaggerated, in the same way as previously the
Khivans were maligned. This is done as an excuse
for a subsequent advance upon Merve. The fact is,
that if the Kirghiz carry off a Turkoman’s cattle, no
one hears of it. If, on the contrary, the latter crosses
the Oxus by way of retaliation, it is made the subject
for a tirade of abuse.

Indeed, if we were to believe some Russian state-
ments, the Khivans have always been the aggressors.
It is not generally known that the first attack on
this Centra] Asian khanate was made by the subjects
of the Tzar.

This occurred at the end of the sixteenth century.
A band of Cossacks happened to capture some Persian
merchants, and through them learnt of the existence of
the rich territory of Khiva. Their cupidity was excited.
They resolved to make a raid in that direction. The
Cossacks rode across the Kirghiz steppe in light
marching order, without having any baggage with
them save that which could be carried on their
saddles. After crossing the Oxus, they attacked
the Khivan town Urgentch. The Khan and his
forces were absent. Little resistance was made, and
the town was destroyed, the Cossacks carrying off a
thousand women, besides many carts laden with a rich
booty. This extra baggage proved too much for
them. They were overtaken and surrounded by the
Khivans. The Russians had no water, but they fought
for several days, quenching their thirst with the blood
PRINCE BEKOVITCH’S EXPEDITION. 249

of the slain. Human nature, however, has its limits.
At last, when nearly all the Cossacks had been
killed, the remainder surrendered, and were brought
back prisoners to the Khan,

The Cossacks did not recover very rapidly from
this serious blow. After a time they once more
marched upon Khiva in a band of five hundred strong,
under the command of Ataman Nechai. The raid was
made successfully ; but when returning with their spoil
the Cossacks were overtaken. The Khivans slew them
to a man.

A third campaign was equally disastrous. The
Cossacks lost their way. Instead of reaching Khiva,
they found themselves by the shores of the Sea of
Aral. The winter came on; frosts commenced, storms
raged, provisions were exhausted. At first the Cos-
sacks killed some of their number, and lived upon
the dead bodies. Finally, they went to the Khivans,
and voluntarily gave themselves up into slavery.

For the fourth time the Russians made war
upon Khiva in the reign of Peter the Great. This
monarch was fully aware of the advantages to be
gained by taking possession of the country. The
report that there was auriferous sand in the River
Amou, and that the Khivans purposely concealed this
circumstance for fear of bringing the Russians to the
Khanate, also attracted the Tzar’s attention. He de-
termined to open out mercantile relations with India
vi@ Khiva.

Prince Bekovitch Tcherkassky was given the com-
mand of the expedition. Careful preparations had to
be made previous to an advance. Points were selected
by the shores of the Caspian, and forts built at Cape
Tiuk-Karagan, and at the entrance to the Alexander
250 A RIDE T0 KHIVA.

and Balkan Bays (Fort St. George, Alexander, and
Krasnovodsk*) so as to maintain communications with
Astrakhan.

After securing his base in this manner on the
eastern shore of the Caspian, Prince Bekovitch ad-
vanced across the Ust Urt into Khivan territory.

His detachment consisted of two companies of
mounted infantry, one dragoon regiment, 2,500 Cos-
sacks, with some Tartars and Kalmucks, in all of 3,300
men, and six guns. Three months’ provisions were
carried on camels and in carts drawn by horses.
Bekovitch, after a two months’ march, halted on the
banks of the Oxus. He had then traversed goo miles
of sandy steppe, in the hottest season of the year,
and when the only water that could be obtained had
to be procured from wells dug at each halting-place.
The Russian prince was attacked by the Khivans.
He had drawn up his forces so as to protect his rear
by the river, whilst his flanks were defended by a
barricade formed of baggage wagons. After a fight
which lasted three days the Khivans were repulsed.
A truce was now declared, when the prince, thinking
himself secure, was so idiotic as to divide his troops.
The latter were at once attacked, and cut to pieces
by their enemy.

Perovsky’s expedition in 1839, which proved such a
disastrous failure, I have already mentioned, and not
much more was heard of Khiva until the year 1859,
when a large Russian force, avowedly for the purpose
of reconnoitring, was despatched to the east coast of
the Caspian.

* Krasnovodsk by the latest accounts is to be the commencement of
a line of postal stations between the Caspian and the Khivan town,

Kune Urgendj. The new road will greatly facilitate the transport of troops
and supplies to Khiva,
CHIKISHLAR. 251

The Turkomans, who did not like this amicable
survey of their country, attacked the expedition near
Balkan Bay, and seized the Russian camel train and
baggage. The commander was thus prevented making
a map of the Balkan hills. However, he recommended
the construction of a fort near Krasnovodsk Bay,
under the pretext of opening out friendly relations with
the Turkomans. He then sailed to Ashourade and to
Hassan Kuli Bay,* where he bombarded a Turkoman
settlement, and took Chikishlar.

The Russians commenced building a new fort at
Krasnovodsk Bay in the autumn of 1869. A station
was formed in 1870 at Tash Arvat-Kala, 103 miles
from Krasnovodsk. Two military intermediate posts
were also established, one on the shore of Michael
Bay, at a place called Mikhailovsk, and another on
the Aktam, at Mulla Kari. A connecting-link of com-
munication was thus formed with the head-quarters
at Krasnovodsk.

Chikishlar ¢ was occupied in the month of Novem-
ber, 1871, anda fort erected there by Colonel Markosoff.

* A correspondent of the Go/os, writing in 1871 from Baku, after a
visit to all the military positions on the east coast of the Caspian,
observes that ‘“ Hassan Kuli, Gomush Tepe, and the localities thereabouts,
are now Turkomania de jure, and not de facto, as I was assured, in spite
of my knowledge of political geography, that Persia begins now at the
Attrek and not at the Kara-Su. The Yamud Turkomans, the owners of
the country between the Attrek and the Kara-Su, are also not aware of
this ; but in the loftier considerations of international rights, they are a
people with whom it is not requisite to be on any ceremony.”

+ Venukof, in his military review, writing about Chikishlar, remarks,
that ‘although the line of the east coast of the Caspian can be always easily
defended, and therefore does not require one strong local central power,
yet, that for the purpose of saving time in the execution of given orders, and
for the purpose of uniformity of administrative and other action, in the
eyes of the Turkomans it would be advisable to rest the control of affairs

on the east coast of the Caspian in one chief officer, whose centre of
administration should be in Chikishlar.”
252 4 RIDE TO KHIVA,

Ashourade was Persian territory. However, this did
not prevent its occupation by the Tzar’s forces.
The latter date Persia’s recognition of their right to
this station from the day when the late Shah came on
board a Russian vessel, he having been told that in
the Bay of Astrabad the water was not so rough as off
other parts of the coast.

The Russians were now established at four points
in and about Turkoman territory: in the island of
Ashourade; in the Mangyshlak Peninsula, by the
Attrek; and in Krasnovodsk Bay.

Everything was ready, and nothing wanted save
some pretext for an advance upon Khiva.

A casus belli soon presented itself; but in order to
explain how matters were finally brought to a head, it
will be necessary to return for a moment to the year
1869.

Amongst the nomad Kirghiz is a tribe known
as the Adayefs. When Fort Novo-Alexandrovsk
was erected on the Mangyshlak Isthmus, the Russian
Government felt that it was strong enough to tax this
people. The latter were in the habit of paying taxes
to Khiva, but this did not avail them with the Tzar’s
officials, and a forced contribution of one rouble and
fifty kopecks was levied from each kibitka, or tent.
This was in 1850; but in 1869 a fresh system was
introduced, and the taxes extorted from the Adayefs
were raised 150 per cent.

This gave rise to great dissatisfaction, and in
March, 1870, hostilities commenced between the
Adayefs and the Russians. The Khan of Khiva
backed up the people whom he looked upon as his
subjects. He had been alarmed at the occupation of
Krasnovodsk, and now finding that Genera! Kauffmann
THE ADAYEFS OVERCOME. 253

was bent on war, despatched to him the following
letter :—

“From the beginning of the world up to the present time there has
never been an instance of one Sovereign, in order to reassure another,
and for the well-being of the subjects of a foreign power, having
erected a fort on the frontier, and having advanced his troops. Our
Sovereign desires that the White Tzar, following the example of his fore-
fathers, should not permit himself to be led away by the greatness of
the Empire with which God has entrusted him, and should not seek
to gain possession of the lands of other powers, which is opposed to.
the custom of great Sovereigns.

“Tf on the contrary, trusting to the strength of his army, he desires
to make war with us, let him remember that before the Creator of
heaven and earth, before the great Judge of all earthly judges, all are
equal—the strong and weak alike. To whom He will, to him He
gives the victory. No one can succeed against the will and predesti-
nation of the All Highest.”

In the meantime the Adayefs, who at the outset of
their quarrel with the Russians had destroyed a con-
voy, and attacked Fort Alexandrovsk, had been com-
pletely overcome by a detachment of troops despatched
from the Caucasus. Some Cossacks, who had been
taken prisoners by the Kirghiz and brought to Khiva,
were detained there by the Khan.

In the beginning of 1872 the latter sent two Em-
bassies, one to the Viceroy of the Caucasus, and the
other to the Emperor. In his letter to the Viceroy the
Khan wrote as follows :—

“Harmony has existed between the two Governments. How
then has it happened that during the last year your troops have
landed at Cheleken, on the shores of the Bay of Khaurism, under
the pretext of commercial objects, and that recently a small detach-
ment of these troops was advancing towards the Sary Kamysh, which
has of old belonged to us, but retired before reaching that point?
Besides this, Russian troops have advanced from Tashkent and ak
Musjid (Perovsky) as far as the well of Min Bulak, which is situated
within our hereditary dominions.
254 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

“We are ignorant whether the Grand Duke (the Viceroy) knows
of these proceedings or not. Meanwhile, on our side, no such
action has been taken as could violate friendly relations with you.
Some Kirghiz had seized four or five of your people, but we took
charge of them, and kept them in safety near ourselves. If you
wish to maintain friendly relations with us, then conclude such
conditions as will leave each of us satisfied with our former frontiers,
and we will restore to you all your captives ; but if these captives
are made to serve simply as a pretext for a war, of which the real
object is the extension of your territories, the will of the powerful
and holy One must determine what shall happen. A will which can
be avoided by none.”

The Embassy was not allowed to go to St. Peters-
burg. The envoys were informed that no communi-
cations would be held with them until the prisoners had
been released. The Khan now despatched a mission’
to India. The authorities there, probably putting
credence in the statement so often made by Russian
officials that there was no wish to annex any of the
Khan’s territory, declined giving him assistance. They
advised the sovereign to restore the Russian prisoners,
and to make peace with the Russian Government.

The Russian Chancellor a short time afterwards
heard of this refusal to aid Khiva. He remarked that
this was in perfect harmony with the understanding
which existed between the Imperial Government and
that of her Majesty, and that it had given him great
pleasure. It must undoubtedly have been highly
pleasing to him. Now he knew that England had
no intention to assist the Khan, and that the latter
must in consequence unfailingly succumb to the forces
under Kauffmann’s orders.

The authorities in Great Britain were quite tran-
quillized as to any intention on the part of the Russian
Government to annex Khiva, All their doubts on this
GENERAL KAUFFMANN'S FORCE. 255

subject had been put at rest by a statement made to
Lord Granville by Count Schouvaloff, on the 8th of
January, 1873. The words used by the latter were to
this effect :—

With regard to the expedition to Khiva, it was true
that it was decided upon for next spring. To give
an idea of its character, it was sufficient to say that it
would consist of four and a half battalions. Its object
was to punish acts of brigandage, to recover fifty
Russian prisoners, and to teach the Khan that such
conduct on his part could not be continued with the
impunity in which the moderation of Russia had led
him to believe. Not only was it far from the intention
ofthe Emperor Zo take possession of Khiva, but POSITIVE
ORDERS had been prepared to prevent it, and directions
given that the conditions imposed should be such as
could not zz any way lead to a prolonged occupancy of
Khiva.

Count Schouvaloff repeated the surprise which the
Emperor, entertaining such sentiments, felt at the
uneasiness which, it was said, existed in England on
the subject; and he gave Lord Granville most decided
assurance that he might give POSITIVE ASSURANCES to
Parliament on this matter.

The total force employed by General Kauffmann
in his Khivan expeditiom consisted of 53 companies
of infantry, 25 sotnias* of Cossacks, 54 guns, 6 mor-
tars, 2 mitrailleuses, 5 rocket divisions, 19,200 camels,
with a complement of about 14,000 men. Russian
battalions appear to be of a very expansive character
if fifty-three companies of infantry can be com-
prised in four and a half battalions. The strength
laid down for a battalion is four companies of the

* A sotnia of Cossacks is about 160 horsemen.
250 A RIDE TO KHIVA.

line and one company of rifles. The war establish-
ment of a battalion comprises 900 rank and file,
of whom sixty men are in reserve. Indeed, it would
appear that the Russian Commander-in-Chief had bor-
rowed a leaf out of the book of a sick patient. The
latter, when desired by his doctor to limit himself
to three glasses of wine a day, had some glasses
constructed which would contain a bottle. He thus
kept within the exact letter of his promise to the
medical gentleman. :

The troops were divided into different columns.
They in their turn were divided into detachments—the
Tashkent column consisted of two detachments; of
the Djizzak, which marched from Tashkent, and of the
Kasalinsk from Fort Number One. The Orenburg,
Krasnovodsk, and Kenderli columns were to march
respectively from Embinsk along the shores of the
Sea of Aral, from Irasnovodsk, Chikishlar, and from
the Bay of Kenderli to the Aibougir Lake, travers-
ing the dreary wastes of the Ust Urt.*

It seems strange that the water-communication from
Kasala by the Syr Darya, Sea of Aral, and Oxus was
not made use of during the invasion. Some vessels
belonging to the Aral fleet had sailed up the Oxus as
far as Kungrad, and there was nothing to prevent the
Russians attacking Khiva by water. This, indeed,
was strongly urged upon Kauffmann. But the Generat
is reported to have said that it must be a land expedi-
tion, as otherwise the sailors would share the rewards,
and that he wished all the decorations and honours to
fall to the lot of thearmy. Kauffmann was of opinion
that there ought to be only two detachments of troops

* See Appendix N.—Ways of Communication by Sea to the East
Coast of the Caspian,
THE COLUMN FROM ORENBURG TAKES KITIVA, 257

sent against the khanate, one formed of troops from
the army of the Caucasus, which should march from
Krasnovodsk to Khiva,* and the other to march from
Tashkent and be under his personal command.

Kauffmann’s wishes in this respect were disregarded.
Kryjinovsky, the Governor-General of Orenburg,
urged upon the Government the dangers of such a
plan. He observed that in the event of no troops
being despatched from Orenburg, the Khivans and
Turkomans might advance on the Kirghiz steppes,
intercept communications on the postal road from Orsk
to Tashkent, and possibly alarm the Ural and Oren-
burg districts.

The troops from Orenburg had no difficulty in
marching along the coast of the Sea of Aral to
Kungrad. Here they were joined by the Kenderli
detachment. Not being able to hear anything of
General Kauffmann’s column, they advanced upon
Khiva, and captured the gate of that city. Intelli-
gence was now received from Kauffmann that he had
also arrived before Khiva, and that the city was about
to surrender. However, the fire continued, and General
Verevkin, who commanded the Orenburg column, took
the city and citadel. This had scarcely been accom-
plished when the news was brought that Kauffmann
had accepted the capitulation offered him by the chief
inhabitants of the city, and that he was entering Khiva
from another gate. The Khan had fled. However,
after two days he returned, and was reinstated in
his post; but was subjected to a council, or divan,
formed for the most part of Russian officers.

The expedition from Krasnovodsk, under Colonel

* For routes to Khiva see Appendix O, and Colonel Venukoff’s March
Routes, Appendix P.
Q
258 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

Markosoff, proved,a complete failure, owing to the
want of water; and, after burying his cannon in the
sand, the colonel ordered his troops to retire. The
columns from the Caspian and Tashkent were practi-
cally of no use. The expedition from Orenburg,
which had been despatched solely at the instigation
of General Kryjinovsky, and with the reluctant con-
sent of General Kauffmann, had beaten the enemy
and taken Khiva.

A war indemnity of 2,200,000 roubles was im-
posed upon the Khivan sovereign. The news of his
subjection spread like wildfire all over Central Asia.
Russian influence became paramount in the khanates.

The so-called insolence of the Khan had been
punished. His capital had been taken. He himself
was in the hands of his foe. No sovereign’s humilia-
tion could have been more complete. Jauffmann had
compelled him to drain the bitter cup to its dregs.

The object of the expedition was obtained. And
now all there remained to do was to fulfil the promise
of the Emperor, given to the English Government by
Count Schouvaloff, Russian Ambassador in London.
However, this was not done; there had been a mis-
understanding, it was said, and the construction of a
Russian fort was at once commenced on Khivan
territory.

Shortly before this Prince Gortschakoff, writing to
Kauffmann about the conditions of a treaty with
Kokan, made use of the following language, which
M, Terentyeff is so kind as to publish to the world
in his work on England and Russia in the East :—

“You express your conviction, produced by experience, that in
an intercourse with Asiatics the grand secret of success consists in
unchanging veracity and firmness, combined with a decided attitude
WHY THE TURKOMANS WERE MASSACRED, 259

of peace. I, too, am the more firmly convinced of the correctness of
this view, since it has invariably served as my guide in my political
action and intercourse both in the east and west.”

It is a pity that M. Terentyeff’s work is not trans-
lated into the -Tartar linguage. It would be refresh-
ing to the Khan of Khiva to read of such a noble
expression of feeling on the part of one of his foes.
Fortunately the work has been translated into English.
It will doubtless gratify the minds of those Members
in the House of Commons who were under the impres-
sion that no part of Khivan territory was to be annexed
to Russia.

A proportion of the war indemnity of 2,200,000
roubles was imposed upon a tribe of ‘Turkomans, who
had fought against the expedition from Orenburg.
They were nominally Khivan subjects, and for a
month after the conquest of Khiva they had been on
friendly terms with the conquering officers, indeed,
some Russian officers who had been sent out for the
purpose of surveying, had remained for days and
nights together in the Turkoman encampment.

There was no reason to believe that the Turko-
mans would break the truce. However, it would not
do for the Tashkent column to return home without a
little bloodshed. The glory of the war had been actually
confined to the column from Orenburg. The officers
from Tashkent had done nothing to merit promotion.

General Kauffmann now sent for the elders of
the tribe, and declared that a part of the indemnity
must be paid by them within a fortnight, and the
remainder later on. At the same time the general
detained some of the elders as hostages, until such
time as the first instalment of the indemnity had been
paid in to the Russian treasury.
260 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

But the Russian Commander-in-Chief was in a
hurry. Instead of waiting the appointed time, he sent
out a large detachment under General Golovatcheff
to ascertain what chance there was of the payment
being made. :

This general, in order to discover the intentions
of the Turkomans, gave an order to his soldiery not to
spare either sex or age. Men, women, and children at
the breast were slain with ruthless barbarity; houses
with bedridden inmates were given up to the fiery
element; women—ay, and prattling babes—were
burned alive amidst the flames; hell was let loose in
Turkomania. And this, the Russians would have us
believe, was done to further Christianity and civiliza-
tion. This is the sort of Christianity which some
people wish to see established in Constantinople.
Would they like this kind of civilization next our
Indian frontier ?

If the Turkomans had been treated differently they
would have paid the tribute to the Russian general.
But they are barbarous creatures, utterly unacquainted
with that European civilization which characterizes
Russian troops. They were so foolish as to be ex-
ceedingly angry. Indeed it is said that later on these
poor ignorant Turkomans became utterly lost to all
feelings of honour. They actually dared to attack
General Golovatcheff's camp at Illyali; but they had
no chance against the breechloaders of their foes, and
were repulsed with great slaughter.

The Turkomans now abandoned the district.
They were disinclined to listen to any terms of
peace which might subsequently be offered them.
However, they sent General Golovatcheff the follow-
ing message :—
COURT-MARTIAL ON TWO TURKOMANS. 261

“We know how to respect peace, and shall keep it if you will

have peace with us, but if you will not have it we shall fight, and we
can fight well.”

According to General Kryjinovsky, the Governor-
General of Orenburg, the attack on the Turkomans
was entirely uncalled for, and likely to lead to serious
results.* “It will now be necessary,” he said, “for us
to send expeditions against the Turkomans for many
years to come. Their country will be a second
Caucasus, and in the end we shall be obliged to take
possession of it. This will undoubtedly lead to com-
plications with England.”

The remark of General Kryjinovsky has every
chance of being realised. Colonel Ivanoff, the Com-
mandant at Petro-Alexandrovsk, has found time to
attack some bands of nomad Turkomans. On one
occasion he made prisoners of two of these Arabs
of the steppes. They had robbed, it was said, some
Russian Kirghiz. In consequence of this the captive
Turkomans were tried by court-martial and sentenced
to death. The sentence was shortly afterwards put
into execution.

The Turkomans on their side have captured a
Russian soldier. They refuse to surrender him until
such time as they receive a sum of money, perhaps
to go to the widows of their fellow-countrymen. The
man has not been tried by court-martial by the Turko-
mans, probably on account of their ignorance of military
law. When they become more civilised they will
doubtless follow the example set them by their Christian
foe.

On the 24th of August, 1873, a treaty of peace,

* For uncalled-for attack upon the Turkomans, see Appendix I.
262 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

which had been first of all approved by the Emperor,
was made with Khiva. The khanate was reduced
to a state of complete vassaldom. The delta and
right bank of the Oxus were ceded to Russia. The
Oxus was closed to all save Russian and Khivan
vessels. Russian merchants were allowed perfect
freedom of commerce in the khanate, with liberty
to purchase and hold property. A Russian fortress
was to be built four miles south of Shurahan, and
in a garden belonging to an uncle of the Khan.
All the territory situated between the former Bokharo-
Khivan frontier, the right bank of the Amou Darya,
from Gugertli to Meshekly, and the line passing from
Meshekly to the point of junction of the former Bokharo-
Khivan frontier with the frontier of the Russian Empire~
was taken from Khiva and annexed to the dominions
of the Ameer of Bokhara.*

A lifelong feud between Khiva and Bokhara
will inevitably follow this redistribution of soil. After
the Franco-Prussian War, if the Germans, instead
of taking Alsace and Lorraine for themselves, had
forced Belgium to accept these provinces, we could
not have expected the French to have looked with
friendly eyes upon the new proprietors. A spark
would have been struck, certain at some future period
to burst out into flame. This will happen between
Bokhara and Khiva. It will not be difficult to get
some one to stir the fire. The consequence will be
the absolute incorporation of Bokhara and Khiva
with the Russian Empire.

* See treaty between Russia and Bokhara, Appendix F, Articles One’
and Two,
CHAPTER XXVIII.

The Guide's Kibitka—His Wife—His Brother-in-Law—Why not go to Khiva?—
Domestic Pressure—Eating a Horse—Letter to the Khan—The Moullah—
Kapitan or Polkovnik—A Letter in Russian—Tchin—Horse-dealing—A
Horse with One Eye—Canals from the Oxus—Jougouroo—The Grey Horse—
A Purchase.

Some men and women running out of one of the
kibitkas and warmly greeting the guide, announced to
me that we had reached his home at Kalenderhana.
In a short time I found myself seated on a rug, an
object of curiosity to many of the inhabitants, who
had never before seen a man dressed in European
costume, Every part of my attire was in turn inspected
and commented upon, the women coming forward and
feeling the texture of my coat and trousers, the large
buttons being a source of great admiration.

The hostess was clad in a flowing white dressing-
gown, with a turban of the same colour, folded many
times around her small head. Fora Kirghiz, she was
decidedly good-looking, and well worth the hundred
sheep her Jord and master had paid for her. She was
delighted at his arrival, and two ruddy-faced little
children were seated upon their father’s knee, and
playing with his beard and moustache. The brother-
in-law, a short, hump-backed fellow, who had been
informed that I wished to purchase a horse, was most
assiduous in his attentions. He seized a pillow
which an aged relative, his grandfather, had secured
for his own accommodation, and dragged it from
204 A RIDE, TO KHIVA,

beneath this elderly gentleman, then pushing it behind
my back he patted me on the shoulder and said
that he had heard I wanted a horse. Well, he had
the most beautiful of the equine race; it had per-
formed extraordinary feats, and was the wonder
of all the village. We would look at it, and then
I should see. Yes, what I should see! and pouring
me out some tea, he absolutely put four lumps of
sugar in my glass, to the astonishment of the other
inmates, who were aghast at such reckless extrava-
gance. I replied, in a careless manner, that his horse
was doubtlessly a beautiful one, but that at Petro
there were lovely animals. If we went to the fort
I should very likely buy one there; but if we
were not to go to Petro but to Khiva, that then I
would purchase his animal, and pay for it in the
Khan’s capital. This having been duly interpreted by
Nazar, an animated conversation took place amongst
the members of the family, the guide being somewhat
reluctant, and his brother-in-law and other relatives
eager to contest all his arguments. He had already
brought me off the route to Petro; he would very likely
get punished for that. Why not go to Khiva? And
Nazar suggested that then we would not visit the
fort at all, but would continue our journey to Bokhara.
I now inquired if we could procure some camels to take
us as far as that city. This was a fortunate remark, as
it appeared that another of the guide’s relatives had
camels for hire. Eager that I should employ his
animals, he exhausted all his eloquence upon my
follower to persuade him to go to Bokhara. The
domestic pressure put upon the guide was too much
for him. Turning to Nazar, he agreed to go on
with us to Bokhara, where, he said, we could hire
EATING A HORSE. 265

fresh camels and return to Kasala, vz@ Samarcand and
Tashkent, thus avoiding altogether Fort Petro-
Alexandrovsk.

My faithful follower now whispered in my ear,
“We are to have a great feast to-night. The
guide’s brother-in-law has a horse which is not very
well. The animal is to be killed directly, and we
are to eat him.” Later on, an enormous cauldron was
suspended from a tripod across the fire. A heap of
fagots was piled upon the embers, and a dense smoke
filled the tent. Large pieces of the unfortunate
quadruped were now thrown into the pot by the guide’s
wife, who officiated as cook. The host and the rest of
the party superintended the operations with the
greatest interest.

“ Will there be anything else to eat?” I inquired.

“No,” was the answer of my surprised Tartar.
«What more would you have? We might eat two
sheep at a time; but a horse—no. There will, per-
haps, be enough left for breakfast, praise be to God
for His bounty!” and the little man, opening his mouth
from ear to ear, licked his lips in anticipation of the
banquet.

A piece of raw cotton floating in some greasy sub-
stance, which was contained in a large iron ladle, threw
a lurid light over the red faces of the hungry Kirghiz,
eager to commence the banquet.

The dark smoke from the rude lamp was curling
itself in spiral columns amidst the dense grey clouds
which ascended from the burning pile. From time to
time some relative of the family, lifting up the thick
cloth that served as a door, entered the ‘dwelling.
The sudden draft would then upheave the thick
atmosphere, and forcing it through the aperture, reveal
266 A RIDE TO KUIVA,

the boundless canopy of the heavens, the sky studded
with a million gems, whilst the queen of night, like a
globe of metallic silver, cast her pale shadow through
the half-raised rug or curtain.

My hostess was rocking a recently-born child
with one hand, and stirring some rice which was boil-
ing in an adjacent kettle with the other. My guide
and Tartar servant were washing their hands and feet
in the snow at the threshold. The brother-in-law was
for the hundredth time informing me that his horse
was a horse, and that all the rest of the equine race
were mules in comparison, when the woman announced
that the meat was done to a turn, and that all things
were ready for the feast.

A portion of the steed and some rice were given
to me in a slop-basin. The rest of the party,
calling upon Allah to bless the entertainment, squatted
round the cauldron, and thrust their hands into its
seething contents, which speedily vanished down their
throats. A conjurer, or fire-king at a village fair,
might have swallowed swords or flames, pokers or
daggers, but he would have had no chance whatever if
pitted to eat horse against my guide’s brother-in-law.
I thought, when for the second time the cauldron had
been emptied, that this would have sufficed. But no,
for each man strove to outdo his neighbour. Belts and
broad sashes were loosed from around the loins, and
Nazar, who had made up his mind that he ought to eat
for his master as well as himself, was actually swelling
before my eyes, and becoming wheezy in his utterances.

Over-eating would seem to paralyse a man’s
speech almost as much as excess in alcohol, and
the hoarse breathed-out tones of the Kirghiz men
jarred on the ear in comparison with the clear voices
A LETTER TO THE KHAN. 267

of the females, who, not daring to eat at the same time
as their lords and masters, stood round and helped
them to the most savoury pieces.

At times the guide, by way of honouring me in the
person of Nazar, would take a greasy piece of meat
from the iron kettle. Then, holding the luscious morsel
up at arm’s length, so that all might perceive his in-
tention, he would slowly insert it in Nazar’s mouth;
the latter gulping down the half-raw flesh without any
attempt at mastication, in order to show how highly
he appreciated the compliment.

I hoped that this would wind up the entertainment,
but the feasters were far from having any such in-
tention. The sounds of gorging going on steadily
throughout the night and early morning announced
to me that my follower would very likely be wrong in
his comecture, and that ere breakfast-time all the horse
would have disappeared.

Long narrow wooden carts, each with high wheels,
were all the morning bringing grass into the village for
the horses of the inhabitants. A few high trees
here and there, the first that we had seen since leaving
Kasala, afforded a pleasing change to the vision, tired
of gazing over snow and low brushwood, whilst a large
supply of hay in an enclosure hard by the kibitka,
showed that my guide had armed himself against the
danger of a sudden thaw.

He now informed me that I could not go to the
town of Khiva without first having the Khan’s per-
mission, and said that a letter must be written to that
sovereign and sent before us, asking his leave for my
followers and self to enter the city. This piece of
information rather startled me. I had been under the
impression that all I had to do was to ride to the
268 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

town, encamp outside the walls, and ride in each day,
so as to inspect everything worth seeing. However,
according to the guide, not even this could be done
without the Khan’s permission.

I was puzzled, not knowing in what language to
address him. My servant could not write in Tartar,
and I was afraid that if I despatched a letter written
in Arabic, some unintentional omission of the due
amount of courteous expressions which one is bound to
use when writing to a sovereign might offend this
Khivan potentate.

Nazar at last proposed that I should inquire for
some moullah who could write a letter in the Tartar
language. On asking the guide, he at once sent for a
learned man, who, he said, could write beautiful things,
so soft and sweet that they were like the sounds of
sheep bleating in the distance.

Presently the scribe arrived. He was a tall,
angular-looking man, one shoulder being much higher
than the other, whilst his dressing-gown bore signs of
its having been originally made for a much shorter
individual than himself. His long arms protruded
through the sleeves, showing several inches of shirtless
skin. He entered the kibitka with an air of great
importance, whilst the party rose at his approach,
much awed at the arrival of a person who had as much
there, as the guide observed, pointing to his own head,
as was in the united occiputs of all the people in the
village.

The moullah carried an inkstand made of bullock’s-
horn. The ink was of the thickest possible de-
scription. A wooden stopper at each end of the
horn formed the top and bottom of the inkstand. He
unfolded a sheet of paper, and, squatting down by my
A FLOWERY EPISTLE. 269

side, pulled out one of the plugs from the horn bottle,
at the same time producing a long style made of cane,
which served him in lieu of a pen.

A dead silence reigned around. All the inmates
of the kibitka were appalled by the preparations of
the moullah. Writing a letter was no everyday
occurrence in that village; and the man who was
able to make a piece of paper speak—the common
definition of writing amidst savage nations—was looked
upon as a prodigy of learning.

The guide, however, did not appear so awed as
the rest of his relatives. Had he not been to Kasala
and seen the clerks write? “Why, some of the
Russian soldiers could do as much!” and saying this
in a muttered tone to Nazar, he undid a small parcel,
and taking out some coarse snuff, put a quantity on
the back of his hand, which he sniffed up his nostrils
with an air of the greatest delectation.

“What shall I say ?” inquired the moullah. “ What
is your tchin (rank) ?”

“No particular rank,” I observed. “You can
leave that out.”

“No,” said the moullah; “we must have some
tchin. Are you a polkovnik (a colonel) ?”

“No, only a kapitan (captain).”

The moullah here picked his ear with his pen, and,
turning to Nazar, said something.

“What is it?” I inquired.

“ Why, kapitan will not do. They look down upon
kapitans at Khiva. The word is like the Tartar word
Kabtan, and gives no idea of rank to a Khivan. Better
say polkovnik.”

In the meantime the moullah had written a most
flowery epistle. Nazar said it was beautiful, and all the
270 A RIDE T0 KHIVA,

rest of the party greatly admired the composition.
However, the word polkovnik was still inserted, and
the moullah was so pleased with the letter that he
would not erase the expression. Giving the fellow
some silver, I determined to write to the Khan myself,
and in the Russian language, as I had learned from the
guide that there were two or three Tartars in the city
who acted as interpreters. I wrote as follows :—

“An English gentleman who is travelling through Central Asia
requests the permission of his Majesty the Khan to visit his cele-
brated capital.”

“ That will not do,” said Nazar, dolefully; “there
is no tchin. Why do not you call yourself polkovnik ?
We shall not be received with due importance.” And
the little man sat down on the carpet with an indignant
air, as if to say, “ See how you have humbled me !”

A young fellow was found to go forward with
the missive. It was arranged that he should start
at once with the letter, whilst the caravan and myself
would follow on later in the day.

In the meantime the horse had been sent for.
Presently he arrived, escorted by the whole village,
everybody being eager to sing his praises save those
who had animals of their own for sale. One old man
sought to attract my attention by shaking his head
violently, and frowning at the horse when he thought
that his owner was not looking; but the aged gentle-
man assumed the pleasantest of smiles should any one
save myself catch his eye.

“He has a beast of his own for sale,” said Nazar.
“Look there;” and he pointed to a brute which was
lame all round, and which looked only fit for the
knacker’s yard. Neither of the animals would suit,
A HIGIILY-CULTIVATED COUNTRY. 271

the one belonging to the guide’s brother-in-law being
blind in one eye. This the unblushing Kirghiz said
was of no consequence at all, for in his opinion one eye
was just as good as two; however, he remarked, that
if we would continue our journey to another kibitka,
about five versts distance, he could then show me
some horses with two eyes.

“Yes, with two eyes!” said all the rest of the
party, gravely wagging their heads, as if such a com-
plement of vision in one horse was a most remarkable
fact in natural history. Our road now lay south-west,
and in the direction of the town of Oogentch, which
is distant about twenty-three versts from Kalen-
derhana. The country appeared to be highly culti-
vated, canals innumerable cutting the fields at right
angles to each other, and arranged so as to supply the
district with water from the Oxus. Corn-is grown in
great abundance in this neighbourhood, and also
jougouroo, a species of grain which the Kirghiz and
Khivans give their horses instead of barley.

Presently we came to another azi/, which was also
the property of the guide’s brother-in-law. I had
begun to hate that man even more than Weller senior
could have hated. his mother-in-law. I did not want
to buy any of the fellow’s horses; I felt convinced
that if he were to sell me one it would be a screw, or
have some defect which I should only discover after
the purchase was completed. But there was no help
for it. It was one of those disagreeable things
which had to be done, that is to say, if 1 wished to
see Khiva; and the guide had already shown a little
impatience at my not having bought the one-eyed
brute shown me at the last kibitka.

This time a grey horse was brought out for
272 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

inspection. The lad who rode him, cracking his whip,
rode straight at a ditch about ten feet wide, and got
his animal over all right. The animal had two eyes,
which was also a consideration, so I said that I would
buy him and pay for my purchase in Khiva. But no,
this proposal did not meet with the brother-in-law’s
approval. He knit his brows, and remarked to Nazar
that I might be honest or I might be a rogue, ‘ God
only knew.” If I took the horse, why perhaps the
money would not be sent back, and he would lose the
animal. People had stolen horses before, and would
steal them again.

I here became a little indignant, and informed him
that horse-stealing was not such a common occurrence
in my country as in his, and that if I wished to steal a
horse I should not steal a useless brute like the one I
was about to purchase; that the guide knew who I
was, and that if I might have the animal the money
should be paid in Khiva. This the brother-in-law
would not hear of for a moment, apparently fearing
that if the money once came into the possession of
the guide that there was little chance of the latter
returning it to him. Finally matters were compro-
mised, I agreeing to pay half the amount down and
send the other half back with the messenger who
had been despatched with my letter to the Khan.
A saddle and bridle were also bought, and Nazar,
descending from his huge camel, mounted the new
purchase.
CHAPTER XXIX.

The Oozek—A Fragile Bridge—The Oxus—Khivan Taxation—Russian Imports—
The Traders—A Slug—A Caravan—Costumes—Saddles—Khivan Horses—
Salam Aaleikom—Quarters for the Night—Hospitality—A Khivan House—
Melons—Hindostan and England—Railways—An Iron Horse—soo Versts

in twenty-four hours.
e

Now we crossed a little stream about twenty yards
wide, known by the name of the Oozek. It was
said to be a tributary of the Oxus. A rough bridge
made of cross-poles, sticks, and dried clay afforded
a means of crossing the water; for the banks were too
steep to admit of a descent to the frozen surface.
Finally, after riding along a narrow path planted on
both sides with high reeds, we arrived upon the banks
of the Amou Darya, and I gazed on that world-
renowned stream which in my boyish days it had been
my dream to visit.

The mighty Oxus—the Oxus of Alexander—lay
at my feet, its banks bound together by a bridge
of transparent ice, which, here at least half a mile
broad, is the boundary line separating the subjects of
the Khan from those who pay tribute to the Tzar.

Each Khivan has to pay an annual tax of eleven
roubles for his house to the Khan, whilst the inhabi-
tants on the right bank of the river pay four roubles
per kibitka to the Russian authorities. The Khivans,
however, who live in town, pay no taxes, and the
sovereign obtains the greater part of his revenues from
crown lands, and from a duty of two and a half per

R
274 A RIDE T0 KAHIVA,

cent. on the value of all goods which are imported or
exported from his dominions. But this source of
income is now curtailed, as the Khan has become a
vassal of the Emperor, and Russian goods pay no
duty whatever.*

Before crossing the Oxus we dismounted for a
short time at a kibitka hard by the river. It was in
former years a station-house where custom duties were
levied on all goods brought from Russia. A few
Khivans were warming their hands over a wood fire;
they had come from Oogentch, and were going to trade
in Shurahan, a town near Petro-Alexandrovsk, and
which formerly belonged to the Khan, but has now
been seized by the Russians. The merchants were fine-
looking fellows, with a very different type of counte-
nance to the Tartars and Kirghiz, the dark complexions
and large eyes of the Khivans being the very opposite
to the broad, barge-shaped faces, ruddy cheeks, and
little eyes of the Tartars.

One of the traders recognised my fresh horse, and
laughed as he pointed him out to his companions.

“What is it?” I inquired of Nazar.

“They only say that he is a slug, and stumbles,”
observed the latter. “ He nearly fell with me as we
were coming here. Please God I do not break my
neck before we reach Khiva.”

We met quantities of arbas—two-wheeled native
carts—each of them drawn by one horse, as we rode
across the river. A caravan, with camels belonging to
the merchant in the station, was also traversing the
frozen stream, which, as hard as a turnpike road, would
have safely borne a battery of eighteen pounders.

* See treaty with Khiva, Appendix D, clauses 9 and 10.
THE KHIVAN SADDLERY. a'75

The Khivans whom we met were for the most part
dressed in long, red dressing-gowns, which reached
down to their heels. These garments were made of a
mixture of silk and cotton stuff, whilst they were
thickly wadded with a species of quilting to defend the
wearers from the cold. Tall, black lambskin hats,
taller even than a Foot-guardsman’s bearskin, covered
their heads, and each man carried, strapped to his
saddle, a long single-barrelled gun, with a short,
highly-ornamented stock. The saddles, which were
made of wood, were highly ornamented with gold,
enamel, and turquoise stones. The bridles and
steel appurtenances were clean and well appointed, in
this respect affording a striking contrast to the slovenly
equipment of the Tartars. The horses, too, were of a
different breed, being much larger animals than those
which I had seen on the steppes—the Khivan horses
averaging about fifteen hands, whilst a good many
which I met could not have been less than sixteen.

Every man whom we encountered in our path never
failed to salute us with the regular Arab salutation,
“ Salam aaleikom,’ each of us in turn responding
“Aaletkom salam ;’ and the varied tones of the way-
farers, as two large caravans passed each other, broke
upon the ear almost like a response in the Litany, and
carried my thoughts like a flash of lightning to very
different scenes in my island home.

The shades of night were falling fast, and the
guide, riding up, informed me that it would be better
not to continue our march to Oogentch, but to halt at
one of the many houses which were now to be met
with at every turn. On my assenting to his proposal,
he began to look about and to carefully inspect each
abode which we passed.
276 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

“ What is he doing ?” I inquired of Nazar.

“He is trying to find a house where the owner is
well off, and can give us plenty to eat,” was the answer.
“Tt is no good stopping for the night at any beggar’s
house, and getting starved in consequence.”

The guide’s search was finally rewarded, and he
pulled up by the side of a large, substantial-looking,
square building, built of dried clay. High wooden
gates, strongly clamped with iron, gave access to the
dwelling, The guide rapped with his whip-handle
against the door. An old man, bent nearly double
with age, tottered out and asked our business.

“We want your hospitality for the night,” was the
answer. When, as if this were the most natural thing
in the world, the old fellow called out to his servants.
Several of them ran forward, and, taking hold of my
horse, aided me to dismount.

It now turned out that what I had at first taken
for a house was merely a square courtyard, consisting
of four high walls, whilst the edifice itself, built of the
same material as the enclosure, was erected inside the
gates. A similar entrance, on a smaller scale, led to
some stables, which, in their turn, gave access to that
part of the building which was inhabited by the family.
Another door, however, on the opposite side of the
dwelling, led to the harem and more private apart-
ments. My host gave an order that our horses
and camels were to be well fed; and seeing that Nazar
was in the act of taking some barley from the sacks
on our camels, made a sign for him to desist.

“Have I not corn?” he remarked. “ Are not you
my guests ?” and calling his servants he desired them
to look after our animals as if they were his own.

I now found myself in a lofty room, which was
A KHIVAN HABITATION. 277

reserved for great occasions, and for strangers like
myself. One end of the apartment was covered with
thick carpets. This was the place of honour for the
visitors; in the centre of the room, and where there
were no rugs, was a small square hearth. This was
filed with some charcoal embers, which were sur-
rounded by a coping of about three inches in height.
forming a species of fender. On the coping stood
a copper vessel of the same shape as many of the so-
called Pompeian ewers. The vessel was richly chased,
and constructed with a long swan-like neck, so that
the attendant might the more conveniently pour water
over the hands of his master’s guests before they com-
menced their repast. On the other side of the hearth
there was a square hole about three feet deep. Two
steps led down to it, the cavity being adorned with
variegated tiles. This was the place for ablutions, and
thus arranged so as to keep the water from wetting
the other parts of the apartment.

Two narrow slits, each about two feet long by six
inches wide, supplied the place of windows, and some
open wooden trellis-work served as shutters, there being
no glass, which is hardly ever used in these parts. A
few pegs in the wall on which we could hang our
clothes supplied the place of a wardrobe. The floor on
the opposite side of the room to that reserved for
myself was covered with coarse cloth, and arranged
for my retinue.

Presently the host appeared. He bore in his hand
a large earthenware dish full of rice and mutton, whilst
his servants brought baskets filled with bread and
hard-boiled eggs. Some milk was now produced in an
earthenware pitcher, and an enormous melon, which
weighed quite twenty-five pounds, was carried in on a
278 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

tray. All the dishes were placed at my feet; I being
seated on the carpets, my head supported by a richly-
coloured silk cushion which had been specially brought
by my entertainer. When all the viands had been
thus set round me, the host, bowing to the ground,
asked permission to retire; then walking backwards a
few steps he sat down beside Nazar and the guide,
who were gazing greedily upon the dishes, a striking
change to the rough fare which we had lived upon for
the previous thirteen days.

I made a sign for the owner of the house to ap-
proach and sit down by my side. With an air of great
humility, he complied with my request, the host on
such occasions thinking it his duty to play the part of
a servant to his guest.

I was much surprised at the size and flavour of the
fruit, which was as fresh as on the day when it had
been first picked. The climate is so dry that all the
Khivans have to do to preserve their melons is to
hang them up in a temperature about two degrees
above freezing point; for should the frost ever attack
them they lose all their flavour and are useless for the
table. The melons here have a fame which is cele-
brated all over the East. In former years they were
sent as far as Pekin for the Emperor of China’s table.
Some of them attain forty pounds in weight, whilst
the taste is so delicious that any one only accustomed
to this fruit in Europe would scarcely recognise its

relationship with the delicate and highly-perfumed
melons of Khiva.*

* I subsequently procured some melon-seeds from a Russian officer,
and brought them back from Khiva. They did not turn out well in this

country. The seeds given to me might have been bad; or perhaps the
English soil did not suit them.
THE IRON HORSE. 279

The host, when he got over his first diffidence,
asked many questions about the countries: through
which I had passed. He had the idea that to go to
England his direction would be eastward from
Khiva. Geographical knowledge in the Khan’s
dominions is very limited, and Hindostan and England
are continually blended together under the same head.

“So you have been thirteen days coming here from
Kasala!” he exclaimed. “ Praise be to God who has
allowed you to pass the desert in safety. Have you
camels in your country ?”

“No,” I replied, “but we have trains composed
of ardas (carriages), with iron wheels; they run upon
long strips of iron, which are laid upon the ground for
the wheels to roll over.”

“Do the horses drag them very fast?” he asked.

“We do not use live horses, but we make a horse
of iron and fill him with water, and put fire under the
water. The water boils, and turns into steam. The
steam is very powerful, it rushes out of the horse’s
stomach, and turns large wheels which we give him
instead of legs. The wheels revolve over the iron
lines which we have previously laid down, and the
horse, which we call an engine, moves very quickly,
dragging the avdas behind him; they are made of
wood and iron, and have four wheels, not two, like
your avbas in Khiva. The pace is so great that if
your Khan had an iron horse and a railway he could
go to Kasala in one day.”

“Tt is a miracle!” said the Khivan, as Nazar
translated to him my little speech, my servant himself,
who had never seen a railway, being a little incredu-
lous as to the possibility of going five hundred versts
in twenty-four hours. The guide, who sat on the
280 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

opposite side of the fire, and was engaged in washing
his feet over the cavity in the floor, now remarked
“that his brother-in-law had the best horses in the
steppes, but that they could not do the distance in less
than ten days. Then how could a horse that was made
of iron, and with wheels instead of legs, do it in one?
If it could, we were conjurors, like the man he had
once seen swallow a sword at Kasala. But who
knew! He had heard something about it at the
Fort,” and he looked down contemptuously at the
host’s servants, who had assembled to gaze upon the
new arrivals, and who were not travelled men like
himself—a man who has been to Kasala and back being
considered a great traveller by the Khivans.

Nazar did not want to be outdone in this way
by the guide. He now said—

“They have wires which speak in Russia. This
I have seen myself; they are fastened to the top
of high poles, and the wires extend over miles of
country. Any man in Sizeran who may wish to say
something to a friend in Orenburg, goes to one end of
the wire, they turn a handle, and it makes a noise at
the other end in Orenburg; the moullah there under-
stands what the wire says, and you can talk almost as
fast as if you were actually speaking to your friend.”

“T have heard something about this,” said our
host. ‘There was a merchant who passed through
here two years ago, and he told me about it. He
said that one of these speaking wires reached all the
way from St. Petersburg to Tashkent, and that the
White Tzar could speak with his soldiers at Tashkent.
He also said that they were going to make a speaking
wire to Petro-Alexandrovsk, and that then we could
know everything that was happening at Kasala, and
INYUNCTIONS OF THE PROPHET FULFILLED. 281

the price of cotton at Orenburg, without having to
send a letter.”

The evening was far advanced, and the host,
seeing that I was very drowsy, retired, when Nazar,
the guide, and camel-driver, drawing the piece of cloth
close to the embers, stretched themselves out at full
length, and soon fell asleep.

On the morrow I was puzzled to know how to
reward my host for his hospitality. However, on in-
quiring, I was informed that the custom in those parts
was for the guest to make a present to his host, and
that the best thing would be for me to give as many
roubles as I thought just. This is the system universally
adopted throughout Central Asia, in the places where
there are no caravanserais, or regular hostelries for the
travellers. The Khivans are thus enabled to carry
out the injunctions of their prophet to the letter, and
to lavish hospitality on their guest, being sure that on
his departure they will be well remunerated for their
trouble.
CHAPTER XXX

Oogentch—The Town—The Bazaar—A Barber’s Shop—‘‘ These Infidels have
Strange Customs ”’—‘‘ Please God you do not get your Throat cut !”—Break-
fast with a Khivan Merchant—India a Mine of Wealth in the Eyes of the
Russians in Tashkent—‘‘ There are many Roads to India” —A Fort at Merve—
Shabbatat Canal—The Bridge—The Cemetery—The Tombs— Fearful Scenes
—‘‘ Who began the War ?”—The Kazabat Canal—Shamahoolhoor—A Sports-
man—‘' You have not got a Wife ?”—A Breechloader—‘‘ The Khan has now
no Soldiers.”

WE were about four versts from Oogentch, the first
town the traveller arrives at in Khivan territory, if
going from Kalenderhana to the capital. There was a
singular dearth of rising ground throughout the route.
If it had not been for the hundreds of dykes which
traversed the country on every side, I should have
imagined myself back upon the steppes. The snow,
too, which had almost disappeared as we passed
through the defile in the Kazan-Tor of mountains, now
lay thick and flaky on the ground, whilst the cold, in
spite of the latitude to which we had attained, was as
intense as ever.

Large gardens, enclosed by high walls, were
dotted about the landscape. Square-built houses
similar to the one in which I had passed the night
became more frequent as we gradually neared the
town. Indeed, if the Khivans had only been supplied
with arms and a good leader, it would have been
difficult for the Russians to have entered Oogentch.
Every walled garden could have been turned into a
citadel, and a few resolute men with breechloaders
THE BAZAAR IN OOGENTCH. 283

might have caused great destruction in the invaders’
ranks,

The merchants in Oogentch seemed to do a con-
siderable trade with the people of the surrounding
districts. The road was every now and then blocked
up by hundreds of carts, all bringing corn and various
kinds of grass to the market. Numerous camels
laden with goods from other parts of the khanate had
been formed into one vast caravan which extended for
more than a mile, and was slowly filing into the town.
The latter was defended by a ditch and high wall made
of dried clay, now much out of repair. Masses of its
débris had in many places choked up the surrounding
trench.

The people gazed curiously at me as we rode
through the narrow streets, my sheepskin attire not
being a customary one in those parts, and some of the
inhabitants, stopping the guide, inquired if I were a
Russian.

“ No,” was the answer—* an Englishman.”

The announcement of my nationality produced an
evident revulsion of feeling in the Khivans, who did
not appear to bear much goodwill towards their con-
querors.

The bazaar through which we rode was held ina
narrow street. This was partly covered over with rafters
and straw, probably in order to protect the passers-by
from the rays of the sun during the summer months.
Grapes, dried fruits, and melons were for sale in many ©
of the stalls; these last were niches or recesses in the
walls, and no windows or shutters of any kind separated
these primitive shops from the thoroughfare. In the
centre of each recess sat the proprietor, surrounded by
his wares, and generally engaged in warming his hands
284 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

over a charcoal pan, which, mounted on a tripod stand,
stood before him. Farther on, men were to be seen
hammering into different shapes sheets of copper
brought from Russia, and manufacturing water-bottles
and pipes. All sorts of bright-coloured calico stuffs
were offered for sale, and found ready purchasers.
Thick skeins of silk of various hues, and spun in
the country, were readily exchanged for Russian paper-
money, which passes in Oogentch as well as the native
currency. Women continually flitted past us in the
street, taking sly glances at the strangers through
the corner of their veils, the fair sex in Khiva not
having their faces uncovered, as is the custom amidst
the Kirghiz, but obeying strictly the rules laid down
for their guidance by the prophet.

As I expected to arrive at the capital either that
afternoon or the following day, and wished to make
my entrance into the city clean shaved, and not with
a beard of thirteen days’ growth, I asked Nazar to
make inquiries whether a barber could be found in the
neighbourhood. The news that the Englishman wanted
to be shaved was soon spread through the town.
A boy volunteered to show me the way to the
barber’s shop. We were followed there by a crowd of
certainly from three to four hundred people. It was
the more remarkable to them, as the report had been
spread that the stranger would have his chin shaved
and not his head, the Khivans keeping their heads as
‘ devoid of hair as a block of marble.

“ Have your head shaved, sir,” said Nazar; “it
will look so nice—just like mine;” and, lifting off a
green skull-cap, he showed me his bullet-like poll.

If I had been quite certain that my hair would have
grown again, in all probability I should have followed
THE BARBERS SHOP. 285

my man’s example; but not wishing to return to
London with my head @ fa Nazar, I declined the
proposal.

On arriving at the shop, we dismounted, and sat
down in the recess by the barber’s side. The crowd
had now greatly increased, and was each moment be-
coming more dense, the whole town having by this time
become aware that an Englishman was within the walls,
and that he was about to be shaved. Mooullahs, camel-
drivers, and merchants jostled the one with the other
to obtain a good view. Their bronzed faces glanced
and peered through the fur of their Astrakhan hats,
and the idea occurred to me that, if the barber were
fanatically disposed, he might think that it would be
doing a good deed in the eyes of Allah and of his own
countrymen, if he were forthwith to cut the throat of
the unbeliever.

There was not a single Russian in Oogentch, and
no authorities save the moullahs, or priests, who, in
all probability, would be more fanatically disposed than
even the rest of the population.

The remark made by the District Governor at
KXasala now flashed across my mind—“ If you go to
Khiva without an escort, the Khan will very likely
have your eyes taken out, or order you to be placed
in a dungeon.”

However, nothing was to be gained by crying over
spilt milk—the die was cast; I was in Khivan territory,
and what was far more to the point, in the hands of
the barber, who was busily engaged in rubbing a
thin strip of steel on a whetstone, the former article
supplying the place of a razor, a handle being con-
sidered an unnecessary luxury. The street in front of
the shop was now completely blocked up by the crowd.
286 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

The people behind, who were not able to see as well
as they could wish, called out to their friends who
hid the performance from their view, and made them
sit down, so that all might be able to enjoy the spec-
tacle. If their curiosity was excited, mine was equally
aroused. It was a strange scene, the crowd of eager
faces, all staring intently into the recess; even some
women, in spite of the prohibitory law, had stopped
for a moment and were looking at the performance
with unmixed astonishment. . If I had been in the
hands of an executioner, and about to have my throat
cut, this would not have been half so interesting to
them; for was I not having my chin shaved ?
“What will he do next?” asked one of the more
curious of his neighbour. “Perhaps have his mous-
tache shaved,” was the reply; “but who knows?
These infidels have strange customs;” and the
excitement grew to boiling pitch.

My little Tartar began to be rather alarmed; he
had not anticipated such a gathering, and he mur-
mured in my ear, “Please God you do not get your
throat cut! They might cut mine too. Allah preserve
us, and bring us out of this scrape! Have your head
shaved, it will please them.”

At that moment the barber had put the dirty thumb
of his left hand into my mouth, and was brandishing
the razor in the air; no soap being used, as water was
considered quite sufficient. Even under the most
favourable circumstances, with a well-lathered chin and
the sharpest of razors, being shaved, if one’s beard
luxuriates in a two weeks’ growth, is not a pleasant
process, but at Oogentch it was a highly painful opera-
tion. The razor, at each movement of the barber’s
wrist, tore out those hairs in my beard which it was
A BREAKFAST IN OOGENTCH. 287

too blunt to cut. The people were delighted. They
were not prepared for this feature in the entertainment,
and they roared with laughter as I slightly winced.
Later on the crowd became still more hilarious, and its
enjoyment of the proceedings was greatly increased,
for the awkward barber, who was confused at the
presence of so large a number of spectators, became a
little nervous, trembled, and gashed my cheek.

The operation was at last over. I was preparing
to leave the shop, when a merchant came forward, and,
addressing me in Russian, asked me to breakfast with
him. On my entering the recess where his wares were
exposed for sale, he removed a curtain which hung in
an obscure corner, and, stooping, led the way through
a low covered way into a good-sized room. This was
the apartment used by-his family. His wife was seated
there, engaged in performing some culinary operations
over a charcoal fire. Her face was uncovered, as she
did not expect any visitors, and, with a rapid move-
ment of her thick white shawl, she entirely concealed
her features. She was not by any means a beauty,
and her personal attractions not such as to overcome a
traveller. However, thinking it best to keep us out of
temptation, she left the room, and entered the harem,
which was divided by a thick fold of cloth from the
apartment in which we found ourselves.

A dish composed of small pieces of roast pheasant
served up with a slightly acid sauce, and surrounded by
a huge pile of rice, was now brought in, followed by
fried fish much resembling gudgeon. Whilst I was
eating, the host plied me with questions about the
countries through which I had travelled. He was
ignorant that any water communication existed between
Great Britain and India, and thought that the ordinary
288 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

route from England to that empire lay through
China. He was aware, however, that England was
not the same country as India, thus showing more
geographical knowledge than was possessed by his
compatriot at our sleeping quarters of the previous
evening.

My host had been for some time in Tashkent, where
he had learned Russian. He had also been to Bokhara,
and had spoken with several merchants who had gone
with caravans to Cabul and Lahore. He was the
more curious at meeting me as he said that he had
never seen an Englishman, and was very anxious
to know whether there was any chance of a war be-
tween Great. Britain and Russia. This, he observed,
was looked upon in Tashkent as certain soon to happen,
the Russian inhabitants of that city talking about India
as of a mine of wealth, from which they would be able
to replenish their empty purses.

“How will they march to India?” I inquired.
“There are high mountains which block the way,
and besides this, if they were to come, how do you
know that we should let them get back again ?”

“There are many roads,” he answered. “ Mer-
chants go from Bokhara to Cabul in sixteen days in the
summer months ; then there is the road through Merve
and Herat, which is now stopped by the Turkomans,
but which the Russians are going to open, and at the
same time to build a fort at Merve. You have fine
soldiers in India,” he continued; “ but we are told that
the natives of India do not like you, and will look upon
the Russians as deliverers.”

“ How do you like the Russians ?” I inquired.

“Pretty well; they buy my goods when I am at
Tashkent, and leave alone small people like myself. If
THE SHABBATAT CANAL, 289

I were rich it would be another matter, but then I
could bribe. Money will go a long way with the
colonels, and even the generals do not always keep
their palms shut.”

“Were you in Khiva when the country was
taken ?” I asked.

“No; I was then at Tashkent, and we thought that
the Russians would never get here. It was fearful,” he
added, “so much bloodshed; so many friends killed ;
women and children too; such cruelties. War is a
dreadful thing.”

“Perhaps we shall meet some time or other in
India,” I remarked, “and then I will return your
hospitality.”

“ That is to say, if the Russians let you,” replied
the man ; “but when they are in Hindostan there will
not be much left for yourselves, or the natives either,
for the matter of that; the officers here know how to
squeeze money out of a stone.”

Nazar now came in. He informed us that the
horses were ready, and that the guide was waiting for
me to continue the journey; so pressing a few roubles
on my entertainer, I mounted and rode off towards the
capital. On emerging once more into the country, I
found that the road was separated on each side from
the adjacent lands by low walls of dried clay, each
about four feetin height, and the neighbouring fields
were divided from each other by ditches, which marked
the boundaries of the respective properties. About
nine versts from Oogentch we crossed a canal known
by the name of the Shabbatat. This was surmounted
by a bridge constructed in the clumsiest manner of
upright beams driven into the mud below, and cross
planks with earth thrown on them to form the road.

s
290 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

There was no wall or parapet on either side to prevent
the passenger from falling into the stream, which was
at least twelve feet below. With a frightened horse
or drunken coachman it was not the sort of place that
a nervous man would like to cross on a dark night.

The road was now no longer enclosed, and we
rode through a sandy track of seemingly uncultivated
ground till we arrived at a cemetery. Here the tombs
were made of dried clay, and formed in strange and
fantastic shapes to suit the caprice or taste of the dead
one’s relatives. Banners or large white flags, mounted
on poles ten or twelve feet high, floated in the breeze
over several of the sepulchres, and marked the burial-
place of some fallen hero or other famous for his valour
and prowess, whilst mounds of earth, unadorned save
by the rising vegetation, were the last resting-places of
his humbler followers. A small dwelling hard by this
dead men’s home was tenanted by an aged moullah,
whose office it was to look after the cemetery, and
offer up prayers for the departed. A lad now ap-
proached us, and offering me some dried fruits and
tea, invited us to dismount and share their hospitality.

Later on I walked round the tombs, accompanied
by the old moullah, who told of the fearful scenes
enacted during the enemy’s advance on his country;
and on being informed that I was not a Russian, he
heaped deep curses on the invaders. “ They say that
we began the war,’ muttered the old man; “and it was
they who imprisoned our merchants at Kasala in order
to provoke the Khan; but our day is gone by, and the
infidels remain our masters.”

After riding about seven versts further, we crossed
another canal called the Kazabat. Night was coming
on, and as there were no signs of the messenger I
MY HOST IS A SPORTSMAN, 291

had sent forward to Khiva, we halted at a village
called Shamahoolhoor. Here it was not even neces-
sary for the guide to ask for hospitality. A fine-
looking man, with a cheery frank expression on his
nut-brown face, came out of a substantially built house,
and asked us to honour his roof by resting beneath it
till the morrow. He was apparently better off. than
the owner of the dwelling where we had stopped the
previous evening. The room set apart for guests,
though furnished in the same style as our quarters of
the night before, was much larger, and the carpets, &c.,
of better quality.

Our host was a sportsman, and kept several hawks.
These birds are much used in the chase by the
Khivans. They are flown at hares or sazgaks, a species
of antelope. The hawk, hovering above its prey’s
head, strikes him between the eyes, and the animal
becoming bewildered does not know which way to
turn, and falls an easy victim to the hounds.

“Do you not hunt in this way in your country?”
asked the host.

“No; we hunt foxes, but only with hounds, and
follow ourselves on horseback.”

“ Are your horses like our own?” he inquired.

“No; they are stouter built as a rule, have better
shoulders, and are stronger animals; but though they
can gallop faster than your horses for a short distance,
I do not think they can last so long.”

“Which do you like best, your horse or your
wife ?” inquired the man.

“That depends upon the woman,” I replied; and
the guide, here joining in the conversation, said in
England they do not buy or sell their wives, and that
I was not a married man.
292 A RIDE TO KHIVA.

« What ! you have not got a wife ?”

“No; how could I travel if I had one ?”

“Why, you might leave her behind, and lock her
up, as our merchants do with their wives when they
go on a journey.”

“In my country the women are never locked up.”

“What a marvel!” said the man; “and how can
you trust them? Is it not dangerous to expose them
toso much temptation ? They are poor weak creatures,
and easily led. But if one of them is unfaithful to her
husband, what does he do?”

“He goes to our moullah, whom we call a judge,
and obtains a divorce, and marries some one else.”

“What! you mean to say he does not cut the
woman’s throat ?”

“No; he would very likely be hanged himself if
he did.”

“What a country!” said the host; “we manage
things better in Khiva.”

The guide was much astonished on hearing the
price of horses in England. “ And what do the poor
people do ?” he inquired.

“ Why, walk.”

“Walk?”

“Yes, walk”—this appearing to the man such an
extraordinary statement that he could hardly credit it.

Later on I took out my breechloader from its case,
as the weapon had become very rusty during the march,
and began to clean it. The host scrutinised the gun
very carefully, and was delighted at the rapidity with
which it could be loaded.

“Ah!” he said, with a sigh, “if we had only
been armed with some of your guns, the Russians
would never have got here; the Khan’s arms were
“THE KHAN HAS NOW NO SOLDIERS.” 293

useless in comparison.” With these words my host
showed me his own gun, which had a barrel at least
five feet long, and a rest to stick in the ground so as to
steady the aim. “It is a nice weapon, too,” he added,
“though not like yours, for mine takes five minutes to
load, and quite a minute to fire; indeed, before I can
shoot once, the Russians with their rifles can kill
twenty men. Our Khan has now no soldiers; the
Russians will not let him have any.”
CHAPTER XXXI.

The Messenger—Two Khivan Noblemen—Minarets—Orchards—Mulberry Trees
—Khiva—The Fortifications—The Market-place—The Gallows—How Mur-
derers are put to death—The Muscovite Imagination—Capital Punishment
rarely inflicted—The Population—The Schools—Cupolas—The Khivan’s
House—A Bath in Khiva—The Bathing Establishment—The Belt which
contained my Gold—The Moullah—Captain Abbott—‘* The Winter killed the
Dogs by thousands ”—The Khan’s Treasurer—‘‘They do not love you English
People ”—‘* Four Years ago we were quite as far off Russia as you are at the
present time "—Distinguished Foreigners—Ink Frozen—“ The Russians have
not such things.”

THE next morning we encountered on the road the
messenger whom I had despatched with my letter to
the Khan. He was accompanied by two Khivan noble-
men. One of them courteously saluted us. He then
said that his Majesty had received my letter, and had
sent him forward to escort me into the city, and to say
that I was welcome to his capital.

We were now fast nearing Khiva, which could be
just discerned in the distance, but was hid to a certain
extent from our view by a narrow belt of tall, graceful
trees. However, some richly-painted minarets and high
domes of coloured tiles could be seen towering above
the leafy groves. Orchards, surrounded by walls eight
and ten feet high, continually met the gaze. Avenues
of mulberry-trees studded the landscape in all directions.

The two Khivans rode first ; I followed, having put
on my black fur pelisse instead of the sheepskin gar-
ment, so as to present a more respectable appearance
on entering the city. Nazar, who was mounted on
THE CITY OF KHIVA. 295

the horse that stumbled, brought up the rear. He had
desired the camel-driver to follow in the distance with
the messenger and the caravan, my servant being
of opinion that the number of our animals was not
sufficient to deeply impress the Khivans with my im-
portance, and that on this occasion it would be better to
ride in without any caravan than with the small one I
possessed. We now entered the city, which is of an
oblong form, and surrounded by two walls; the outer
one is about fifty feet high ; its basement is constructed
of baked bricks, the upper part being built of dried
clay. This forms the first line of defence, and com-
pletely encircles the town, which is about a quarter of
a mile within the wall. Four high wooden gates,
clamped with iron, barred the approach from the north,
south, east, and west, whilst the walls themselves were
in many places out of repair.

The town itself is surrounded by a second wall,
not quite so high as the one just described, and with a
dry ditch, which is now half filled with ruined dédris.
The slope which leads from the wall to the trench had
been used as a cemetery, and hundreds of sepulchres
and tombs were scattered along some undulating ground
just without the city. The space between the first and
second walls is used as a market-place, where cattle,
horses, sheep, and camels are sold, and where a number
of carts were standing, filled with corn and grass.

Here an ominous-looking cross-beam had been
erected, towering high above the heads of the people
with its bare, gaunt poles.

This was the gallows on which all people convicted
of theft are executed; murderers being put to death in
a different manner, having their throats cut from ear to
ear in the same way that sheep are killed.
296 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

This punishment is carried out’ by the side of a
large hole in the ground, not far from the principal
street in the centre of the town. But I must here
remark that the many cruelties stated to have been
perpetrated by the present Khan previous to the
capture of his city did not take place. Indeed, they
only existed in the fertile Muscovite imagination,
which was eager to find an excuse for the appropriation
of a neighbour’s property. On the contrary, capital
punishment was only inflicted when the laws had been
infringed ; and there is no instance of the Khan having
arbitrarily put any one to death.

The two walls above mentioned appear to have
made up the defences of the city, which was also armed
with sixteen guns. These, however, proved prac-
tically useless against the Russians, as the garrison
only fired solid shot, not being provided with shell.
The Khan seemed to have made no use whatever of
the many enclosed gardens in the vicinity of the city
during the Russian advance, as, if he had, and firmly
contested each yard of soil, I much doubt whether the
Tzar’s troops could have ever entered the city.

It is difficult to estimate the population of an Oriental
city by simply riding round its walls ; so many houses
are uninhabited, and others again are densely packed
with inhabitants. However, I should say as a mere
guess that there are about 35,000 human beings within
the walls of Khiva. The streets are broad and clean,
whilst the houses belonging to the richer inhabitants
are built of highly-polished bricks and coloured tiles,
which lend a cheerful aspect to the otherwise some-
what sombre colour of the surroundings. There are
nine schools ; the largest, which contains 130 pupils,
was built by the father of the present Khan. These
A HOUSE IN KHIVA, 297

buildings are all constructed with high, coloured domes,
and are ornamented with frescoes and arabesque work.
The bright aspect of the cupolas first attract a stranger’s
attention on his nearing the city.

Presently we rode through a bazaar similar to the
one at Oogentch, thin rafters and straw uniting the
tops of the houses in the street, and forming a sort of
roof to protect the stall-keepers and their customers
from the rays of asummer sun. We were followed by
crowds of people; and as some of the more inquisitive
approached too closely, the Khivans who accompanied
me, raising their whips in the air, freely belaboured the
shoulders of the multitude, thus securing a little space.
After riding through a great number of streets, and
taking the most circuitous course—probably in order
to duly impress me with an idea*tof the importance of
the town—we arrived before my companion’s house.
Several servants ran forward and took hold of
the horses. The Khivan dismounted, and bowing
obsequiously, led the way through a high door-
way--constructed of solid timber. We next entered
a square open court, with carved stone pillars
supporting a balcony which looked down upon a marble
fountain, or basin, the general appearance of the court
being that of a patio in some nobleman’s house in
Cordova or Seville. A door of a similar construction
to the one already described, though somewhat lower,
gave access toa long narrow room, a raised dais at each
end being covered with handsome rugs. There were
no windows, glass being a luxury which has only
recently found its way to the capital. The apartment
received its light from an aperture at the side, which
was slightly concealed by some trellis-work, and from a
space left uncovered in the ceiling, which was adorned
298 A RIDE 70 KHIVA,

with arabesque figures. The two doors which led from
the court were each of them handsomely carved, and
in the middle of the room was a hearth filled with
charcoal embers. My host, beckoning to me to take
the post of honour by the fire, retired a few paces and
folded his arms across his chest, then assuming a de-
precatory air, he asked my permission to sit down.

Grapes, melons, and other fruit, fresh as on the day
when first picked, were brought in on a large tray and
laid at my feet, whilst the host himself, bringing in a
Russian teapot and cup, poured out some of the boiling
liquid and placed it by my side; I all this time was
seated on a rug, with my legs crossed under me, in
anything but a comfortable position.

He then inquired if I had any commands for him,
as the Khan had given an order that everything I
might require was instantly to be supplied. On my
expressing a wish to have a bath,a servant was at once
despatched to give the necessary orders to the keeper
of the establishment. In an hour’s time Nazar informed
me that the bath was ready, and that we should have
to ride there, as it was in a house in the centre of the
town. The host now led the way, Nazar bringing up
the rear, carrying some soap in one hand, and a hair-
brush in the other, the latter a source of great astonish-
ment to the Khivans, who, having no hair of their own,
could not understand the use of such an article.

The bathing establishment consisted of three large
rooms with vaulted roofs. Several divans made of
dried clay were arranged around the walls of the first
apartment, and covered with rugs and cushions. On
one of these sat the keeper of the bath. He at once
arose, and beckoning to me to sit down beside him, pro-
duced a pipe. There is an old saying that when you
CAPTAIN ABBOTT'S VISIT TO KHIVA, 299

are in Rome you must do as Rome does. I took two
or three whiffs, and was nearly choked in consequence.
Some sherbet was now poured out, and an attendant
helped me to undress, when feeling the belt which con-
tained all my gold, he asked what it was. It is no use
showing Asiatics that you suspect them of possible dis-
honesty, and the result of my experience has been to
prove that you can do more by apparently confiding in
them than by any other method. I merely remarked,
“Money,” and asking him to take care of it whilst I went
into the hot room, I gave him the belt. The man
bowed down, and pointing to his head, conveyed
to my mind that his life would answer for the money.
He then led the way into a second apartment. Here
there was a charcoal furnace, and on the fire a
quantity of large stones which were at a white heat.
He threw three or four pailfuls of cold water on
the stones; the liquid was in an instant converted
into steam, and volumes of dense vapour filled
the apartment. Hotter and hotter it grew, the at-
mosphere being so thick that the attendant was
invisible. After steaming for about half an hour, he
came to my side, and led me to a large reservoir filled
with water and floating ice. Seizing a bucket, he
soused me from head to foot. The process was over ;
there was no shampooing or bone-kneading, as in
similar establishments in Turkey, and I was conducted
back to the dressing-room.

Here many of the principal inhabitants had
assembled, in order to have a look at the stranger
who, although a Christian, still liked washing. One
of them, an old moullah, could speak a little Arabic.
He had twice performed the pilgrimage to Mecca. He
remembered Captain Abbott’s visit to Khiva, forty
300 4 RIDE T0 KHIVA,

years ago, and was under the impression that I, like
that officer, had come to the Khivan capital from
India and Herat.

“He was such a nice gentleman,” observed the
moullah, alluding to Abbott. “He was a medicine-
man too, and‘cured several sick people. We heard
afterwards that he had been killed by the Russians. —
Was that the case?” And on being informed that
Captain Abbott had returned in safety to England, the
old man gave praise to God.

“Your compatriot was with us about the time that
the Russians were attempting to reach Khiva,” con-
tinued the moullah. “ People here then thought that
an army from Hindostan was coming to help us. But
we did not require any assistance; the winter killed
the dogs by thousands. Praise be to God!” And this
expression, which is the same in Tartar as in Arabic,
was devoutly repeated by the rest of the company.

“How did the Russians succeed in taking Khiva ?”
I inquired.

“They came in the summer. Allah did not fight
for us.”

“Tt has been said,” I remarked, “ that your people
had poisoned some of the wells in the desert. Was
this the case ?”

The old man turned red with indignation.

“ Poison the wells which God ‘has given us!” he
said; “no, never; for that would be a sin in His
eyes.”

Nazar by this time had returned with the horses;
so, shaking hands with the principal people, who arose
at my departure, I rode away, followed by the blessings
of the old priest, the latter, from the fact of my
speaking Arabic, looking upon me as not quite a
THE KHAN'’S TREASURER. 301

Mohammedan, but as certainly a very distinguished
moullah in my own country.

Later on in the afternoon I received a visit from no
less a person than the Khans treasurer. He was a
tall, fat man, of about forty years of age, and with a
forbidding expression on his countenance, He was
extremely anxious to learn my business, and to know
if I had been sent to Khiva by my Government, and
was much surprised that the Russians had not stopped
me on the route. :

“You have not been to Fort Petro-Alexandrovsk ?”
he observed.

“No,” I replied.

“Ah! that accounts for it,” he continued, with a
sarcastic laugh. ‘“ They do not much love you English
people, though, by all accounts, you are now on speak-
ing terms, and not at war.”

“ Do you think this state of things will last long ?”
I inquired.

The man grinned, and, stretching out his arm,
pointed eastward.

“They are pushing onward,” he added. “You
will have an opportunity of shaking hands with your
friends before long. our years ago we were quite as
far from Russia as you are at the present time; and
you have not many white men in India.”

“Quite sufficient to give Russia a good beating,”
I remarked; when, asking at what time it would be
convenient for me to pay my respects to the Khan,
the following afternoon was fixed for an audience, and
the treasurer left me.

A succession of visitors came pouring in during the
evening, the arrival of an Englishman in Khiva being
looked upon as an extraordinary occurrence. I have
302 4A RIDE TO KHIVA,

often pitied distinguished foreigners who, when visiting
London, are taken, amongst other sights, to the
Zoological Gardens on a Sunday. The adztués of the
Gardens stare at the unfortunate stranger as if he
were a choice specimen of the gorilla or chimpanzee
which has been imported from some recently dis-
covered region. The lions and monkeys are deserted
for the new arrival, and his every gesture is scanned
as if he were not made of flesh, blood, and bone, like
an ordinary mortal, and had nothing in common with
the rest of humanity.

This was my own position,

My manner of eating with a knife and fork much
astonished some of the visitors. One of them,
coming up, tried to imitate the proceeding, the con-
sequence being that he ran the fork into his cheek.
This greatly amused the rest of the party.

Nazar and the guide did not at all object to the
intrusion on my privacy.

“Tt is their custom,” said my little Tartar, at the
same time expectorating on the floor; “they are poor
barbarous people, and do not know any better. They
want to honour you,” he added, “and this is their way
of doing it. If you were a Russian there would not
be half so much curiosity displayed.”

The evening wore on, and taking an inkstand out
of my writing-case, I tried to write a letter. However,
this proved a difficult task. The ink, which was frozen
into a solid lump, had smashed the bottle. The cold
still remained as great as ever; though now it was
impossible for me to register it, owing to my ther-
mometer having been broken during the journey.
The small charcoal hearth in my room gave out but
little warmth, and the draught through the apertures in
THE KHIVANS ADMIRE MY AIR MATTRESS. 303

the roof and walls was so great that it was impossible
to undress. There was nothing for it but to wrap
myself in my fur pelisse, and thus attired lie down on
my air mattress. The latter was a source of the greatest
astonishment to the Khivans, who were delighted
when I explained how it could be used on an emer-
gency as a raft. ‘We could cross the Amou on it,”
observed one of them. “And it is light and soft,”
added another, lifting it up between his finger and
thumb. “The Russians have not such things,” chimed
in a third, who had once been inside Fort Petro-
Alexandrovsk.
CHAPTER XXXII.

Breakfast in Khiva—Decorations or Orders—How to obtain them in Russia—The
Procession through the Streets—The Band—The Khan’s Palace—His Guards
—Effeminate Buys dressed a little like Women—The Treasury—Khivan
Tribute to the Tzar—The Executioner—Nazar’s Trepidation—The Reception
Hall—The Audience—The Khan—His description—Tea—The Interpreters—
England, ‘‘ How far is it from Russia ?” —Englishmen and Germans—Wyld’s
Map—‘‘ Where is India ?”—A Compass—An Infernal Machine—Afghanistan
—China—War with Russia—‘‘ The Russians laughed at you ”—‘‘ What shall
you do about Kashgar?”—“ Are there Jews in your Country?”’—‘ The
Russians love Money very much ””—‘‘ Hum 1”

In the morning my host again appeared, accompanied
by several servants bearing sweetmeats and fruits, the
invariable preludes to a breakfast at Khiva, whilst a
frozen block of milk was also sent me, and some butter
which was as hard as a billiard-ball. Nazar was all
this time engaged in brushing a black shooting-jacket,
the only garment I possessed except my regular riding
attire. However, I had brought one white shirt, think-
ing that I might possibly have an interview with some
Central Asian magnate or other. Greatly to my
surprise, the article in question was not much the worse
for the journey.

Whilst these preparations were going on, the host
kept plying Nazar with questions as to my échzz (rank),
and as to whether I had any orders or not, the Russian
officers who had visited Khiva. having been covered
with decorations. A successful review or parade at St.
Petersburg often enables an officer to obtain an order,
whilst, with us, one would only be given for services
“vOU HAVE NO ORDERS?” 305

in the field. Indeed, I remember once seeing a Russian
official with his breast so covered with decorations, that,
struck with astonishment, I asked in what sanguinary
actions he had distinguished himself. The man whom
I addressed smiled. “He has seldom been under fire,”
was the reply,“ but he is useful to the State, as, through
his agents, he knows everything that goes on in
Russia.”

“You have no orders?” inquired Nazar.

oO"

“Well, I have told them that you have a great many,
but that you have not brought them with you for fear
of their being stolen. If you had only a few crosses
to attach to your coat it would look so well. The
people, too, would think so much more of me;” and
my little Tartar servant swelled out his chest, as much
as to say, “I ama person of considerable importance,
though you do not seem to see it.”

I was a good deal annoyed with Nazar for having
thus imposed upon my host, and instantly desired him
to state that in my country officers only received decor-
ations for military services in the field. In consequence
of this there were not so many worn as in the Russian
army; whilst as to my rank, I was a captain, travelling
at my own expense and for my own pleasure, and not
in any way as an agent of the British Government.

In the afternoon two officials arrived from the
Khan’s palace, with an escort of six men on horseback
and four on foot. The elder of the two dignitaries said
that his Majesty was waiting to receive me, and my
horse being brought round, I mounted, and accompanied
the Khivan to the palace. The six men on horseback
led the way, then I came between the two officials.
Nazar brought up the rear with some attendants on

m

a
306 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

foot. They freely lashed the crowd with their whips
*vhenever any of the spectators approached our horses
yoo closely.

The news that the Khan was about to receive me
had spread rapidly through the town. The streets
were lined with curious individuals all eager to see the
Englishman. Perhaps in no part of the world is India
more talked of than in the Central Asian khanates.
The stories of our wealth and power which have
reached Khiva through Afghan and Bokharan sources
have grown like a snowball in its onward course.
The riches described in the garden discovered by
Aladdin would pale if compared with the fabled
treasures of Hindostan.

After riding through several narrow streets, where,
in some instances, the housetops were thronged with
people desirous of looking at our procession, we
emerged on a small flat piece of ground which was not
built over, and which formed a sort of open square.
Here a deep hole was pointed out to me as the spot
where criminals who had been found guilty of murder
have had their throats cut from ear to ear.

The Khan’s palace is a large building, orna-
mented with pillars and domes, which, covered with
bright-coloured tiles, flash in the sun, and attract the
attention of the stranger approaching Khiva. A
guard of thirty or forty men armed with scimitars stood
at the palace gates. We next passed into a small
courtyard. The Khan’s guards were all attired in
long flowing silk robes of various patterns, bright-
coloured sashes being girt around their waists, and tall
fur hats surmounting their bronzed countenances.
The courtyard was surrounded by a low pile of build-
ings, which are the offices of the palace, and was filled
AN AUDIENCE OE THE KHAN, 307

with attendants and menials of the court. Good-
looking boys of an effeminate appearance, with long
hair streaming down their shoulders, and dressed a
little like the women, lounged about, and seemed to
have nothing in particular to do.

A door at the further end of the court gave access
to a low passage, and, after passing through some dirty
corridors, where I had occasionally to stoop in order to
avoid knocking my head against the ceiling, we came
to a large, square-shaped room. Here the treasurer
was seated, with three moullahs, who were squatted by
his side, whilst several attendants crouched in humble
attitudes at the opposite end of the apartment. The
treasurer and his companions were busily engaged in
counting some rolls of rouble-notes and a heap of silver
coin, which had been received from the Khan’s subjects,
and were now to be sent to Petro-Alexandrovsk as part
of the tribute to the Tzar.

The great man now made a sign to some of his
attendants. A large wooden box, bearing signs of
having been manufactured in Russia, was pushed a
little from the wall, and offered to me as a seat.
Nazar was accommodated amongst the dependants
at the other end of the room. After the usual
salaams had been made, the functionary continued his
task, leaving me in ignorance as to what was to be the
next part of the programme, Nazar squatting himself
down as far as possible from one of the attendants,
who was armed with a scimitar, and whom he sus-
pected of being the executioner.

After I had been kept waiting for about a quarter of
an hour, a messenger entered the room and informed
the treasurer that the Khan was disengaged, and ready
to receive me. We now entered a long corridor,
308 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

which led to an inner courtyard. Here we found the
reception-hall, a large tent or kibitka, of a dome-like
shape. The treasurer, lifting up a fold of thick cloth,
motioned to me to enter. On doing so I found
myself face to face with the celebrated Khan, who was
reclining against some pillows or cushions, and seated
on a handsome Persian rug, warming his feet by a
circular hearth filled with burning charcoal. He raised
his hand to his forehead as I stood before him, a salute
which I returned by touching my cap. He then made
a sign for me to sit down by his side.

Before I relate our conversation, it may not be
uninteresting if I describe the sovereign. He is taller
than the average of his subjects, being quite five feet
ten in height, and is strongly built. His face is of a
broad massive type, he has a low, square forehead, large
dark eyes, a short straight. nose, with dilated nostrils,
and a coal-black beard and moustache. An enor-
mous mouth, with irregular but white teeth, and a
chin somewhat concealed by his beard, and not at all in
character with the otherwise determined appearance of
his face, must complete the picture.

He did not look more than eight-and-twenty, and
had a pleasant genial smile, and a merry twinkle in
his eye, very unusual amongst Orientals; in fact, a
Spanish expression would describe him better than any
English one I can think of. He is muy stnpatico. I
must say I was greatly surprised, after all that has
been written in Russian newspapers about the cruel-
ties and other iniquities perpetrated by this Khivan
potentate, to find the original such a cheery sort of
fellow.

His countenance was of a very different type to his
treasurer's. The hang-dog expression of the latter
THE KHAN’S IDEAS OF GEOGRAPHY. 30G

made me bilious to look at him, and it is said that he
carries to great lengths those peculiar vices and depraved
habits to which Orientals are so often addicted. The
Khan was dressed in a similar sort of costume to that
generally worn by his subjects, but it was made of
much richer materials, and a jewelled sword was
lying by his seat. His head was covered by a tall
black Astrakhan hat, of a sugar-loaf shape, and on my
seeing that all the officials who were in the room at the
same time as myself kept on their fur hats, I did the
sammie.

The sovereign, turning to an attendant, gave an
order in a low tone, when tea was instantly brought,
and handed to me in a small porcelain tea-cup. A
conversation with the Khan was now commenced, and
carried on through Nazar and a Kirghiz interpreter
who spoke Russian, and occasionally by means of a
moullah, who was acquainted with Arabic, and had
spent some time in Egypt. The Khan, when he wished
to say anything which was not intended for the ears of
the other attendants, murmured his questions to this
official, who would then translate them to me.

The first question asked was how far England is
from Russia, and whether Englishmen and Germans are
of the same nation? thus showing rather a deficiency
in geographical knowledge.

Fortunately I had Wyld’s map of the countries
lying between England and India in my pocket, and
producing it, I unfolded the map before him.

He at once asked where India was.

I pointed to it.

“No,” he said, “India is there,’ pointing to the
south-east.

He was seated facing the south, and could not
310 A RIDE TO KHIVA.

understand that it was necessary to read the map to
the reverse hand.

As I was not quite certain where the north was, I
desired Nazar to give me my compass, which he wore
round his neck. When he handed it to me I observed
the countenances of the Khan’s followers assume an
expression of alarm, and they looked as if they thought
that it was an infernal machine, and might go off.
However, the sovereign himself instantly recognised
the use of the instrument, and said that he had two
which had been given him some time previous by @
traveller.

I now adjusted the map to the north, and showed
him all the different places he mentioned, at the same
time pointing with my finger to the direction in which
he would have to ride if he should wish to visit them.

He was under the impression that Afghanistan
belonged to England, and was greatly struck with the
size of India, and the small space that Great Britain
takes up on the map. “China, where the tea comes
from, belongs to you, also?” he inquired, evidently
thinking that England has the same relations with
the Celestial Empire as Russia with Kokan.

The Khan then putting his hand on Hindostan on
the map, observed that India was large, but not so
large as Russia, which required nearly two hands to
cover it.

I here remarked that extent of territory does not
make up the strength of a nation, and that India con-
tained nearly three times as many inhabitants as were
in the whole of the Russian Empire, whilst her Majesty
ruled over such a large extent of territory which was

not shown in the map, that the sun never sets through-
out her dominions. ,
ENGLAND AND RUSSIA. 311

He then asked if it were true that the son of our
Queen had lately married the daughter of the Tzar, as
the Russians had told him so, and had said that it was a
proof of the friendship which existed between England
and Russia, and of the interests they had in common,
which would eventually lead to the two empires
touching in the East.

He was also very anxious to know whether
Englishmen loved the Russians as much as the
Russians said they did; “for if I am to believe what
I hear from other sources,” he continued, “the more
particularly through the Bokharans, there is not much
love lost between the two countries, and the people in
India are not at all eager to have their dear friends as
such near neighbours.”

He then said, “ You had a war with Russia some
years ago, and were the allies of the Sultan. This
made a great stir in Central Asia, and we were
very glad to hear the news, as we thought you would
defend us in the same manner if we were attacked.
There was another Khan, however, who helped you at
that time, and from all accounts you took some Russian
territory. Now,’ continued the speaker, “I want to
know if it is true that the Khan, who was your friend
at that time, has been since defeated by another power,
and that the Russians then laughed at you, and said
that you were weak and could not fight without your
friend, after which they re-took all the country they
had previously lost.”

To this I replied that there had been no territory
taken, and that as to our fearing Russia, or any other
power, this was a statement as ridiculous as false ;
that England had beaten Russia before, and could
easily do so again, but that we were a peaceable nation,
312 A RIDE TO KHIVA.

and never wished to interfere with our neighbours so
long as they did not interfere with*us.

“ That is all very well,” said the Khan; and after
being silent for a few seconds, he suddenly observed,
“ Why did not England help me when I sent a mission
to Lord Northbrook ?”

To this I replied that being only a traveller,
and not in the secrets of the Government, I could
not possibly know all that passed in the political
world.

“ Well,” observed the sovereign, “the Russians will
now advance to Kashgar, then to Bokhara and Balkh,
and so on to Merve and Herat; you will have to fight
some day whether your Government likes it or not.
I am informed that India is very rich,” he added, “and
that Russia has got plenty of soldiers, but little with
which to pay them. I am paying for some of them
now,” he contiaued, looking with a sad smile at his
treasurer.

The Khan next said, “ We Mohammedans used
to think that England was our friend because she
helped the Sultan, but you have let the Russians take
Tashkent, conquer me, and make her way into Kokan.
What shall you do about Kashgar?” he suddenly
inquired; “shall you defend Kashgar or not ?”

Here I remarked that I was very sorry the Russians
had been allowed to get to Khiva, as this might easily
have been prevented, but that I could not give him
an answer, as I was utterly ignorant of the policy of
the Government.

“You do not have a Khan,” he asked, “at the head
of affairs ?”

“No,” I replied, “a Queen, and her Majesty is
advised as to her policy by her ministers, who for
A LESSON ON THE ENGLISH CONSTITUTION. 313

the time being are supposed to represent the opinion
of the country.”

“ And does that opinion change ?” he inquired.

“Very frequently,’ I resumed; “and since your
country was conquered we have had a fresh Govern-
ment, whose policy is diametrically opposite to that held
by the previous one; and in a few years’ time we shall
have another change, for in our country, as the people
advance in knowledge and wealth, they require fresh
laws and privileges. The result of this is they choose
a different set of people to represent them; the
sovereign, however, remains always immutable. She
can make no mistake; all the responsibility of govern-
ment rests with the Ministry, who in their turn
are selected from the majority of the represen-
tatives.”

“Can your Queen have a subject’s head cut off?”
asked the Khan.

“No, not without a trial before our judges—they
answer to your moullahs—and then if the prisoner has
committed murder, he is nearly sure to be sentenced
to death, and hanged.”

“ Then she never has their throats cut?” _

ea.

“ Hindostan is a very wonderful country,” continued
the Khan; “the envoy I sent there a few years ago
has told me of your railroads and telegraphs; but the
Russians have railroads too.”

“Yes,” I replied; “we lent them money, and our
engineers have helped to make them.”

“ Do the Russians pay you for this?” he inquired.

“Yes ; so far they have behaved very honourably.”

“ Are there not Jews in your country like some of
the Jews at Bokhara?”
314 4 RIDE TO KHIVA,

“ One of the richest men in England is a Jew.”

“The Russians do not take away the money from
the Jews?”

“ No.”

The Khan here said a few words to his treasurer,
and then remarked, “ Why do they take money from
me, then? The Russians love money very much.”
As he said this he shook his head sorrowfully at the
treasurer, and the latter, assuming a most mournful
expression, ejaculated, “ Hum!” purring out this mono-
syllable in a doleful strain; the word “hum” having
been constantly used during our conversation both by
the sovereign and his nobles.

The Khan now by a low bow made me aware that
the interview was over.

“] have given orders for you to be shown every-
thing you may wish to see in my city,” he observed;
when saying good-bye, and thanking him for his kind-
ness, I returned to my quarters. The people bowed
down before the cortége as we rode back through the
streets, for the news had spread that my reception had
been a very gracious one.
CHAPTER XXXIII.

The Present Khan—The Law of Succession—The Turkomans and their Tribute
—The Royal Gardens—A Summer Palace—How the Sovereign administers
Justice—God’s Vengeance—The Prison—The Prisoners—The Stocks—The
Schools—The Moullahs—Reading, Writing, and the Koran—How School-
masters are remunerated for their trouble—Preparations for a Start to
Bokhara—L’homme propose, mais Dieu dispose—A Letter—It must have
cost a large sum of money sending that Telegram—General Milutin—
The Bazaar—A Strict Order—A Nose-ring—The Unclean Animal—A Pre-.
sent from the Khan— His Invitation to Englishmen—His Hospitality.

Tue present Khan is the eleventh in succession of
the same family. He commenced his reign ten years
ago, at the death of the previous sovereign, the
khanate descending from father to son, and not to the
eldest male relative, as is the case amidst some other
Mohammedan nations. The monarch receives the
crown lands and gardens intact. With the rest of the
nation, the property at a father’s death is divided equally
amongst his sons, thus doing away with the possibility
of any one possessing a large extent of the soil.

The actual Khan, after paying his annual tribute to
the Tzar, has 100,000 roubles, or about £14,000 a
year, left for himself. He has no army to maintain,
and some of the Turkoman tribes are recommencing
to pay him taxes. This they do for fear lest other-
wise it might be made a pretext for a Russian advance
into their country.

The following day I rode out to visit the sovereign’s
gardens, which are about three versts from the town.
He has five; each of them is from four to five acres in
316 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

extent; they are surrounded by high walls, built of
dried clay, with solid buttresses at the corners. Two
large wooden gates at the entrance of the enclosure
“were opened by the gardener, a little swarthy man,
clad in a dressing-gown of many colours, and with a
long iron hoe on his shoulder. I was accompanied
by the son of my host, and Nazar, when the former
saying that I had the Khan’s permission, the gardener
stepped aside, and allowed us to enter.

The garden was remarkably well kept, and the
horticultural arrangements much better than I expected
to find so far from Europe. Here were to be seen
long avenues of fruit-trees, carefully cut and trimmed.
There men were engaged in preparing the soil, which
would be thickly studded with melons in the ensuing
spring. Apple, pear, and cherry-trees abounded, whilst
in the centre of the ground high scaffoldings, covered
with trellis-work, showed where, in summer, the vines
are trained. Under their grateful shade, cool walks are
formed to protect the Khan and his ladies from the
burning sun. /

He has a small summer palace in this garden, to
which he resorts, and where he holds his court in June
and July. Trenches for the purpose of irrigation are
cut in all directions about the grounds, whilst frequent
mulberry-trees, terminating in thick clusters of the
same, are interspersed throughout the garden.

The scene must be a striking one when the Khan,
surrounded by his court and officers of state, administers
justice. For this takes place in the open, on a raised
stone dais, which is ascended by a low flight of steps.
There the delinquents are brought, and, if they do not
at once confess their guilt to their lord and master, he
orders them to be taken to the moullah, a learned man,
HOW THE KHAN ADMINISTERS $USTICE, 317

whose business it is to investigate into all such matters
The latter produces a copy of the Koran, and desires
the suspected individual to swear his innocence; if
this is done, and there are no eye-witnesses to prove the
man’s guilt, he is allowed to go free. Should he perjure
himself, the Khivans believe that the vengeance of
Allah will speedily overtake him, and that the retribu-
tion will then be much greater than any punishment
which man’s justice could inflict.

“ But,” I inquired, “are there never some wretches
amongst you who will risk the wrath of Allah, and,
perjuring themselves, be released to commit other
crimes ?”

“No,” was the answer. ‘“ The fear of God’s ven-
geance is happily too great to admit of such wickedness.”

“ But, supposing that there are witnesses who can
prove that the person committed the crime, and he
still denies it ; what do you do then ?”

“Why, we beat him with rods, put salt in his mouth,
and expose him to the burning rays of the sun, until
at last he confesses, and then is punished for his
breach of the law.”

After riding through the gardens which lie on the
southern side of the city, and are on the road to Merve,
we returned to Khiva, and visited the prison—a low
building on the left of the court, which forms the
entrance to the Khan’s palace. Here I found two
prisoners, their feet fastened in wooden stocks, whilst
heavy iron chains encircled their necks and bodies.
They were accused of having assaulted a woman, and
two females were witnesses of the act; but as the
prisoners would not confess, they were to be kept in
confinement till they acknowledged their guilt.

On leaving the gaol, I rode to the principal school,
318 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

and found it a series of little low rooms or open niches,
which enclosed a courtyard. A large fountain or basin
for water had been constructed in the centre of the open
space, the corners of the court being surmounted by
some high.domes and minarets of coloured tiles similar
to those in the Khan’s palace. A moullah superintends
each school, and under his supervision there is a staff
of other teachers. The subjects taught are reading,
writing, and the Koran, pages of which are committed
to memory by the pupils. The teacher squats
beside the hearth in the middle of the room, whilst the
boys sit around him, and learn from his lips verses of
their scripture. The parents pay for their children’s
tuition in corn, a certain number of measures being
given to the instructor in return for his labours. A
crowd followed us about, and some of the people were
much surprised, seeing that I wrote from left to right,
instead of from right to left, as I jotted down my notes
in a pocket-book.

A succession of visitors awaited us on returning to
our quarters, several moullahs, who had been to Egypt
and Mecca, calling to pay their respects to the English-
man, who, like themselves, spoke Arabic.

In the meantime Nazar was making preparations
for a start to Bokhara. Bread had been ordered, or
rather a peculiar sort of little round cake, which sub-
stitutes the so-called staff of life at Khiva. The guide
had promised to accompany us, and the camel-driver
was thoroughly prepared to accompany me to the end
of the world so long as I gave him plenty to eat. I
determined to remain one day longer, and then leave for
Bokhara. This would be a twelve days’ march from
Khiva. From Bokhara I could go on to Merve and
Meshed, where we should be in Persian territory.
STOPPED BY A TELEGRAM. 319

I should much have liked to have remained some
days longer at Khiva, but time was important. It
was the 27th of January, and I was obliged to be back
with my regiment on the 14th of April. However,
Lhomme propose, mais Dieu dispose; and the truth of
this celebrated old French saying was prominently
brought before me the next morning, for on returning
from an early ride through the market, where a great
sale of camels and horses was taking place, I found
two strangers in my apartment. One of them, pro-
ducing a letter, handed it to me, saying that he had
been sent to Khiva by order of the Commandant
at Petro-Alexandrovsk.

On opening the enclosure I found a letter written
in Russian on one side of the paper, and in French on
the other

Its contents were to the following effect: that the
Commandant had received a telegram, vzé Tashkent, and
that I must go to the fort to receive the communication.

I was greatly surprised to find that any one took
so much interest in me as to despatch a telegram so
many thousand miles, and put himself to the expense
of having the message forwarded from Tashkent, where
the telegraph ends, to Khiva, a distance of nine hun-
dred miles, by couriers with relays of horses. It must
have cost a large sum of money sending that tele-
gram, and I began to be a little alarmed, thinking
that perhaps I should be asked to pay for it.

Again, what could have occurred of such great im-
portance as to induce any one to telegraph? Could
it be that General Milutin, the Russian Minister of
War, had just remembered that I had called four times
at his house, and that he had not been able to give me an
interview, but that he was now prepared to grant one ?
320 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

There was another solution which might also have
been correct, and the thought suddenly occurred that
perhaps Count Schouvaloff’s brother, to whom the
thoughtful* ambassador in London had so kindly given
me a letter of introduction, had by this time arrived at
St. Petersburg, and wished to show me some hospitality.

Anyhow, there was the letter, and I must go to
Petro-Alexandrovsk to receive the telegram. It was
not a pleasant thought, after having ‘gone so far, to
have possibly to return to European Russia over the
snow-covered steppes. It is a hard journey even for
the Tartars, this fourteen days’ march, with the cold
at 20° and 30° below zero, and no shelter to be met
with on the road. The Tartar and Khivan merchants
occasionally, it is true, make the journey in mid-
winter, but invariably wait till the spring for their
return to Orenburg.

I had accomplished the really hard part of my
journey, and every degree marched in the direction of
Merve would have led me to a warmer clime. How-
ever, there was nothing to be done save to go to Petro-
Alexandrovsk, and, then, if the despatch were of such a
nature as to oblige me to return, to retrace my steps.

The messenger who had brought the letter was
eager for my immediate return to the fort. This,
I said, was out of the question till the next day, as I
wished to make some purchases in the town, and must
also pay a farewell visit to the Khan previous to my
departure.

A little later I rode to the bazaar, accompanied
by Nazar and the guide, the latter not being at all
pleased at our having to go to Petro-Alexandrovsk.
He was very uneasy in his own mind about the

%* See page 15.
AT THE BAZAAR. 321

consequences which might occur to him for having
brought me to Khiva.

One of the men sent with the Commandant’s letter
was now continually in our wake, and I subsequently
learned that a strict order had been sent to the Khan
to have our party followed and taken to the fort, in the
event of my having left the city.

On arriving at the bazaar we were instantly sur-
rounded by merchants, all eager to dispose of their
wares. On selecting the most respectable-looking man I
could see, he led me into a large room at the back of his
shop. Here, after he had offered us some dried fruit
and tea, as indispensable to a Khivan tradesman when
bargaining with a customer as coffee to a shopkeeper
in Cairo, he proceeded to a large wooden box which
stood in a corner of the apartment, and unlocked it
with an enormous key which hung from his girdle.
The key, as it turned in the lock, gave out a peculiar
hissing sound, owing to some hidden mechanism in the
interior.

“Do you want something for a young or for an old
woman?” asked the merchant—Nazar having pre-
viously informed him that I wished to buy some female
ornaments.

“Tf you want it for a young wife, look how beauti-
ful this is—she would look lovely with it ;’ and he
handed me a large gold ring, curiously set with small
pearls and turquoises.

“ This would be too large for her finger,” I re-
marked.

“Yes,” replied the man; “but not for her nose.
This is for her nose.”

“Lovely!” said the guide. “My brother-in-law’s.
wife has one its very counterpart; buy it.”

U
322 A RIDE TO KHIVA.

“Sir,” said Nazar, “no girl could resist you if you
offered her such a present.”

The whole party were much surprised when I in-
formed them that in England we only put rings in the
noses of the unclean animal.

The jewellery for sale was of a tawdry description ;
however, eventually I discovered a curiously-worked
gold ornament, with long pendants of coral and other
stones. After a great deal of haggling, Nazar suc-
ceeded in obtaining it for me at one-third of the price
originally asked; the Khivan jewellers having very
elastic consciences, in spite of the Prophet's injunction,
that no true believer is to deceive the stranger within
his gates.

On returning to my quarters I found the treasurer
awaiting my arrival. He had heard the news of my
enforced departure, and came to know at what time it
would be convenient for me to pay my respects and
say farewell to the Khan. Shortly afterwards I rode
with him to the palace, when he first led the way to
the treasury, and there presenting me with a dressing-
gown, said that his Majesty had been pleased to beg my
acceptance of this garment. It was a long robe, made
of black cloth, reaching to the knees, and lined inside
with silk and bright-coloured chintzes. Indeed, as I
was afterwards informed, this is the highest honour
that can be paid a stranger, and a halat or dressing-
gown from the Khan is looked upon at Khiva much
as the Order of the Garter would be in England.

The sovereign expressed his annoyance that I had
to leave his capital so suddenly. He then remarked—

“You will come back again, I trust; and pray tell
all Englishmen whom you may meet that I have heard
from the envoy I sent to India of the greatness of their
A MESSAGE TO ENGLISHMEN FROM THE KHAN. 323

nation, and only hope that before long I shall see some
of them in my capital.”

He was very kind in his manner, and shook hands
warmly when I took my leave; the impression being
left on my mind that the Khan of Khiva is the least
bigoted of all the Mohammedans whose acquaintance I
have made in the course of my travels, and that the
stories of his cruelties to Russian prisoners, previous to
the capture of his city, are pure inventions which have
been disseminated by the Russian press in order to
try and justify the annexation of his territory.

Before leaving my quarters I endeavoured to per-
suade my host to accept a present in lieu of the hand-
some treatment my party and myself had received at
his hands. However, this was a fruitless task; the
Khivan at once declined, saying that I was the Khan's
guest, and that his Majesty would be very angry if he
were:to learn that I had tried to requite his hospitality
by giving a present to his servant. Indeed, when I
made it a peysonal matter my attempt was equally
fruitless, and I left the city slightly pained at not
being able to leave behind some token or other to
show how much I appreciated his kindness during my
stay at Khiva.
CHAPTER XXXIV.

Departure from Khiva—The Khan’s Brother—His rumoured intention of visiting
St. Petersburg—Villages—Goryin—The Governor of Anca—Lord North-
brook—Herat—Lahore—Lucknow—Calcutta—Our Soldiers in India—
The Cossacks—Indian Teas—The Amou Darya—Lager—Three Squadrons
Picketed out in the open—The Telegram from H.R.H. the Duke
of Cambridge—Colonel Ivanoff—Misunderstanding between Major Wood
and Colonel Ivanoff—Atmosphere of Central Asia, and the Colonel’s
Memory—Letter to General Kolpakovsky—Dinner at Ivanoff’s—Russia
and England—Merve—If taken a Strong Fort would be built there—Roads
to Merve—The Khivans are Quiet People—Court Martial upon the
Turkomans—Borrowing to pay the Interest of former Loans—Troops at Petro-
Alexandrovsk—Ivanoff would shortly receive his Promotion—The Rzusshi
Mir (Russian World)—Article on the large number of German Officers in
the Russian Army—Marked antipathy to the Germans—The New Military
System in a transitory state—Contempt expressed for Austria—The Ladies
at Petro-Alexandrovsk.

We left the city by its eastern gate, and presently
passed by a building constructed with some regard to
taste, and surrounded by a number of large gardens,
all separated from each other by low walls. The house
belonged to the sovereign’s brother, who, it was said,
had the intention of visiting St. Petersburg, so as per-
sonally to ask the Tzar to withdraw his troops from
the Khan’s dominions.

It was a glorious bright morning, and one calcu-
lated to raise the spirits of myself and party, now very
much depressed at hearing that possibly we should
have to return to Fort Number One. Little Nazar in
particular lamented the idea of a return to the snow-
covered steppes, where there was nothing to eat, and
THE GOVERNOR OF ANCA. 325

said that he had been obliged to take in his leather
belt three holes, and that he was only just beginning
to fill it out again.

The guide, too, dreaded the rod that might be in
pickle for him at Petro-Alexandrovsk. I myself
was suffering from a bilious attack, brought on either
by eating melons, or by the letter of the Russian Com-
mandant—bad news affecting one’s digestive organs, in
my opinion, quite as much as anything put into the
stomach.

The road was now quite unenclosed, and a large
tract of fertile country extended on all sides as far as
the eye could reach. Presently we passed a small
village about twelve versts from Khiva; and twenty-
four versts further on, another village called Goryin,
finally halting for the night at Anca. We had marched
sixty versts, or forty miles, in six hours, our horses
having gone all the time at a slow steady trot, the
camels not reaching our halting-place till eight hours
afterwards.

Anca is a large town, and has a bazaar and market,
which are famous throughout the district. We had
stopped at the house of the Governor, a Khivan, who
had been sent by the Khan on a mission to Lord
Northbrook, four years ago, just before the Russians
invaded Khiva, and at the time when the Khan
thought that an alliance with England would prove
beneficial to his country.

The moment our host discovered that 1 was an
Englishman, he squatted at my feet, and asked a
hundred questions about India and the natives. He
had heard of the Prince of Wales’s visit to those
regions, and in order to explain to me his own route,
and what towns he had passed through on his road
326 A RIDE TO KHIVA.

to Calcutta, he cut an apple in pieces. Taking one
seed he placed it on the ground with the remark,
“Khiva;” then for Herat he put down a second
seed ; whilst for Lahore and Lucknow he cut an apple
into two pieces, and for Calcutta he put a large apple
on the floor, endeavouring in this way to indicate to
me his idea of the relative size and importance of the
places which he had visited.

The soldiers in India, in his opinion, were magnif-
cent men, with splendid uniforms. As to the Russian
soldiers, they were nothing in comparison ; and he spat
on the ground by way of showing his contempt for the
Cossacks.

“But they have a great many more soldiers than
you,” he remarked, “and could afford to lose as many
men as you have in India, and begin again with double
the original force.”

“But the Russians like us,” I said. “Their
Emperor is a man of peace; and many people in my
country say that it will bea good thing for India when
she has a civilised neighbour on our frontier, instead of
the Afghans.”

The Khivan’s face swelled with suppressed mirth,
which he thought that it would be indecorous to give
vent to, but checking his laughter as best he could, he
merely said—

“ If they like you so much, why do they prevent your
goods coming here? Indian teas are either forbidden
altogether, or have a prohibitory duty placed upon
them; and I have often heard it said that if an
Englishman were to go from India to Russia, he
would be killed by the Russians, and that they would
say we had done it, in order to stir up an ill feeling
against us.”
THE TELEGRAM FROM ENGLAND. 327

We started early the next morning, and rode
across the Amou Darya at a spot about thirteen miles
from Anca, and where the stream was nearly two
versts wide; the ice being in some places more than a
foot thick. Presently we passed by a Cossack cavalry
station, called Lager. Here, in spite of the inclemency
of the season, three squadrons were picketed out in the
open, the horses having coats like bears, and looking
exceedingly well, in spite of their exposure to the
extreme cold.

We were now approaching Petro-Alexandrovsk,
and a few dark spots on the distant horizon were
pointed out to us as the recently erected fort. The
emissary who had brought me the Commandant’s
letter spurred his horse forward, leaving his com-
panion with my party and self. “He has only gone
on to say that you are coming,’ was the reply to
my inquiry, and a few minutes later we rode into-
Petro-Alexandrovsk. It has been built on the site
of a house and garden, which formerly belonged to
the uncle of the Khan of Khiva, the materials of his
house having been used in constructing the wall which
has been erected round the fort.

A clean-looking, well-built house stood in a small
open space in the centre of the enclosure: A flagstaff
at one end of the dwelling, and two sentries walking
up and down in front of the doors, made me think
that this was probably the house of the chief of the
Amou Darya district. My guide, who was each moment
more alarmed at the possible consequences to himself
for his having taken us to Khiva, now informed us
that here lived the celebrated Colonel I vanoff.

The Commandant was out hunting, so a servant
informed me. At that moment a young officer coming
328 A RIDE TO KHIVA.

up accosted me by my name, and said, “ We expected
you beforethis. Come with me. There is aroom pre-
pared;” and he led the way to a small building inhabited
by some of the officers in the garrison. Here I found
several of them congregated in a small room, and was
introduced in due form by my newly-made acquaintance.
I then heard that the telegram which had arrived for
me was from H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge, the
Field-Marshal Commanding in Chief, and that he
required my immediate return to European Russia.
The document had been waiting for me _ several
days at the fort, and, in the event of my having gone
first to Petro-Alexandrovsk, I should never have seen
Khiva.

A little later an officer brought a message from
Colonel Ivanoff, to say that he had returned from
shooting and was waiting tosee me. He isa tall man,
considerably over six feet in height, but very thin,
and of a German type, his whiskers having a decided
Teutonic appearance. I was received by him at first
a little stiffly, but his demeanour soon changed, and he
began to laugh about my journey.

“Too bad,” he said, “letting you get so far, and
not allowing you to carry out your undertaking.”

“Tt was lucky,” I remarked, “that I did not come
here first.”

“Yes,” said Ivanoff; “when I received the despatch,
and found that you did not arrive, I sent back a special
Tartar courier to Fort Number One, to say that you
had probably gone on to Bokhara, and had thus given
us the slip; but we should have caught you there,”
he continued.

“Tt is the fortune of war,” I said. “Anyhow, I
have seen Khiva.”
IVANOFF AND MAJOR WOOD. 329

The Colonel here winced a little.

. “Khiva; that is nothing,” he said. “ Why, Major
Wood, one of your compatriots, an officer in the
Engineers, was here last summer; he could have gone
to Khiva any day if he liked; indeed, I was a little
surprised that he never asked me to let him go
there.”*

“ Well,” I remarked, “as I have to return to Euro-
pean Russia, there can be no objection to my going to
St. Petersburg wzé@ Tashkent and Western Siberia, or
by Krasnovodsk and the Caspian.”

“My orders are very strict about this,” said the
Colonel. ‘You must go back the shortest way through
Kasala. But you can write if you like to General
Kolpakovsky, the officer commanding our troops in
Turkistan: I will send on the letter with the same
courier who leaves this afternoon to announce your
capture; and then, if you return to Kasala in the course
of three or four days’ time, you will there receive the
General's answer.”

I dined at Ivanoff’s that evening, and had the
pleasure of making the acquaintance of the officers on
his personal staff. They were all of them intelligent
men, and, to my surprise, very abstemious, which
is indeed a rare quality amidst the officers in
European Russia.

* Apparently there was a slight misunderstanding between Major
Wood and Colonel Ivanoff on this point, or possibly the atmosphere of
Central Asia has somewhat affected the Colonel’s memory. After my
return to London from Khiva, I dined one evening with Major Wood,
and asked him why he had not gone to Khiva. His reply was, “I
wanted to go there very much; I frequently asked Ivanoff to let me,
saying that it was a great nuisance to have come so far and not be
allowed to enter the town. However, Ivanoff replied that he was very

sorry, but he could not allow me to do so, as he had received a strict order
from General Kauffmann on that subject.”
330 A RIDE TO KHIVA.

We talked for a long time about England and Russia,
the general tone of conversation being that England
and Russia ought to be on the most friendly terms, but
that our interests were so diametrically opposite that
it would be impossible, sooner or later, to avoid a
collision.

With reference to Merve, the Colonel remarked
that he could take it at any time, provided his
Government would allow him to do so, whilst he
said that the fortress he would then build there
would be a great deal stronger than the one at Petro-
Alexandrovsk.

“Tn fact,” he added, “here we hardly require a
fort. You see it only consists of a low earthen
parapet. The Khivans are quiet people, they do not
give us any trouble, and they pay their tribute very
regularly. The Turkomans, however, are quite another
race; they were perpetually quarrelling with our Kirghiz.
However, a few months since I caught an armed band,
which had crossed the Oxus; I ordered two of my
captives to be tried by court-martial, and afterwards
had them hanged. Since then the Turkomans have
been very quiet. However, they have got one of my
soldiers a prisoner at Merve.”

“Have they not tried him by court-martial and
hanged him?” I inquired.

“No; but they want me to pay a ransom for him.
The fellow has told them that he is an officer. In
consequence of this they ask an exorbitant sum; any-
how, I shall not grant it.”

“We should have no difficulty whatever in taking
Merve,’* observed another officer. “ People talk of the

* For the little difficulty the Russians would have in taking Merve,
see Appendix K.
GERMAN OFFICERS IN THE RUSSIAN ARMY. 331

difficulty: of getting there; why, our Cossacks could
be at Merve in a week if the Government would only
allow us.”

“Tt is too bad,” continued a third; “ our comrades
at Tashkent and Kokan are getting all the rewards
and decorations, and here we are doing nothing. When
I came to Petro-Alexandrovsk I thought that it would
lead to something.”

The Colonel, it appeared, had risen very rapidly in
the service; he was only thirty-two, and now com-
manded 3,000 men, whilst 1,000 of the Cossacks from
Uralsk were shortly expected. They would make
up the strength of the troops in the Amou Darya
division of the Turkistan district to about 4,000 strong.
The head-quarters were at Petro-Alexandrovsk, whilst
detachments had been stationed at Lager and Nookoos,
asmall fort about eighty miles from Petro-Alexandrovsk,
and on the right bank of the Oxus.

It was said that Ivanoff would shortly receive his
promotion, and be made a general, which probably
would take place when Kauffmann returned from St.
Petersburg.

A newspaper was brought in later on in the
evening. It was the Ausszan World, and it contained
an article about the large number of German officers
in high position in the Russian army, a number out of
all proportion with the population of the Baltic Pro-
vinces, as compared with the rest of the empire.

It was easy to see, from the remarks which were
freely passed, that not much love was lost between
the officers in the garrison and the Germans, Ivanoff
himself, in spite of his Teuton appearance, being very
anti-Prussian, in which feeling he was joined by almost
every officer in the garrison. Indeed, during my
332 A RIDE TO KHIVA.

journey through Russia I was struck by the marked
hostility shown by all classes to the Austrians and
Germans, the conduct of the former Power during the
Crimean war having left a very bitter feeling behind it,
which is strengthened by the supposed antagonistic
views of the two Governments with reference to
Constantinople.

The Russian officers were unanimous in saying
that the new military system in Russia was as yet
in a state of transition, and that they were not pre-
pared for war with so great a Power as Germany;
the general remark being that if they could only have
peace for five more years, that then Russia would be
able to show her teeth,

As to Austria, she was spoken of in terms of great
contempt, and alluded to as if she only held her place
in Europe by reason of the sufferance of the Emperors
Alexander and William; the Austrian army being
looked down upon by the Russian officers.

However, I cannot help thinking that the latter
will find out their mistake when the day arrives for
them to attempt an invasion of Francis Joseph’s
dominions. Austria has profited by her defeat at
Sadowa. Her officers and men are now as intel-
ligent and capable as those of any army in Europe,
whilst, though her exchequer is at a low ebb, it is
really in not so bad a state as that of her neighbour,
whose reckless borrowing to pay the interest of former
loans is very likely to ultimately produce a national
bankruptcy.*

There were about thirty ladies in Petro-Alexan-
drovsk. These were the wives and daughters of the

* See Appendix H.—The Budget of the Turkistan Government.
FEMALE SOCIETY AT THE FORT. 333

officers in the garrison; and once a week a dance was
held at a club-house which had been recently built.

The ladies had reached the fort, having performed
the journey in the summer months by the Syr Darya, the
Sea of Aral, and Amou Darya (Oxus), in the steamers
which ply between Tashkent and Petro-Alexandrovsk.
The latter was a dull quarter, and the fair sex had done
their best to enliven it by establishing this weekly
dance. Colonel Ivanoff very kindly gave me an invita-
tion for the one which was to be held the next evening,
and I was told that the following day there would be
some coursing with greyhounds and hawks, one of the
chief diversions in Central Asia
CHAPTER XXXV.

The Meet—Bokharan and Kirghiz Sportsmen—The Country—The Chase—
The Falcons—A Club-house—A Ball—The way of Dancing Quadrilles
—Valses—A Mazurka—Theatricals—Osbaldestone’s Feat—The Davenport
Brothers’ Trick—The Khan’s Treasurer—An Envoy from the Ameer of
Bokhara—‘‘ Who is the Khan in the Moon?”—A Russo-German Scientific
Expedition—A Prussian Officer—Nazar and Ivanoff’s Servants—Captain
Yanusheff—Shurahan.

Tue following morning, after a hurried breakfast, an
officer came and informed us that everything was ready
for a start. I now mounted a little bay horse which,
though hardly fourteen hands, danced about beneath
me as if he had been carrying a feather-weight jockey
for the Cambridgeshire.

There were horses and men of all kinds and shapes,
long-legged men on short-legged horses, and_short-
legged menon giant Turkoman steeds. All the officers
were in uniform, and some Bokharan and Kirghiz
sportsmen, attired in crimson dressing-gowns, rode in
the rear of our cavalcade.

Seven or eight greyhounds were led in couples be-
hind the master of the hunt, a stout colonel, who was
said to understand the ways and haunts of timid puss
better than any other officer in the garrison; and a
stoutly-built Khivan, who rode a fine-looking chestnut,
bore upon his elbow a graceful falcon, which, now
hooded, was destined later on to play its part in the
day’s sport.

The Kirghiz made the welkin ring with their yells.
Immense excitement prevailed. All the dogs in the
BOKHARAN AND KIRGHIZ SPORTSMEN. 335

fort, attracted by the noise and commotion, were col-
lected round the cortége.

The hunting-ground was about eight miles distant,
and away we rode ata rattling pace; the gallop to
cover being considered as part of the day’s entertain-
ment.

The country lay open and flat before. There was
not an obstacle to check our course, save now and
then a dyke, some eight feet wide, which the horses
took in fair style; the Kirghiz and Bokharans looking
back to see how the animal I bestrode would jump
with his heavy rider. Never a stumble, however, and
the hardy little beast could have carried Daniel Lam-
bert himself, if that worthy but obese gentleman had
been resuscitated for the occasion. Now a Bokharan
would race by me with a wild cry, and lash a flagging
mongrel, which, mingling with our pack, and soon out-
stripped by his fleeter brethren, had crossed the riders’
path.

All of a sudden the master pulled up his panting
steed, and, dismounting, told us that we had reached
the cover.

A narrow tract of bush and bramble-covered ground
was extended right and left of our party, whilst over
the low brushwood was seen a broad crystal streak,
like a Venetian mirror set in a frame of frosted silver.
The Oxus lay before us. The flakes of snow which
covered the banks and surrounding country marked
its breadth from shore to shore.

We now formed one long line, each horseman being
twenty yards apart from his fellow, and in this order
rode through the reeds and brambles.

Presently a wild shout from a red-gowned Kirghiz
announced that a hare had broken cover, and Russians,
336 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

Cossacks, Kirghiz, and self galloped in pursuit of the
startled quarry. Straight at the river went the
frightened animal, and after it, in hot pursuit, our
heterogeneous pack. Down the bank our horses slid
rather than scrambled, and across the river we raced,
each man vieing with his neighbour. Half a mile from
the farther shore lay another dense copse, and it
seemed as if the greyhounds would be distanced in
the chase.

But the rider who bore the falcon now launched
his bird into the air. Another second and the hawk
was perched on its victim’s back, whilst the well-trained
greyhounds, surrounding their prey, stood open-
mouthed, with lolling tongues, not daring to approach
the quarry.

The master now galloped up, and, dismounting,
took possession of the hare, when, in a few minutes
more, we were again-in full cry. Five hares eventually
rewarded our exertions, and then, after a headlong
burst homewards, I found myself again within the
precincts of the fort.

In the evening I went to the assembly-rooms.
Flere each week a dance is held, but on other days the
building is used as a club by the officers of the garrison.
A long but narrow room, the wooden floor of which
had been brought from European Russia, was arranged
for the ball ; an adjacent apartment was furnished with
a well-spread supper-table, whilst a quantity of small
tables, laden with bottles of the sweetest of champagne
and bordeaux, were already occupied by some officers.

A brass band belonging to one of the regiments of
the garrison was playing an inspiriting quadrille; the
Russians not dancing it as in England, but each man,
first securing chairs for himself and partner, remains
A RUSSIAN QUADRILLE. 337

seated beside his lady until the moment arrives for
them to take their turn in the figure. The last part of
the dance, too, is different to anything ever seen in this
country. London society would find itself singularly
puzzled if invited to participate in a Russian quadrille.

Now the musicians struck up a valse, and round
went the giddy couples; but the moments of bliss ex-
perienced by the cavalier are brief, for he is not allowed
to dance the valse through with his partner; after taking
one turn she leaves him, and in another instant is
whirling round, encircled by the arms of a second
cavalier, who in his turn gives way to a third.

Later on a mazurka was danced, not as we see it in
this country, but with stately figures, accompanied by
the jingling of spurs, each cavalier stamping lightly
with his armed heel, and joining in the cadence of the
music; the varied uniforms of the Cossacks and other
officers lighting up the room, and making it difficult for
me to realise that we were in Central Asia, and in the
lately conquered Khivan territory.

I had despatched a letter to General Kolpakovsky,
the Governor-General of Turkistan during Kauffmann’s
absence from his command. Colonel Ivanoff now
informed me that two officers, with a Cossack escort,
were about to march to Kasala. He also said that. it
would be as well if I were to accompany the party, and
receive at Fort Number One the answer to my request
to be permitted to return to St. Petersburg by Tashkent
and Western Siberia, instead of by Orenburg.

Some theatricals had been arranged for that
evening, with soldiers as actors. After dinner I
went with Ivanoff and his staff to witness the per-
formance. The majority of the spectators consisted of

Cossacks and Kirghiz; the latter were not able to
Vv
338 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

understand the language of the actors, but eagerly
followed their gestures, and were highly delighted with
the frequent pistol-shots and clashing of sabres which
accompanied each act, the principal character in the
piece being a robber chief. The performance ended by
his capture and execution, the actor personifyino the
robber being brought onthe stage. This man, who was
an acrobat, inserted his feet into the noose of a rope,
and was suspended by his heels, the executioner firing
off a pistol in the air as a sign of the prisoner’s disso-
lution. A plate was on a table by the door, and each
officer on leaving put in a few roubles to reward the
performers for their trouble.

I had a conversation with the colonel the next
evening about the respective merits of the Kirghiz and
English horses; and I left the good-natured officer in
considerable doubt as to my veracity, neither his staff
nor himself being able to believe that any English
horse had ever jumped thirty-six feet in breadth;
whilst Osbaldestone’s feat of riding 200 miles in eight
hours and a half was in their eyes nothing in comparison
to the leap above mentioned.

People in Central Asia cannot be supposed to be
so au fait with what goes on in the world as we
denizens of the West, and I eventually succeeded in
obtaining a certain amount of credence, by saying that
no one in the room could tie me with a rope in such a
manner that I could not free myself. An Artillery
officer now stepped forward, and wished my assertion
to be put to the proof. This was done, and the result
disconcerted the audience, as the time I took in
escaping from my bonds was not half so long as the
officer had taken in tying me.

The following morning the Khan's treasurer arrived,
AN ENVOY FROM THE AMEER OF BOKHARA. 339

bringing with him several thousand roubles as an in-
stalment of the war indemnity. He breakfasted with
Ivanoff, and managed to eat his food with a knife and
fork, though the management of the latter article
appeared to give him a good deal of trouble.

In spite of his Mussulman creed the treasurer
had a taste for champagne, which his sovereign also
appreciates. A few dozens of this wine is frequently
sent to Khiva from the fort; the scruples of the Khan
having been allayed by the information that champagne
was not known to the prophet, and that consequently he
could not have laid down any law prohibiting its use.

from the Ameer of Bokhara had been at Petro-Alex-
androvsk. There had been a misunderstanding about
some nomad Kirghiz, who, it was said, used to cross the
frontier and enter Bokharan territory when the Russian
officials were about to collect the taxes. Some corre-
spondence on this subject had ensued between the
Ameer and General Kauffmann. The former, by all
accounts, was not a very enlightened ruler, and it was
said of him that on one occasion he sent to a Russian
officer, who had been seen looking at the moon through
a telescope, and inquired what it was he could see
there. ‘Mountains and extinct volcanoes,’ was the
answer. “Dear me!” said the Ameer, “how very
curious. Pray, who is the Khan in the moon? I
should like to make his acquaintance.”

Whilst talking about Bokhara, an officer remarked
that a Russian and German scientific expedition was
about to visit that city, and subsequently survey the
sountry between Samarcand and Peshawur; a railway
to Central Asia being absolutely necessary for- the
purpose of quickly concentrating troops, should it be
340 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

required. “To our next meeting!” suddenly observed
a young officer, pledging me in a glass of champagne.
“Where willitbe?” ‘“Whoknows ?” saidanother; “I
suppose sooner or later we shall meet on the battle-
field.” In fact, almost every officer I met in Central
Asia was of opinion that ere long a collision would
take place between themselves and our troops in
India, the general remark being, “It is a great pity,
but our interests clash, and though capital friends as
individuals, the question as to who is to be master in
the East must soon be decided by the sword.”

In spite of General Kauffmann’s dislike to foreigners
travelling in Turkistan, a Prussian officer had been
permitted to enter a Russian regiment, and was serving
at Petro-Alexandrovsk. He had been all through
the Franco-German War, where he had distinguished
himself. Subsequently, however, to this, he persuaded
one of the Tzar’s German relatives to ask the
Emperor to give him a commission in a regiment in
Turkistan. In the course of conversation, I found that
he had been educated at the same establishment as
myself in Germany, and consequently knew several
of my friends. The Russian officers spoke very
highly of his military capacity, though many of them
remarked that it was a great mistake, allowing him to
serve with them, as he would know too much, should
war break out between Germany and themselves, when
of course he would return to the Fatherland. It must
at first have been somewhat disagreeable for this young
German officer, being thus thrown in constant contact
with a body of officers who, to a man, detested his
nationality.

I was now busy with Nazar making preparations
for our return march to Orenburg, and laying in a
CAPTAIN YANUSHEFF. 341

supply of provisions for the journey. I had purchased
two dozen pheasants, these birds being found in great
profusion in Khiva, where they can be bought for five-
pence each.

My little Tartar had a doleful expression on his
countenance, and on inquiry I found that he was
living with Ivanoff’s soldier servants, and that: they
sold their own rations and lived principally upon fish,
which could be purchased for a mere song at Petro.
Nazar had found that this diet did not agree with
him. He was too stingy to spend some extra rnoney
I had allowed him as board wages, and preferred to
mess at the expense of the servants. The latter pro-
tected themselves by not letting him know the dinner-
hour, and only calling him when nothing was left of
their repast save bones.

“Look here!” said my servant, “I’m a skeleton.”

“Why do you not buy something with your board
wages ?” I inquired.

“ Buy!” he replied, much surprised at my question,
“I’m not such a fool as to buy so long as I can get
anything to eat without paying for it; but they are
greedy, those dogs of servants, sons of animals that
they are;” and the little man walked away not at all
pleased with the hospitality of his confréres in the
kitchen.

I was now introduced to the two officers who were
to accompany me to Fort Number One. One of them,
Captain Yanusheff, was an Artillery officer, who had
distinguished himself in the Khivan expedition, and he
now commanded the entire Artillery force in the Amou
Darya district. He was going to Kasala to buy some
remount horses from the Kirghiz. His companion
was a Cossack Saz/ or Captain; he was returning to
342 A RIDE TO KHIVA.

Tashkent to join his squadron. These two officers
would take with them an escort of ten Cossacks, and
the start was arranged for the following morning. The
weather had become much warmer; indeed, when that
afternoon we rode over to Shurahan, a Khivan town
which has been annexed to Russia, our road lay no
longer over snow, but over sand. According to all
accounts the ice on the Oxus would soon begin to
melt. My companions, who did not fancy a ride to
Kasala, determined to take advantage of this change in
the weather, and travel in a tarantass drawn by horses,
until they should arrive at a place where snow had
fallen; the horses could then be sent back, and camels
be harnessed in their stead
CHAPTER XXXVI.

The Tarantass—The Last Adieux—A Night in the Cold—The Cossacks : their
Arms, Weight, &c.—How they Bivouac—The Ameer of Bokhara—The
Sentry—His Punishment—Whipping the Camel Driver—The Kirghiz Post-
man—A Kirghiz Chapel—A Race back to Kasala—371 Miles in nine
Days and two Hours—A Duel—Mutiny of the Uralsk Cossacks—The
Tzarevitch—The Cross of St. George—A Reinforcement of 10,0co Men from

Orenburg.

Our start the following morning was a curious sight
to witness. First came the tarantass, an extraordinary
vehicle peculiar to Russia. It resembled a hansom
cab without the wheels, and the carriage then fastened
in a brewer’s dray.

There were no springs of any kind to prevent jolt-
ing, whilst some small but very solid wooden wheels
supported the body of the cart. Harness made of
cables was attached to six Kirghiz horses, whose
united efforts could barely move the vehicle more
than five miles an hour. Several officers of the
garrison accompanied their comrades for a mile or so,
and then wished them “ God speed” on their journey,
which, in spite of the change in the weather, was looked
upon as anything but a light undertaking. Soon after
leaving the fort we came to a large village. Here
we found several ladies ; amongst others, the wife of
the Artillery officer, who had come to say farewell to
her husband. Champagne and bottles of vodki were
lying on the ground, and a bonfire had been lit, by
which the ladies sat warming their feet.

The last adieux had been said. Yanusheff had torn
344 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

himself away from his fond surroundings, and we were
once more ez voute. In a few hours or so we came
again upon the snow. It covered the ground so
thickly that the horses in the tarantass had to be taken
out, and a couple of camels harnessed in their place.

In the meantime I had ridden on with my guide
and Nazar. Presently we halted by the ruins of an old
castle, which had been built by one of the Khan’s
ancestors to defend his country against a Russian
invasion.

After waiting some time for the tarantass, which
did not arrive, we continued the journey, hoping to
encounter our baggage camels, which had been sent
forward the previous day with the Cossacks. After
marching for another hour we stopped at a well,
about forty miles from Petro-Alexandrovsk. It was
bitterly cold, there was a great deal of wind, nothing to
eat, and what was worse, the brambles and brushwood
were too damp to make a fire. ‘“ What had become of
our baggage camels?” was the question each man
put to his neighbour; “had we passed them in the
dark, or were they still in front of us?”

It was useless going on or going back, and the only
thing to do was to sit it out and persuade ourselves
that we were neither cold nor hungry. Imagination is
a wonderful thing, but it has its limits, and the more I
tried to persuade myself that I had just dined, the more
I thought of the fleshpots of Egypt and all their
accompaniments, while visions of turtle soup and cham-
pagne came floating up before me, and sharpened
afresh the keen edge of a ravenous appetite. The
guide cursed his fate, and to cheer up his spirits com-
menced singing a ditty about the beauties of a sheep
and the delights of roast mutton. However, the night
THE COSSACKS’ FIRE-WATER, 345

sped by, and lying down on the snow we got what
sleep we could, till at daybreak we were joined by the
officers in the tarantass.

My fellow-travellers, who had slept in the carriage,
and were provided with thick furs, had passed the
night a little less uncomfortably than ourselves, although
they too cursed the cold in no very measured terms.

Soon afterwards we came up with the Cossacks and
baggage camels, the escort having bivouacked a few
versts beyond the well.*

The Artillery captain ordered his driver to stop,
and getting out of the vehicle, proposed that we should
have breakfast.

Presently he produced from the boot in the taran-
tass a square tin box, with a large cork inserted in one
of its sides. The vessel contained about four gallons
of the strongest vodki. He then took a beaker, which
held about half a pint, and called out, “ Children, come
here !”

The Cossacks, who were looking on at the operation
with great interest, ran up; my companion, filling the
measure, gave each man in turn a dram. This the
soldiers tossed off at one gulp, and then returned to
their horses. I tasted some of the vodki, which was
more like liquid fire than anything else to which it can
be likened, and spirits of wine or naphtha would have
been a cooling draught in comparison. However, the
Artillery captain had no intention of testing the strength
of the Cossacks’ fire-water. His servant, bringing up
some bottles of madeira, and vodki of another quality,
poured us out a less potent stimulant, which, in
the keen air we were then breathing, was not un-

* For information about Cossack bivouacs, see Appendix L,
346 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

palatable, though in England two or three glasses of
the mixture would have put most men under the
table.

The Cossacks were fine well-built fellows, averaging
about eleven stone in weight. Their marching weight
was over eighteen stone, this including twenty pounds
of barley for their horses (barley being preferred to oats
in those parts), and six pounds of biscuits, a sufficient
ration for a man for four days.* For arms they carried
short breechloading rifles and swords, and they were
shortly to be supplied with the Berdan carbine, which
is spoken of very highly by the Russian officers.

The Cossacks do not receive much pay—about four
shillings every third of a year, or a shilling a month,
being all a man has for pocket-money. However, they
are well fed and clothed. The daily ration is two and
a half pounds of flour and one pound of meat; one
hundred soldiers receiving one pound of tea and three
pounds of sugar per diem, whilst each man is credited
with half a kopeck a day for vegetables. His horse,
uniform, arms, &c., are his own property, or the pro-
perty of the district which has equipped him, and
sent him forth to fight for the White Tzar. He receives
about two pounds fifteen shillings a year from the
State, and is obliged to keep his kit in repair with
this sum, which the military authorities say is sufficient
for the purpose, although the soldiers are of a different
opinion.

These data were given me by the Artillery captain,
who, leaving his companion asleep in the tarantass,
occasionally stretched his legs by walking a few versts
over the snow. He had seen a good deal of service in

* For baggage train taken by the Cossacks when campaigning in the
steppes, see Appendix M.
THE MARCH FROM THE ENCAMFMENT. 347

Turkistan, and expected very shortly to obtain his
promotion. Amongst other things, he told me that
when Russia was at war with Bokhara, a Cossack
officer was taken prisoner. The Ameer sent for him,
and asked if he could make powder. He said, “ Yes,
but not for them.” On their asking why, he declared
that it was manufactured with brandy and pigs’ fat,
and that this made the powder so strong. “The
Ameer,” continued my companion, “ regards the Sultan
with feelings of the greatest veneration, and has the
honorary title of Grand Officer to the Porte. Heused
to look upon England as the first nation in the world,
but he is beginning to fear us now, and he believes
more in our troops, who are close at hand, than in
those of the Sultan at Stamboul.”

It was getting late, and Yanusheff gave strict orders
to the sentry who was posted over the horses to awake
him an hour after midnight. The man, however,
neglected his duty, and was punished by having to
walk the whole of the next day and lead his horse, the
culprit being much laughed at by the other Cossacks,
who look down upon all foot-soldiers with supreme
contempt.

It was a picturesque sight, the march from this
encampment. First, the Cossacks, the barrels of
their carbines gleaming in the moonlight, the vashlik
of a conical shape surmounting each man’s low cap,
and giving a ghastly appearance to the riders. Their
distorted shadows were reflected on the snow beneath,
and appeared like a detachment of gigantic phantoms
pursuing our little force. Then the tarantass, drawn
by two huge camels, which slowly ploughed their way
through the heavy track, the driver nodding on his
box but half awake, the two officers in the arms
348 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

of Morpheus inside, and the heavy woodwork creaking
at each stride of the enormous quadrupeds. In the
wake of this vehicle strode the baggage camels. The
officers’ servants were fast asleep on the backs of their
animals, one man lying with his face to the tail, and
snoring hard in spite of the continued movement;
another fellow lay stretched across his saddle, ap-
parently a good deal the worse for drink. He shouted
out at intervals the strains of a Bacchanalian ditty.
Nazar, who was always hungry, could be seen
walking in the rear, He had kept back a bone from
the evening meal, and was gnawing it like a dog, his
strong jaws snapping as they closed on the fibrous
mutton.

I generally remained by our bivouac fire an hour or
so after the rest of the party had marched, and seated
by the side of the glowing embers, watched the caravan
as it vanished slowly in the distance.

My guide was utterly crestfallen; he had been
severely reprimanded at the fort for taking me to
Khiva, and was now kept in such order by the Cos-
sacks, that his usual air of importance had entirely
disappeared.

Yanusheff had already given his camel-driver an
idea of discipline. The man had been very dilatory
in saddling the camels. My companion, observing
this, called a Cossack, and ordered him to beat the
refractory individual. Seeing, however, that the
whipping was not sufficiently severe, the captain took
the knout from him, and with his own hand adminis-
tered the chastisement, at the same time telling the
soldier that if this occurred again, he should order him
to be beaten by his own comrades for not carrying out
orders properly.
>>

IN SUMMER A CHAFEL, IN IVINTER A SHEEP-PEN. 349

We now arrived at a spot on the road where the
snow was so deep that the camels were unable to draw
the vehicle. In this dilemma the Cossacks proved
useful; for attaching some lassoes to the tarantass, and
spurring their horses, they succeeded in -dragging it
slowly forwards. At this place we met a Kirghiz who
was taking the post to Petro-Alexandrovsk. He rode
one horse and led another, carrying his letters, food,
and forage on the spare animal. The man, however,
would change his horses every two or three hours, and
expected to arrive at Petro-Alexandrovsk in about ten
days from the time he had left Perovsky, the next fort
the Russians hold on the Orenburg and Tashkent line,
after passing Kasala.

On the following day we rode by an old Kirghiz
chapel, built in memory of some celebrated warrior.
It was used in summer time for praying, and in winter
as a sheep-pen, the Kirghiz being indifferent about such
matters. Finally we arrived at a landmark known
as being seventeen miles from Kasala.

Yanusheff and I determined to let the camels
follow us, and to gallop on ourselves ahead of the
caravan. The Cossack officer resolved to do the same.
My companions selected the best horses they could
find from amidst the escort, at the same time order-
ing the dismounted Cossacks to ride the camels.
The snow still slightly covered the ground, but not
enough to stop our animals, which, probably knowing
that they were close to home, raced against each other
the whole way. We galloped across the frozen surface
of the Syr Darya, and pulled up at Morozoff’s hostelry
at twelve o'clock mid-day, February 12th.

We had ridden 371 miles in exactly nine days
and two hours, thus averaging more than 4o miles
350 A RIDE TO KIVA,

a day! At the same time it must be remembered,
that with an interval of in all not more than nine
days’ rest, my horse had previously carried me 500
miles. In London, judging by his size, he would
have been put down as a polo pony. In spite of
the twenty stone he carried he had never been either
sick or lame during the journey, and had galloped
the last seventeen miles through the snow to Kasala
in one hour and twenty-five minutes.

A room was unoccupied at the inn. It was nota
very luxurious apartment, the furniture consisting of a
rickety table, a few chairs, and a wooden sofa or
divan; however, it was like Mohammed’s seventh
heaven after the steppes.

A young officer who was residing at the inn now
entered the room, and told me all that occurred since
my departure. There had been a duel, in which
several officers had participated, and he had been under
arrest in consequence.

An emeute had taken place amongst the Uralsk
Cossacks. It appeared that the 2,000 exiles had
become very discontented at the way in which they
had been treated, and from grumbling had _pro-
ceeded to threats; some of them had been over-
heard, and it was said that a few of the malcontents
had expressed a wish to cut the throats of all the
officers in the fort. As the Uralsk Cossacks outnum-
bered the garrison, and the officers slept in private
lodgings and not in barracks, it was perfectly possible
that the exiles might be able to carry their threat into
execution. For several nights each officer had a guard
stationed round his quarters. The District Governor
had reported the affair to the Governor-General at
Tashkent. The latter officer had despatched one of
THE CROSS OF ST. GEORGE. 351

his subordinate generals, with full powers of life and
death, to investigate the matter, and report said that
several of the malcontents were to be shot.

Amongst the many rumours which were rife at
Kasala, was one to the effect that the Tzarevitch
would probably visit Tashkent in the course of the
summer, when he would perhaps join in an expedition
to be despatched against Kashgar. It was remarked
that a campaign against Yakoob Bek would afford the
Prince a capital opportunity for winning his Cross of
St. George, a military order which must be won on
the field of battle, and which the Tzar wears.

In confirmation of the rumours of a summer cam-
paign, it was stated that a division of 10,000 men from
the Orenburg district was now on the march to Tash-
kent. This was a source of annoyance to some of the
officers in Turkistan, who did not like the idea of the
field for gaining crosses and promotion being too much
enlarged. In their opinion the forces in Central
Asia were ample for any expedition that might be
despatched against Yakoob Bek.
CHAPTER XXXVII.

The District Governor—A Cossack Colonel’s Funeral—The Island in the Sea of
Aral—How to join the Amou Darya and Syr Darya Rivers—My Quarters in
Morozof’s Inn—Letter from General Kolpakovsky—Changing Money—
English Sovereigns—Sale of Horses—A Jew and a Greek—Sympathy
between the Russians and the Greeks—A Rich Young Kirghiz Widow—
Love-making through a third party—A Boy Husband—Cossacks marching
from Orenburg—Nazar’s Father-in-Law—The Commander of the Battery
—Despatches sent from Tashkent to St. Petersburg in twelve days—A
Fat Goose.

I now called upon the District Governor, and found
him at home, surrounded by a bevy of officers in full
uniform. He told me that a Cossack colonel had
recently died of consumption, and that the funeral cere-
mony was then going on inside the church. The men
of the regiment were all mounted, and drawn up facing
the holy edifice. The cold was very great, and the troops
had every facility afforded them for sowing the seeds
of their colonel’s malady. Indeed, the frost was so
severe that the District Governor and his friends had
found it inconvenient to remain inside the church, and
had returned to drink tea at home, until such time as
the service was concluded.

Amongst the guests was a naval officer who had
frequently cruised in the Sea of Aral ; he said that there
was an island in it which was forty miles round, and that
no fresh water could be discovered, although antelopes
and foxes abounded. Some sheep had been turned out
on the island a year previous, but since that time no
one had seen them. According to my informant,
MOROZOFF'S INN. 353

there were hardly any rocks in the Sea of Aral, and
navigation was not at all dangerous.

The possibility of gaining the Amou Darya and
Syr Darya, by means of the Jana Darya, was next dis-
cussed ; but most of the officers seemed to think that
in this case there would be too little water left in the
Syr Darya for the steamers to pass from Orenburg to
Tashkent.

When I had the opportunity of speaking privately
to the Governor, I inquired if he had received any
communication with reference to the letter which I had
despatched from Petro-Alexandrovsk to the Com-
mander-in-Chief at Tashkent, in which letter I had
asked to be allowed to return to European Russia w7d@
Western Siberia. However, the Fates were unpro-
pitious; no reply had been sent, and I had to return
to the inn without any knowledge as to what would
be my next movements.

My quarters at Morozoft’s were not quite what a
Sybarite would have selected, unless like myself he
had been confined to Hobson’s choice. The pipes of
the stove were out of order, and if it were heated, there
was an escape of charcoal-gas into the room I inhabited,
a frightful headache being the consequence.

If, on the contrary, I desired the servant not to
light the stove, furs had to be worn day and night to
keep out the cold.

The waiter was the most phlegmatic of his species.

When I complained of the gas he never moved a
muscle of his countenance, but simply observed—

“One of noble birth, at Morozoff’s it is always so.”
If I upbraided him on account of the cold he returned
a similar answer.

Yanusheff now came to say good-bye; he had not
Ww
354. A RIDE TO KHIVA.

been able to find any good artillery horses at Kasala.
He intended to start the following morning for a large
village in the neighbourhood of Perovsky, and visit
the Sultan of the district, a Kirghiz chief, who owned
1,500 horses.

Yanusheff was going to dine out on that evening, and
as he had a large sum of money which he had brought
to purchase the necessary animals, and did not care to
carry it about with him, he asked me to take care of his
roubles until he returned from dinner. I could not
help remarking that he was placing a singular amount
of confidence in a stranger, particularly as there were
several Russian officers at the inn; but I agreed to
take charge of the money, as he said he preferred
leaving it in my care.

The following morning I saw my fellow traveller
for a moment, and returned him the packet. He was
in his sleigh, ex voude for Perovsky, and we cordially
shook hands. I parted from him with regret; he was
an agreeable companion, besides being a well-read and
highly intelligent man.

A little later in the day I received a letter from
General Kolpakovsky. It was to this effect: that as I
had received orders to return immediately to European
Russia, he could not sanction my proposed journey wd
Tashkent and Western Siberia, for this would not be
the shortest route; and that the permission which I
had received from General Milutin to travel in Russian
Asia had been cancelled. Presuming that the reasons
given would convince me of the necessity of my
immediate return to European Russia by the postal
road to Orenburg, he asked me to believe in his com-
plete respect, and had the honour of being, &c. &c.

The letter was very conclusive, and there was
A ¥EW AND A GREEK. 355

nothing to be done save to pack up my traps, order
horses, and start for Orenburg.

The District Governor now called. He had also
received a letter, insisting on my immediate departure
from Kasala. Although it was a holiday, and all the
official departments were closed, he said that he would
at once send to get me a podorojnaya (a road pass).

I wanted to change some gold before I started on
my journey. A Bokharan offered to take a few of the
Russian half-imperial pieces, but on looking at them
he refused to give the same value for all the coins, as
some of them were three and four years old, and this,
in his opinion, deteriorated their value: I eventually
disposed of my half-imperials, and also of a few English
sovereigns, to the District Governor. These were
looked upon as a curiosity by the Russian officers in
Central Asia, and whenever it became known that I
possessed some, everybody was eager to change them
for me.

The sleigh was packed ; the horses were prancing
at the door; I had paid my bill and sold my horses,
&c. My little black had not been a dear purchase.
I bought him for forty roubles (about five pounds), and
had sold him for three pounds ten shillings. He had
carried me nearly 900 miles, and I had no reason to
complain of my bargain.

Getting’ into the coffin-like sleigh, I said farewell to
my friends. A wild huzzah from the Tartar driver
to stimulate his horses, accompanied by a stinging
reminder from his whip, and we were off.

Later on I met a Jew anda Greek, who were going
to Tashkent. The latter, when I inquired how he had
obtained permission to travel in Central Asia, told me
that on arriving in Russia he had a Greek passport,
356 A RIDE TO KHIVA.

but after a little while he managed to procure a Russian
one, and was then permitted to cross the Ural. The
Jew was a Russian subject, so of course no difficulties
had been thrown in his way.

There is a great deal of sympathy between the
Russians and Greeks, probably owing to the hatred
these Powers bear the Porte, and to their similarity in
religion. The character of the inhabitants of both
these countries is also strongly marked with Oriental
peculiarities ; the Russian being of a highly suspicious
nature. The Greek is equally suspicious, but he has
more brains, and is sure to get the best of the Mus-
covite in a bargain.

On arriving at another station the inspector in-
formed me that a rich young Kirghiz widow was in
the waiting-room. He wished to know whether I
had any objection to her presence, as some Russian
travellers disliked the natives sharing the same apart-
ment with them. To this I replied by sending the
lady a formal invitation through Nazar, who was desired
to say that an English traveller had heard of her
presence in the station, and hoped that she would
drink tea with him.

Nazar departed with a broad grin on his coun-
tenance, this attention on my part to the young widow
of the steppes striking him as rather remarkable.
“One of noble blood,” he remarked, as he quitted the
room, “ you cannot marry her; she is of a different
religion.” Presently he returned, leading in a decidedly
good-looking and prepossessing girl, apparently about
eighteen years of age. She was clad in a long grey
dressing-gown, her tiny feet being encased in Chinese
slippers; and her head covered with many yards of
white silk, worn in the form of a turban.
A KIRGHIZ WIDOW. 45%

On my offering her a chair, she sat down, and by
the means of Nazar we speedily commenced a con-
versation.

There are a good many ways of telling a woman
she is pretty, but it is always difficult to do so through
a third party; and the compliments which I paid her
in Russian I have no doubt lost considerably in being
translated into Tartar, though Nazar assured me that
the expressions he selected were the most poetical
with which he was acquainted.

As, however, his ideas of poetry were like my late
guide’s, limited to songs about the beauty of a sheep,
and the delights of roast mutton, I fear that when he
was desired to tell her that she was the most beautiful
of her sex, Nazar translated it as follows :—

He says “that thou art lovelier than a sheep with
a fat tail”—this appendage being a great delicacy
amongst the Tartars—‘ that thy face is the roundest
in the flock, and that thy breath is sweeter to him than
many pieces of mutton roasted over bright embers.”

On Nazar informing her that I was not married
she was a little astonished, and then observed that she
was not married, but would be so in two years’ time.

It appeared that, according to the laws of her
tribe, she must become the wife of her late husband’s
brother. The latter was only twelve years of age,
and she would have to wait till the boy was fourteen
before the marriage could take place. The lady did
not much like the idea of so young a husband, and was
curious to know how widows managed in my country,
being very much surprised when I told her that they
chose for themselves.

A few hours sped away very agreeably as I was
chatting with the fair widow, when her future husband,
358 A RIDE TO RHIVA,

a chubby-faced lad, entered the room, and announced
that the camels were ready, and that it was time for
them to start for their azid.

On receiving this information she gave the boy a
sharp stroke across the shoulder, but left the room; and
the future husband will doubtless get many a whipping
from her previous to their marriage, which he will pro-
bably pay back with interest at some later period.

On nearing Orsk I learnt from an inspector that
800 Cossacks had already left Orenburg, and were on
their way to Tashkent. He added that he had re-
ceived orders to have some kibitkas pitched for them
close to the station-house. Many more battalions
would shortly follow, and they would have been at Orsk
before if it had not been for the weather, which this
winter had been more severe than he ever remembered
to have experienced, several Tartar drivers having
been frozen to death.

Nazar now informed me that his wife lived at a
small village a few miles from Orenburg, with her
father; and, as my little Tartar was very eager to
see his lady, I promised to halt there for the night.
We drove up to his house about 12 p.m. The inmates,
who were not aware of Nazar’s return, had all gone to
sleep. My follower tried the door; it was bolted;
then he hammered against the portals.

After about five minutes thus spent waiting in the
cold, his father-in-law came out, and, hearing that I
had arrived, asked me to sleep there for the night. In
the meantime, Nazar’s wife, who was a good deal taller
than ‘himself, had got up, and was welcoming her hus-
band. On looking around me, I found that only one
room was well warmed, and that the others had no
stoves. The bedroom was occupied by Nazar’s fathers
A FAT GOOSE. 359

in-law, his wife, their daughter, and two other children.
Nazar would sleep with them. I felt that my presence
might be slightly de ¢vop, although Nazar himself was
not at all particular about privacy. The apartment was
in a filthy state; and thousands of cockroaches were
crawling about on some wooden platforms, which
served as beds for the family.

The room did not offer any attractions, so I
determined to leave my servant and drive on to the
next station. This was filled with travellers; the
commander of a battery, and a surgeon of artillery,
with their families, occupied all the available space,
so the inspector took me to his own quarters where
his wife was sleeping. The woman looked up with a
smile as I entered, not being at all disconcerted by the
presence of a stranger.

In the morning I made the acquaintance of the
commander of the battery and his wife. They were
travelling in a large sleigh, and were many versts in
front of the troops. The commander had occasionally
carried despatches from Tashkent to St. Petersburg,
and on one occasion he had performed the journey in
twelve days. He remarked that he could post from
Tashkent to Samarcand in one day and a quarter,
and could be in Bokhara in five days after leaving
Tashkent.

Nazar now arrived with his father-in-law, the latter
bringing a fat goose, which he laid down at my feet.
Nazar informed me that this was his way of showing
respect, remarking that it was a fat bird, and that he
would eat it if I did not. The father-in-law could
speak a little Russian, and inquired about Nazar’s moral
behaviour during his journey, patting the little Tartar
on the back when I said that his conduct had been
360 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

most exemplary, and that to the best of my belief he
had not brought back a Khivan lady. .

Not far from this station we met two companies of
infantry on the march to Tashkent. They were all in
sleighs, some drawn by camels, others by horses, five
and six.men being in each vehicle. The troops were
being hurried on as rapidly as possible. The men
seemed to be young and healthy, and were singing
in chorus to pass away the tedious hours. Later
on, when passing through a village, we encountered
more soldiers, several of them much the worse for
drink.

The officers with the troops had brought all sorts of
reports from Orenburg, the last rumour being that
Kryjinovsky was to be the Governor-General at Tash-
kent, Kauffmann to be Minister of War, and Milutin to
be Commander-in-Chief in the Caucasus,
CHAPTER XXXVIII.

An Inquisitive Inspector—‘‘ Will England cede us Kashgar?”—The Fortress
Afghan—‘‘ Are the English Christians?”—‘‘ Have you Images?”—‘“‘ And
yet you call yourselves Christians !’”"—The Bath in Uralsk—No one washed
on a Friday—The Chief of the Police—A Murderer— His Punishment—The
Ural Cossacks—Sizeran—Good-bye to Nazar.

I HAD made up my mind not to stop at Orenburg, but
continue my journey straight to Uralsk, a large town
on the Ural river, the capital of the district from which
the Cossacks in Kasala had been so recently banished.
Uralsk was off the main road to Sizeran, but by taking
this route I should have the opportunity of seeing a
new line of country.

The following day I encountered an inspector who
was more suspicious than any I had previously met
with.

He looked at my pass—“So you have come from
Khiva ?”

Yes,”

“You are English ?”

Ves,”

Here the man looked at me very fixedly, and con-
tinued, “ Will England cede (oos¢oogzt) us Kashgar ?”

This question rather amused me, and I replied,
pointing to a horse that was being led by the station,
“Will you cede that horse to me ?”

_ “ He is not my property,” said the man, looking a
little astonished at the question.

“Well, Kashgar is not an English possession, and
362 A RIDE: TO KHIVA.

how can we cede to Russia what does not belong to
ourselves ?”

“Then England will not fight with us about Kash-
gar ?”’ inquired the inspector.

“T really don’t know, but I wish she would,” I
replied, becoming a little annoyed by this evident
attempt at cross-examination. “Anyhow,” I con-
tinued, “if you put your noses into Afghanistan you
will very likely get them pulled for you.”

“ Afghan!” said the man; “oh, very good!” and
taking a piece of paper he wrote down—“If Russia
should take the Fortress Afghan (Kvepost Afghan)
there will then be war between England and Russia.”
“T have noted your words down,” he said.

“So I see,” was my remark; “but Afghan is nota
fortress.”

“That does not signify,” said the inspector ; “ it is
something, and you have said that if we take it there
will very likely be war.”

A friend of his now entered the room, and asked a
great many questions about England.

“Are the English Christians ?” he inquired.

Ves”

“ Have you images (obrazye) like those ?” pointing
to some tawdry pictures of saints which hung on the
wall.

“No; we do not believe in images.”

“And yet you call yourselves Christians!” said the
man, the Protestant religion instantly falling one hun-
dred per cent. in his estimation.

“Do you believe in Christ ?”

“Vea

« And in the saints ?”

“No; not as being able to perform miracles in
NO ONE WASHED ON A FRIDAY. 363

our own days, whatever they might have done
before.”

“ Horrible!” said the man; “ you are as bad as the
Mohammedans.”

The distance from Orenburg to Uralsk is about 280
versts. On arriving at the last-mentioned town I drove
to the inn. It was tolerably clean, although bed-linen
was a luxury unknown to the proprietor.

My first inquiry was for a bath; and not being able
to obtain this article on the premises, I drove off to the
bathing establishment. Here I was told that no wash-
ing could be done on that day, for it was-a Friday,
and not a washing day. No one in Uralsk ever
washed on a Friday, and if I wanted a bath I must
come there the next afternoon. The offer of four times
the usual price had no effect on the proprietor, and
in return to my entreaties the man merely exclaimed,
“Little father, go away; to-morrow the bath will be
beautiful and hot. Go away, for the sake of God, and
do not be angry.”

On returning to the hotel I found that the Chief
of the Police in the town had already been to see
me, and had left word that he would call again.
Shortly afterwards he was announced, when in the
course of conversation he told me that he had heard
of my being likely to visit Uralsk, having received
the information from Orenburg.

The next morning Nazar came into my room with
a beaming countenance. “We shall have such a
spectacle to-day, and all for nothing,” he said; “a man
is to be beaten to death. Let us go to the market-place ;
a scaffold has been erected there.” On inquiry I
learned that a Kirghiz had murdered a Cossack officer
about twelve months previous, and that the assassin
364 A RIDE TO KHIVA,

had been found guilty, and was to be punished. On
arriving in the square we found the ground partly
occupied by a scaffold, on which stood a large solid
black cross. A few ropes and cords were lying on
the platform; the scaffold was surrounded by lines of
infantry, who kept the people off, and from time to
time dropped the butt end of their rifles on the toes of
the bystanders, if they attempted to approach too
closely.

Presently a low hum, which gradually swelled to
a deep bass roar, announced that the cortége with
the prisoner was in sight. The culprit could be
plainly seen mounted on a block of wood, placed in a
dirty old cart, which was drawn by a mule; a guard of
soldiers followed the criminal, whilst an escort went in
front and opened out a road through the crowd of by-
standers. On arriving atthe platform, the prisoner was
made to ascend it. He turned deadly pale when he saw
the cross, but quickly recovering himself, his countenance
resumed its original expression, and carelessly looking
at the people, he nodded to some of his acquaintances.

The officer in command of the soldiers now gave
an order, and two of the men, seizing the prisoner, tied
him up to the cross. A magistrate, who was standing
on the scaffold, took a document from his pocket and
commenced reading the proceedings of the trial and
the sentence, which was to the effect that the culprit
would be sent to Siberia.

The man did not move a muscle of his face as the
sentence was read out, but Nazar was considerably
disappointed. “And so we are to have no perform-
ance,” said the bloodthirsty little Tartar; “it is too
bad of the authorities cheating us in this way.”

Capital punishment has been abolished throughout
FAREWELL TO NAZAR. 365

European Russia, save for treason ; however, it must
not be thought that on this account the culprits are
more leniently dealt with. Forced labour in the mines
of Siberia rapidly puts an end to the criminal’s exist-
ence, and it is said that the strongest man will succumb
after two or three years’ confinement.

The inhabitants of Uralsk, who had most of them
some near relation or dear friend in exile in Central
Asia, were so depressed that they hardly ventured to
look us in the face as we met them in the streets. Some
of the Ural Cossacks were said to be still in hiding, and
waiting for an opportunity to escape from the country ;
but their fate could not be doubtful for a moment.
When the cold season was over they would be caught,
and despatched in gangs to their relations in Kasala.

Such are the delights of living in a country where
a despotic form of government prevails. Such is the
civilisation which certain people in England are eager
to see forced upon the inhabitants of Central Asia.

There was nothing of note to be seen at Uralsk,
so I left for Sizeran. This was reached after a thirty-
six hours’ continuous journey. It was the middle of
March; my sleigh journey was now over. Shaking
hands with the faithful little Tartar, who had accom-
panied me to the last, I said good-bye to him, and,
as far as my travels are concerned, must say farewell
to the reader.
APPENDIX A.
THE RUSSIAN ADVANCE EASTWARD.

Tue same rule which applies to natural phenomena is
equally applicable to nations; the smaller body is at-
tracted towards the greater, and the tribe, khanate, or
kingdom, to the more powerful empire which they
adjoin.

Russia in the days of her weakness was overrun
and dominated to a great extent by her warlike neigh- .
bours, the Tartars. She is repaying them in their own
coin.

’ Forty years ago she had taken from Persia 70,000,
and from Tartary 270,000 square miles of territory.
Since that time she has conquered the Bokharans—
Khiva and Kokan; whilst her frontier is rapidly
striding forward towards the Hindoo Koosh.

During the early part of this century she had
stretched out a long line of outposts, let us call it
her left arm, in the direction of Western Siberia,
and had gradually penetrated farther and farther,
until she spread herself nearly over its entire extent.
Military settlements, forts, and chains of detached posts
extended from the rivers Ural and Irtish to the valley
of the river Ili, whilst her right arm, but half extended,
reached from Orenburg to Orsk, and then by the north
368 APPENDIX A,

of the Sea of Aral to Fort Perovsky, which is about
200 miles from the mouth of the Syr Darya, the
Jaxartes of ancient history.

This extension of the right arm had been attended
with numerous difficulties. The line of strongholds
stretching from Fort Orsk to Zvarinogolovsk had cut
off from the Kirghiz of the Little Horde their best
grazing ground. It had been given to some Cossacks.
An endless feud ensued between the new and the old
occupants. It is impossible, if you are bent upon con-
quest and despoliation, to prevent those nations which
feel themselves aggrieved from resorting to hostilities.

As Russia stretched her right arm past the north
of the Sea of Aral, the Kokandians and Khivans
became alarmed. Would they not too some day have
to succumb ?

The Bokharans, Khivans, and Kokandians felt,
thirty years ago, as Russophobists in India feel in
the present day. Which was the best course for the
Kokandians and Bokharans to pursue—to check the
invader’s progress at the outset, or allow him to
establish his depdts and push forward to their frontier?

They elected the former. Constant raids were
made on the Kirghiz—now Russian subjects—and the
Russians captured the enemy’s stronghold, Ak Mechet.
The name of the victorious general was given to this
fort henceforward known as Perovsky. Forts Numbers
One, Two and Three were then built at Kasala and on
the sites of two Kokand forts. Thus was founded the
Syr Darya line, the extremity of the half-bent right
arm which Russia was gradually extending towards
Tashkent.

In spite of the chain of forts which stretched along
the Western Siberian and the Syr Darya lines, the
THE RUSSIAN ADVANCE EASTWARD. 369

country between them was only half subdued. It was
felt that the newly-acquired territory could not be
deemed thoroughly secure until the two lines joined.
The right hand must grasp its fellow of the left ere
the wished-for result could be obtained.

In 1854 a committee of officers was ordered to
assemble and deliberate on this proposed step. It was
then stated that the junction could not be effected
without having a collision with Kokan and Bokhara,
which would eventually lead to the subjection of these
khanates. This idea was not displeasing to the
authorities at St. Petersburg, and it was determined to
join the Syr Darya and Western Siberian lines.

The Crimean War now came on, and occupied all
Russia’s attention. But as soon as peace was pro-
claimed preparations were at once commenced for
carrying the original proposal into execution.

The Ili was crossed, the Kokan forts Pishpek and
Tokmak were destroyed by General Zimmermann, and
Forts Vernoe and Kastek constructed on the northern
slopes of the Ala Tau mountains. This was between
1854 and 1860. Armed reconnaisances were next
made of the district lying between the Chu river and
the Aulieta fort. The fingers of the left hand had not
been idle. They were gradually circling round in the
direction of the Syr Darya. The right arm, which in
1859 had reached forward to Djulek, where a fort had
been constructed, was pushed onwards to Yany-Kurgan.
The Syr Darya valley and Karataih mountains had
been carefully surveyed.

Everything was prepared for uniting the two
lines. It was determinéd that simultaneous move-
ments should be made by Major-General Tchernayeff

with the Siberian army, and by Verévkin with the
x
370 APPENDIX A,

Orenburg troops. The former was to occupy Aulieta,
the latter to march from Djulek along the Karatad
ridge, and to take possession of Suzak and Chulak
Kurgan.

General Verévkin thought that it would be more
satisfactory if the frontier line embraced the town of
Turkistan, thus pushing forward the boundary 130 miles
beyond Djulek ; but General Tchernayeff—thinking
that as it was a mere question of advancing the frontier
eastwards, the more territory secured for Russia the
better—suggested that the line should include Chem-
kent, a Kokan fort 100 miles beyond Turkistan, or 230
from Djulek, This proposal was duly carried into
execution. .

There had been but little bloodshed on the Russian
side. The large towns of Turkistan and Chemkent
had been taken at the expense of about fifty killed and
wounded. The loss experienced by the Kokandians,
according to the official accounts, was immense.

This was satisfactory to the Russian military
authorities, but indecision still reigned at St. Peters-
burg as to how far the limits of the empire should be
extended. On the 3oth of July the following general
order was published :—

“His Imperial Majesty has been pleased to command that all
the forts erected on the newly occupied extent of country from the
river Chti to the Syr Darya as far as the Kokand fort, * Yany
Kurgan inclusive, be considered as temporarily forming a new Kokand
line of frontier, to the command of which his Majesty has been
pleased to appoint Major-General Tchernayeff, who is to have chief
command of all the troops along it; those of Western Siberia as well
as those of the Orenburg region.”

General Tchernayeff took possession of Chemkent

* Between Djulek and Turkistan.
THE RUSSIAN ADVANCE EASTWARD. 371

on the 22nd of September; the news of his success soon
reached St. Petersburg, and on the 21st of November
the same year (1864) the world was favoured with
Prince Gortschakoff’s despatch. The Chancellor states
in the First Article of this celebrated document :—

“It has been judged indispensable that our two lines of frontier,
one reaching from China to Lake Issyk Kul, the other from the Sea
of Aral along the Syr Darya, should be united by fortified points,
so that all our posts may be in a position to mutually support each
other.”

The Chancellor continues in the Third Article -—

“We have adopted the line between Lake Issyk Kul and the
Syr Darya, besides fortifying Chemkent, which has been recently
taken by us. We find ourselves in the presence of a more solid,
compact, less unsettled, and better organised social state, fixing for
us with geographical precision the limit up to which we are bound
to advance, and at which we must halt, because, on the one hand,
any further extension of our rule, meeting as it would no longer
with unstable communities such as the nomad tribes, but with
more regularly constituted states, would entail considerable exer-
tions, and would draw us on from annexation to annexation with
complications which cannot be foreseen. It is unnecessary for
me to call attention to the evident interest that Russia has in
not extending her territory. Of late years people have been
pleased to assign to Russia the mission of civilising the countries
which are her neighbours in the Continent of Asia. The advance-
ment of civilisation has no agent more efficient than commercial
relations. These last, to become developed, require order and
stability, but in Asia this necessitates a complete change of customs.
Asiatics must be made to understand that it is more to their
interest to favour and insure the trade of caravans, than to pillage
them. These elementary notions can only penetrate the public
conscience, when there is an organised society and a government to
direct and represent it. We accomplish the first part of this task
in advancing our frontier to the limit where these indispensable
conditions are to be found. We accomplish the second by
endeavouring henceforward to prove to the neighbouring states by a
firm system, so far as the suppression of their ill-dealings is concerned,
372 APPENDIX A.

but at the same time by moderation and justice in the employinent
of force, and by respecting their independence, that Russia is not
their enemy, that she entertains towards them no ideas of conquest,
and that peaceful and commercial relations will be more profitable
than disorder, pillage, reprisals, and permanent warfare. In con-
secrating itself to this task, the Imperial Cabinet is inspired by
Russian interests. It believes that at the same time it serves the
interests of civilisation and humanity. It has the right to count on
an equitable and loyal appreciation of the steps which it pursues, and
of the principles by which it is: guided.”

After the promulgation of this despatch, it seemed
clear that the Imperial Government at St. Petersburg
had set its face against any further annexation in the
East ; that Chemkent was the limit of its boundary line,
and that the authorities at St. Petersburg were really
desirous to live at peace with the inhabitants of Central
Asia; that the Cossack swords were to be turned into
reaping-hooks, and that everything was to be done to
promote commerce and the interests of civilization.
The millennium had apparently commenced in Russia.
The Cossacks and Kokandians were to stroke beards
and lie down peacefully side by side. This would
have been a most refreshing spectacle, and the peace
at any price party in England went into raptures at
the idea. However, it was not so pleasing to the
Governor-Generals who represented the Emperor in
the Orenburg and Western Siberian districts. The
despatch was diametrically opposite to the system
which, according to Colonel Venukoff, has always been
adopted by Russia in her dealings with Eastern nations:
for this gentleman, in his military review, observes,
“In Central Asia, that is to say, there where it is
easy to apply the principle atvzde et ¢mpera, by making

_use of the rival antagonisms of the Bashkirs, Kirghiz,
and Calmucks, the Orenburg and Siberian Governors
THE RUSSIAN ADVANCE EASTWARD, 373

have taken for their guidance the rule to weaken each
one of these troublesome nations by the means of the
others.” We cannot be surprised, then, that the
Generals looked upon Prince Gortschakoff’s literary
composition as so much waste paper, in so far as they
were concerned, and intended merely to blind the
eyes of Europe to the ulterior intentions of their
Government. The promotion of discord amidst their
neighbours was much more likely to be the policy
pursued by the conquerors of Turkistan than the
promotion of peace, commerce, and civilization.

At all events, General Tchernayeff, who directed the
military operations in Turkistan, did not think that he
was bound to maintain peaceful relations with the
inhabitants of Tashkent, a large town containing 78,165
inhabitants, and seventy miles from Chemkent; for,
considering it necessary to obtain a more intimate*
knowledge of the state of affairs in Tashkent before
the winter set in, the General advanced upon that city.
In this reconnaissance, on the assumption that the
numerous but unwarlike population would not be able,
suddenly attacked, to defend the entire length of their
walls (about sixteen miles), Tchernayeff stormed the
most accessible part of the town. Contrary, however,
to expectation, the attempt failed.

It is a strange way of living at peace with your
neighbour—first making a military reconnaissance of
the city, then playfully throwing a few shells within
his walls, and finally storming the most accessible
part of the town. Indeed, if we take General
Tchernayeff’s own report, we find that the reason
assigned by him for his attack upon Tashkent is

% See General Romanovsky’s “ Notes on Central Asia.” This work
has been translated into English.
374 APPENDIX A.

singularly vague. He writes, in a despatch to the
Minister of War, which is dated the 19th of October,
1864, “At last, as I have already had the honour
of acquainting your Excellency, information was re-
ceived which has subsequently been confirmed, that
Tashkent had entered into relations with the Ameer
of Bokhara.”

Now, Bokhara was at peace with Russia, and
the authorities at St. Petersburg wished .to live at
peace with their neighbours; so the reason which
is given by General Tchernayeff for his attack upon
Tashkent is not very satisfactory. Some European
statesmen thought that this little ebullition of feeling
on the part of General Tchernayeff would have
been followed by the authorities at St. Petersburg
gently remonstrating with the energetic warrior.
However, the Russian Minister of War was at
that time so soothed by the peaceful notes in Prince
Gortschakoff’s declaration, that he could not find it
in his heart even to forward a reprimand. The
Government contented itself by refusing to give its
sanction to the General’s project of conquering Tash-
kent, but took care to furnish him without loss of
time with strong reinforcements, on the plea that it
would then be easier to defend the district already
occupied.

In an order of the day from the Minister of War,
dated rath of February, 1865, we read— The ad-
vanced line established last year in the Trans Chi
region is to be connected with the line of the Syr
Darya, and one province to be formed, under the title
of the Province of Turkistan, of the whole of the terri-
tory bordering the Central Asiatic possessions from the
Sea of Aral to Lake Issyk Kul. The administration of
THE RUSSIAN ADVANCE EASTWARD. 375

the new province is to be entrusted to a special military
governor, who shall at the same time command the
forces stationed within the province.”

General Tchernayeff was punished for his attack
upon Tashkent, made only five months previously, by
being appointed Governor of the region, and Com-
mander of the Forces. Fresh troops were sent to him
from Orenburg and Western Siberia.

Tchernayeff, three months after he had been
appointed Governor of Turkistan, reported to the
Minister of War at St. Petersburg that the Ameer of
Bokhara was marching his troops in the direction of
Ura Tube, a town about sixty miles south of Tashkent.
The General concluded his despatch by saying that this
movement could only be interpreted as a desire on the
part of the Ameer of Bokhara to take advantage of
the difficulties of the khanate, and mix himself up in
its affairs.

The magnanimous Tchernayeff was alarmed lest
another might take possession of some territory which
did not belong to Russia. There was no direct evi-
dence as to this intention on the part of the Ameer.
The General, however, thought—in spite of the dis-
approval expressed by the Imperial Government about
his attempt to annex Tashkent—that the authorities
would be glad if this were an accomplished fact.
He advanced with his troops to Fort Niazbek,
which commands the water supply of the city, and
summoned the Governor to surrender. This fortress
is situated sixteen miles north-east of Tashkent,
and is on the left bank of the river Chirchik. It
was one of the most formidable strongholds in the
khanate, and yet it capitulated after a few hours’ fire
from the Russian batteries. The Tzar’s troops suffered
376 AFPENDIX A,

no loss in killed, and only seven Russians were
slightly wounded. From this we can see that no great
difficulties in the shape of opposition from the Ko-
kandians could be anticipated. Prince Gortschakoff's
despatch and the Kokan forces were equally impotent
to restrain the invader.

Russia had indeed advanced her right arm during
that last twelve months. From Djulek, where it had
been intended to draw the boundary line, to Niazbek,
is more than three hundred miles. Fort Vernoe was
more to the east than even Niazbek. ‘The right arm
must again reach forward.

After taking Niazbek Tchernayeff determined to
take possession of Tashkent. This town was stormed
on the 14th of July, 1865. The Russians had 1,951
men and twelve guns exposed to a force of 30,000
defenders. In spite of this discrepancy in numbers,
there were only twenty-eight Russian soldiers killed
and eighty wounded. No officer was amongst the
slain. ‘Thus one of the most populous and important
cities in Central Asia was added to the dominions of
the White Tzar.

The Ameer of Bokhara was extremely well dis-
posed towards Russia. The Bokharan merchants in
days gone by had received special privileges and an
exemption from custom duties in their tradings with
the Emperor's. subjects ; but shortly after the capture
of Tashkent, Tchernayeff found that he had serious
cause to complain of the Ameer’s conduct. This
sovereign, simultaneously with the seizure of Tashkent
by the Russians, had actually dared to enter Hodjent,
a town about six days’ march from the city.

Hodjent is a most important military post. It is
situated on the Syr Darya at a point where the streara
THE RUSSIAN ADVANCE EASTWARD. 277

turns sharply to the south. Here the roads to Kokan,
Tashkent, Bokhara, and last, but not by any means
least, Balkh, cross each other. The possession of
Hodjent by the Russians would enable them to sever
IXokan from Bokhara, and afford a most advantageous
position for an attack upon either of these countries.

If Tchernayeff had intended to respect the despatch
which the Russian Chancellor had sent to the different
Courts in Europe, the General would not have troubled
himself about Hodjent; but the temptation was too
great, and Tchernayeff fell. Hodjent did not belong
to Russia; but this was no reason why it should belong
to Bokhara. Thus the General argued to himself; any
little scruples he might have had as to whether the
conscientious Chancellor at St. Petersburg would be
grieved at his proceedings were speedily quelled, and
he issued an order to arrest all the Bokharans who
could be found within his province, and to seize their
property. The order was extended to Orenburg.
General Kryjinovsky was requested to co-operate
in carrying Tchernayeff’s edict into effect. The mer-
chandise of every Bokharan found in that town was
also sequestrated.

This was in July, 1865, only six months after the
promulgation of Prince Gortschakoff’s famous despatch,
in which he said that Russia wished to live at peace
with her neighbours, and promote commerce and
civilization in Central Asia.

In my account of the way a rupture was first brought
about between Russia and Bokhara I adhere strictly
to General Romanovsky’s statements in his “ Notes on
the Central Asiatic Question.”* As this officer accom-
panied General Kryjinovsky in a journey which the

* See page 13 Romanovsky’s “ Notes on the Central Asiatic Question.”
378 APPENDIX A,

latter made at this time to Turkistan, in order
to study the position of affairs in that province,
he ought to be well acquainted with the facts of
the case. Terentyeff, in his work on “England and
Russia in Central Asia,” says that Tchernayeff arrested
the Bokharan merchants because the Bokharans had
demanded the evacuation of Tashkent and Chemkent
pending the receipt of the final decision of the White
Tzar, and that in the event of a refusal they had
threatened a holy war, or, in other words, a general
rising of all Mohammedans.

It is very possible that some report as to the
contents of the celebrated Gortschakoff document
had reached -Bokhara. The Ameer might have
learned that the Russian General had exceeded his
instruttions. But even if the demand were made
as Terentyeff states, it was a strong measure for
Tchernayeff to adopt, and one more characteristic of
Eastern than of Western civilization. Perhaps, indeed,
Iam wrong in using the term Eastern, as the laws of
hospitality are rigidly observed by Mohammedans in
Asia, and the Russian in this respect is sometimes
behind his first-cousin, the Tartar. It does not, how-
ever, signify whose version of the circumstances is
correct. The Bokharans were arrested; General
Tchernayeff’s main object was attained; he had
wished to have a casws delle against Bokhara. His
wish was realised, for the Ameer at once retaliated
by arresting all the Russian merchants who happened
to be within his city.

In spite of the aggressive measures commenced
by the Russians against Bokhara, the Ameer did not
attempt any hostilities. | Tchernayeff, too, had not
many troops at his disposal, so he satisfied himself
THE RUSSIAN ADVANCE EASTWARD. 379

for the moment by occupying the Trans-Chirchik region,
a fertile district close to Tashkent.

In the meantime the Bokharan sovereign de-
spatched a mission to the Emperor at St. Petersburg,
in order to remonstrate about the imprisonment of the
Bokharan merchants and the seizure of their goods.
The Ameer could not understand this system of pro-
moting the interests of commerce and civilization.
However, he would not long remain in ignorance.
He was about to undergo a course of education in the
doctrines of civilization as understood in Russia.

Kryjinovsky met the mission at Fort Number One.
He would not allow the Bokharan envoys to go to the
capital, the reason assigned being that he was him-
self empowered to negotiate with them. We need
not be astonished at General Kryjinovsky’s refusing
to allow the Bokharan envoys to go to St. Peters-
burg. Their mission was to complain of his conduct,
and if their story had reached the Tzar’s ears the
Governor of Orenburg might have lost his appoint-
ment. Shortly afterwards the two Generals, Kryji-
novsky and Tchernayeff, met. They were not in
accord about what was to be done with Tashkent.
Tchernayeff wished to annex that city to the empire,
whilst Kryjinovsky was for reducing it to a state of
vassaldom, and not for occupying the newly-conquered
district with Russian troops.

It is interesting to mark this difference of opinion
between the two Generals, as towards the end of the
year 1865 Kryjinovsky was recalled for a time to St.
Petersburg. It will be curious to note how this visit
to the capital subsequently influenced him in his
treatment of the question. The Bokharan envoys
were still detained by the Russian authorities, and
380 APPENDIX A.

at the end of October, 1865, General Tchernayeff sent
a Russian mission to Bokhara. This he did ostensibly
with the object of establishing friendly relations, and
of re-opening that trade which had been brought to so
abrupt a conclusion by his own act of arresting the
Bokharan merchants.

There were several military as well as civil officers
attached to this mission. It bore such a military
as well as political aspect that the Ameer, who was
highly dissatisfied that his own envoys to the Tzar had
been arrested, actually had the audacity to detain the
Russian gentlemen. He was undoubtedly wrong in
committing so illegal an act, and one so contrary to
the law of nations. The Ameer was not wise in
his generation. He did not discern that the old
saying, “ What is sauce for the goose is sauce for
the gander,” did not apply in his case. The Russians
had detained his mission, it is true, but then the
Tzar was more powerful than the Ameer, although
the latter potentate had this still to learn. Might
gives right in the treatment of one country by another.
The Ameer was rash in applying the Mosaic law,
“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,” to the
Christianizing and civilizing power on his frontier.

Tchernayeff now crossed the Syr Darya, at Chinaz,
with fourteen companies of infantry, nine hundred
Cossacks, sixteen guns, and twelve hundred camels.
His object was to march across the hungry steppe to
Djizzak, so as to force the Ameer to release the
envoys. However, the latter sovereign declined to
do so unless his Bokharan subjects were permitted to
return. A battle was the consequence, and the Rus-
sians had so much the worst of the encounter that their
expedition had to retreat to the Syr Darya.
ZHE RUSSIAN ADVANCE EASTWARD. 381

That Tchernayeff had the worst of this encounter
is clear, from his report to the Commander-in-Chief,
at Orenburg, dated March 1oth, 1866, in which he
urgently asked for reinforcements. However, the
authorities at St. Petersburg were not pleased at the
check their arms had received. An order was issued
to recall the beaten General, and General Romanovsky
was appointed to replace him in the command.

Soon afterwards the Russians had a force of three
thousand fighting men in Tashkent. In an engage-
ment that took place at Irdja the Bokharans were
utterly routed. General Romanovsky followed up the
advantages he had gained by a fresh victory in the
same neighbourhood. The Ameer's army was annihi-
lated, and the sovereign had to take refuge in
Samarcand.

The Russian General did not think that he had
sufficient forces to capture the city of Samarcand, so
he determined to take possession of Hodjent. This
town was stormed after a siege which lasted eight
days. The Commander-in-Chief then resolved to retain
all the territory he had occupied on the left bank of the
Syr Darya, and on the Kokan side he expressed his
wish to take possession of the large town of Namangan.
This, in Romanovsky’s opinion, would have been most
convenient, as the boundary line could then have
been drawn along the river Naryn, which lies south
of Lake Issyk Kul.

General Romanovsky was not permitted to carry out
his project of occupying Namangan, and of pushing
the frontier to the south of Lake Issyk Kul. It was
felt at St. Petersburg that this step would have been
premature, and that the English nation might have
been aroused from its state of lethargy, the object
382 APPENDIX A,

of the Russian Government being always rather to take
advantage of events than to force them.

The General was on the best of terms with
Hudoyar Khan, the Prince of Kokan, who had promised
to faithfully obey the commands of the Russian authori-
ties. In Romanovsky’s own words the Khan had most
conscientiously fulfilled his promises. However, General
Kryjinovsky, after his arrival at St. Petersburg, sent a
despatch to Tashkent, in which he stated that he
considered it necessary to occupy the entire khanate
of Kokan, and extend the Imperial dominions to
the Celestial mountains and the Bolors. He recom-
mended General Romanovsky to assume a high
tone towards Kokan, and to treat Hudoyar Khan as a
man who by his position should be a vassal of Russia.
Should he take umbrage and operate against us, wrote
the Governor-General of Orenburg, so much the
better; it will give us a pretext to close with him.
With reference to the Ameer of Bokhara, everything
must be demanded of, nothing conceded to, him; and
Kyrjinovsky still refused to allow the release of the
Bokharan merchants, who were detained at Orenburg.
Doubtless he did this in their own interests, and in
order to accustom them to the new order of things, as
stated in Prince Gortschakoff’s declaration of 1864.
The Russian merchants had long since been sent back
from Bokhara. This did not affect Kryjinovsky’s
treatment of his prisoners. They required civilizing
@ la Russe. He determined to civilize them.

It was well known that this Governor-General had
been honoured a_ short time previous by being
admitted to an audience with some high authorities
in the capital. A few people in London expressed
their belief that the celebrated despatch was all
THE RUSSIAN ADVANCE EASTWARD. 383

humbug, and said that the Chancellor wished to annex
more territory. These men, however, were contradicted
by the wiseacres of the English community, who con-
tented themselves by pointing out the distinctness of
the Chancellor’s statements, which, they said, ought not
to be impugned by even the shadow of a suspicion.

Kryjinovsky returned to Tashkent. It was stated
that he was desirous to bring matters to a head. He
shortly afterwards manifested his ideas on this subject
by forwarding an official report to St. Petersburg recom-
mending the immediate commencement of hostilities
against the inhabitants of Kokan. The Governor-
General of Orenburg grounded his report on an
attack which had been made on the Russians by
a party of robbers, and on the Khan having concen-
trated his forces in his own territories.

In Romanovsky’s opinion the Khan had not the
means to stop the inroads of predatory parties. The
General thought that the concentration of native troops
was merely the very natural consequence of the con-
centration of the Russian troops in Hodjent. This
had commenced immediately after the arrival of the
Governor-General of Orenburg in the province of
Turkistan.

It was deemed politic to throw a colour of justice
over the acts of violence which had been perpetrated.
Some of the inhabitants of the conquered districts were
induced to ask for permission to become vassals of
Russia. Sixty-two natives of Tashkent signed a docu-
ment asking for their town to be annexed to the Tzar’s
dominions. A few inhabitants of the Trans-Chirchik
District and of Hodjent did the same. All the country
occupied up to May, 1866, became incorporated with
the Russian Empire.
384 APPENDIX A.

Shortly after this event the Ameer of Bokhara sent
an emissary to Kryjinovsky to conclude a treaty of
peace. However, the Governor-General of Orenburg
demanded 100,000 tillas as a war indemnity. The
emissary would not accede to these terms. His Moham-
medan mind was too obtuse to see the justice of the
demand. The case wasaclearone. The Governors of
Orenburg and Tashkent had first of all arrested some
Bokharan merchants, and sequestrated their goods. The
Ameer of Bokhara had been so wicked as to resent
this proceeding. It was as if a strong savage had set
fire to a weak savage’s wigwam, and the strong man
had afterwards asked for an indemnity because he had
slightly burnt his fingers whilst creating the conflagra-
tion. The facts had been made out, the weak savage
could pay, but would not pay, so he must be made to
pay ; and Kryjinovsky determined to attack Bokhara.

His subordinate, Romanovsky, was ordered to pre-
pare for an immediate campaign in the Ameer’s territory.
The frontier was crossed, and the forts of Ura Tube
and Djizzak were taken by storm. Singularly enough
the day after the capture of Dyizzak, Kryjinovsky
received a telegram from St. Petersburg, in which the
Government stated its disinclination to extend the limits
of the Empire, and at the same time called his attention
to the order of 1866, which was to the effect that
should the inhabitants of Tashkent and of the other
ecnquered districts renew their request to become
Russian subjects, so as to obtain protection against the
Ameer of Bokhara, it was to be granted them. But
this had already been done. Sixty-two out of the
78,165 inhabitants of Tashkent had expressed a desire
to belong to Russia; the remaining 78,103 individuals
were, nolens volens, subjects of the Tzar.
THE RUSSIAN ADVANCE EASTIVARD, 385

Kryjinovsky started for Orenburg on the roth of
November, 1866. The troops were put into winter
quarters, and a strong garrison was left in Djizzak,
the recently-conquered town, which was some distance
from the left bank of the Syr Darya, and on the high
road to Samarcand. In the spring of the following
year (1867), a Bokharan fort, called Jani Kurgan, not
far from Djizzak, was taken bythe Russians. Shortly
afterwards an Imperial decree was issued, separating
the Turkistan province from the Orenburg Govern-
ment, the residence appointed for the Governor-General
being in Tashkent. The newly-formed province was
in its turn divided into the Syr Darya and Semire-
chensky districts; the two together containing a popu-
lation of about 1,500,000 inhabitants.

A fresh Governor (General Kauffmann) replaced
Romanovsky on the 17th of November, 1867.
The new officer commenced his reign by destroy-
ing the Bokharan town of Ukhum, and in April,
1868, he marched through: the valley of the
Zerafshan to Samarcand. This far-famed town at
once surrendered to the Russian arms. Katye
Kurgan, forty miles from Samarcand, and on the high
road to Bokhara, was next taken, and on the 2nd of
July, the Ameer, with all his army, was utterly
defeated on the Zerabulak heights. The Bokharan
sovereign now felt that he was impotent to resist
the invader’s progress. Muscovite civilizetion was
too much for him, and the defeated monarch was
obliged to sign a treaty of peace. By this he bound
himself to pay an indemnity, and to acknowledge the
right of Russia to all the territory won by her since
1865.

Territorial aggrandisement had always been con-

¥
386 APPENDIX A.

trary to the expressed wish of the authorities at St.
Petersburg. They must have been deeply grieved
to find themselves compelled to annex so much
Bokharan territory. However, Kauffmann was not
recalled, like his predecessors Tchernayeff and Ro-
manovsky had been; a scapegoat was not required
this time. England was too much occupied in money-
making to cast a thought upon the affairs of Central
Asia; and although a few members in the House of
Commons and the Morning Post might grumble a
little, the British Government did not trouble itself
much about the matter.

By the possession of Samarcand, the Russians held
Bokhara completely at their disposition ; they had full
control over the waters of the Zerafshan, and, in conse-
quence, over the crops of Bokhara. The knowledge
of this fact now stirred up a little the British Cabinet,
but the Russian Chancellor, eager to throw oil on the
troubled waters, promised to restore Samarcand to the
Ameer. Our Ministers placed credence in the statement.
Their minds were tranquillised about the matter.
They once more lay down to slumber. The Cabinet
had excited itself a little more than was its wont, for
some Afghans—that warlike race, which were looked
upon as our surest safeguard in the event of a quarrel
with Russia—had actually fought under the Tzar’s
standard, and with the Christians, against the
Bokharans.

The facts were as follows :—The ruler at Balkh
had sent 286 Afghan soldiers under Sekunder Khan,
the grandson of Mohammed Khan, to aid the Ameer
of Bokhara. The Ameer had not been able to pay
these auxiliaries with regularity, and Sekunder Khan
quietly left his ally and attached himself to the
THE RUSSIAN ADVANCE EASTWALD. 387

forces under Kauffmann. Afghans, combined with
Russians, were in arms against the followers of the
prophet. Soldiers of fortune have not many religious
scruples. They will fight for the power which pays
best or is able to offer the greatest bribe. It -had
just dawned upon the few people in Great Britain
who take an interest in the affairs of Central Asia,
that the chance of looting the rich cities of the plains
in India might prove an irresistible attraction to the
inhabitants of Afghanistan if it were proposed to
them, of course in the interests of civilization, by any
Russian agents. Sekunder Khan, who is the nephew
of Shere Ali, became a lieutenant-colonel in the
Tzar’s army. He soon mastered Russian and French;
however, he found that there was no chance of his rising
higher in the Russian service, his nationality told
against him; and being furthermore aggrieved at the
treatment received by one of his followers, Rahmed
Khan, an ensign in the Russian army, from the
adjutant of his regiment, Sekunder called out the last-
mentioned officer. The challenge was not accepted.
The infuriated Afghan, who announced his deter-
mination to horsewhip his adversary on the first
opportunity, was put under arrest. He resigned his
commission and came to England, where, according to
Mr. Terentyeff, he has been well received, and assigned
a liberal pension.

The Ameer of Bokhara was under the impression
that Samarcand would be restored to him. It is said
that he signed a treaty granting special privileges to
Russian traders, and pledged himself to pay a war
indemnity of 475,000, on the understanding that
Samarcand would be evacuated. This the Russians
did not do; however, they restored the Ameer’s
388 APTENDIX A.

authority, which had been shaken by an insurrection
headed by one of his sons, for, marching upon Karshi,
they drove from it the rebel and his supporters. They
then advanced against two chiefs in Shahr i Subz, and,
conquering them, restored the district to the Ameer.

The last expedition the Russians have made in
that part of the world was to the sources of the
Zerafshan to the mountainous country to the south-
east of Bokhara. There they reduced to their own
rule the Bekships of Urgut, Faraf, Macha, Kshtut, and
Maghian. What was of no use to Kauffmann he gave
back to the original owners; what was worth retaining
the General kept for Russia.

In the north-eastern division of Turkistan the
Tzar’s officers had not been idle. Some troops had
been despatched from Vernoe to the Naryn, the main
branch of the Syr Darya. Here they constructed a
bridge, erected a fort, and made a road, thus opening a
carriage-way in the direction of Kashgar.

Kokan was now entirely cut off from the adjacent
khanates, and lay at the mercy of the invader.

Shortly before this the Russian relations with
China had become complicated; a revolution had
occurred in that empire, and all Eastern Turkistan
emancipated itself from the Chinese yoke. Bands of
Russian Kirghiz marched into Chinese territory, and
freely pillaged the inhabitants. This led to the
destruction of the Russian consulates and factories in
Kulja and Chuguchak. Yakoo’ Bek, the ruler in
Kashgar, formed of Kashgaria an independent
state, and as he found that the Taranchees and
Dungans were not at all submissive, he occupied

some of the Dungan towns, amongst others Karashar
and ‘Turfan.
THE RUSSIAN ALVANCE EASTWARD, 389

In order to defend the Russian Kirghiz from the
Taranchees, which was a capital excuse for an advance,
the Governor-General of Turkistan, at the end of
August, 1870, ordered the slope from the Muzart
Pass to be occupied. This is a pass in the Tian
Shan range which unites the province of Ili with
Altishahr.

The Russians having possession of the Muzart
Pass, were enabled to prevent Yakoob Bek from
annexing Kulja. They did this in the most effective
manner by taking possession of it themselves.

The St. Petersburg official journals declared that
Kulja was only to be temporarily occupied, and that
it would be given up as soon as the Chinese authority
could be re-established by reinforcements of troops
from China. Negotiations about the restoration of
the province of Ili (Kulja) were said to have been
carried on between Jung, a Chinese commissioncr,
and a Russian general. However, all was to no
purpose; there was no intention to give anything back,
and in spite of the statements issuing from official
sources, Kulja, like Samarcand, became permanently
annexed to the Tzar’s dominions.

A little later a revolution in Kokan, brought about
by Russian agents, afforded the long-wished-for oppor-
tunity. Some of the inhabitants expressed a desire
to become subjects of the Emperor, and General
Kauffmann was so kind as to accede to their wishes.
By the entire possession of this khanate the Russian
right arm had reached far eastward, but Kulja,
the extremity of her left arm, was still a long way
in advance.

In Lieut.-Colonel Lusilin’s map of Turkistan, 1875,
the boundary line between Kokan and Kashgar is not
390 AFPENDIX A.

dotted in. Does this mean that a fresh movement
forward with the right arm is imminent? It will have
to reach well out to shake hands with its fellow at
Kulja. :

A natural boundary of mountains separates Kokan
from Kashgar, but General Kauffmann is not likely to
be deterred in his advance. Eastward, south-eastward !
is the cry, and Kashgar will inevitably succumb unless
England intervenes in her behalf.
APPENDIX B.

REPORT OF MR. SCHUYLER.

Mr. Scuuyier, Secretary of the United States Lega-
tion at St. Petersburg, on his return from the Russian
Province of Turkistan, made a long report to his
Government. From this report I extract the following
remarks :—

“The faults of the Russian administration seem to be,
however, in some measure due to the personal character and
conduct of the Governor-General. General Kauffmann is,
unfortunately, a very weak as well as a very vain man, and
has always been surrounded, wherever he was, by persons who
use these qualities to serve their own purpose. He came to
Central Asia with no knowledge of the country, and, by
holding himself in a very lofty position, has acquired very
little knowledge of it during his stay. He has considered it
necessary to keep up an appearance of state, and to have
little communication with the natives, having been in the
Asiatic part of Tashkent only once or twice during the seven
years of his administration. He never rides through the
street without a body-guard of 100 Cossacks, and maintains
himself at a distance from the Russians also.

“ At his balls, it is forbidden to a gentleman to be seated ;
a more strict etiquette than prevails at the balls of the Emperor
at St. Petersburg. The Central Asiatics are accustomed to a
very simple, and, in some respects, democratic kind of life, and,
392 APPENDIX B,

instead of standing in awe of the Governor-General, they turn
his actions, to some extent, to ridicule. At the same time,
these restrictions in their intercourse with him prevent their
reaching him with complaints or suggestions, and, therefore,
so far as he knows the natives, he knows only such as by their
wealth and cunning are able to get round him. In this respect
he is the exact opposite of General Tchernayeff, who, by his
simplicity, bravery, and almost intuitive knowledge of the
country and people, made himself very popular, and is very
greatly regretted by the natives, who long for his return. It
is natural, of course, that General Kauffmann should have his
favourites among the Russian officers, and should be disposed
to uphold them in spite of all charges of maladministration.
Although the most glaring acts of maladministration have
been committed by the district prefects, or commanders, the
general tone set by the Governor-General is such as to natu-
rally lead to this result; and to render it almost hopeless to
expect anything better. The prefects being removed, to a
certain extent, from the observation and control of the centre
of observation, and falling soon into the ways and methods of
former Central Asiatic Governments, abuse their powers, and
consider themselves almost irresponsible, A striking example
of this was in the management of the Karaminski district, one
of the most fertile and thickly settled in the whole province,
and surrounding, but not including, the city of Tashkent. The
prefect of this district in one year levied 90,000 roubles of
illegal taxes, all of which he spent, beside other Government
money, and yet he resided within five miles of the house of
the Governor-General, and was known to be living in a style,
with frequent dinners, suppers, and gambling parties, entirely
impossible on his salary of 2,400 roubles a year. Among
other things, savings funds had been instituted for the bencfit
of the population, but by a subsequent regulation, approved
by the Governor-General, it had been allowed to spend them
on the administrative needs of the district. This money, some
22,000 roubles, entirely disappeared, and no account of its
expenditure could be found, except that it was said that it had
been used in fitting up the house of the prefect. Money was
RUSSIAN EXTORTION AND BRIBERY. 393

taken from the natives at all times and under all pretences,
and a grossly illegal order was issued, forbidding all persons
to cross the river Syr Darya at any other place than the places
specified in the order, threatening persons who did so with
being sent to Siberia. The points specified were placcs
belonging to friends of the prefect.

“When at last matters became too scandalous, the Gover-
4Aor-General felt obliged to take some notice, and removed the
prefect from the district; but, instead of punishing him, he
appointed him to another locality, stating that he considered
him ‘a most useful officer.’

“The prefect of the district of Peroffski was investigated,
and removed for extortion and bribery. He was then appointed
to Auli-ata, and has lately been again investigated, and
removed for demanding an illegal contribution from the natives,
on the occasion of the demand for camels for the Khivan
expedition. Other persons have in like way been removed
from cone post for maladministration, and immediately given
another.

“On the other hand, many persons who endeavoured to
enlighten the public as to the state of affairs were immediately
punished, and the Commandant of the district of was
removed, and sent out of the province, for having written a
letter to St. Petersburg for publication, though not at the time
actually published, stating the truth about the disaffection and
riots at Khodjend, alleging that they were caused by the
excessive taxation, which was not what the Russians had at
first promised, and not by the vaccination measures, as had
been given out. Similar instances are numerous. When the
papers showing the guilt of one emmployé were presented to the
Governor-General, he tore them up without reading them,
saying, ‘I know this person so well, and I believe him to be
‘such an honest man, that I cannot think such things to be
‘ possible.’

“In some cases, acts not only wrong in themselves, but
bringing with them very important consequences, have been
committed, not from a desire of personal gain, but from a wish
to appear zealous in the performance of duties, or from motives

 
394 APPENDIX B.

of intrigue. A case which happened last year is especially
noticeable.

“ An officer named Emmonds, in possession of a consider-
able amount of Government funds, gave information that he
had been robbed by the Kirghiz. The chief Kirghiz living in
the neighbourhood of the alleged occurrence were arrested,
and, after a long examination, several of them confessed their
guilt, though the money could not be found. While the trial
was going on, Emmonds committed suicide, leaving a letter in
which he stated that he was not the honest man that had been
supposed, as he had himself spent the money, and made that
excuse to clear himself. The Kirghiz were then, of course,
released, but the question arose, why had they confessed ?
And on an investigation, it was found that the judicial officer,
Baron Grevenitz of Kerney, had extorted confession from
them by means of torture, a practice wholly at variance with
Russian law, and certainly most disastrous for Russian influence
amongst the Kirghiz.

“ There was another case in the same neighbourhood, at
Kopol, where a district prefect had been robbed, beaten, and
severely wounded. As he was most deservedly unpopular for
the extortions he practised on the natives, this was not to be
wondered at. Over sixty Kirghiz were accused of partici-
pating in this act, the chief of them being the Sultan Veizak,
holding the rank of major in the Russian service, the most
aristocratic and respected among the Kirghiz chiefs, and a
well-known and life-long friend to Russia. The chief evidence
against him was, that some of the property stolen from the
prefect was found in his tent. One investigation succeeded
another, until a Cossack finally confessed that he had placed
these articles in the tent of Veizak at the instigation of the
Judge himself. It is said that this was done because the
Judge wished to please one high official by convicting of
robbery and sedition another of whom he was jealous.
Among the papers of the investigating commission is a letter
from the Prefect to the Judge with regard to the means of
obtaining this evidence. For various reasons it has never
been possible to completely finish the investigation, but it
MISSIONARY PROFECTS PUT DOWN. 395

was thought necessary to remove the Judge, and to bestow
upon him a similar post in the city of Khodjend, where he is
now the chief administrator of justice. The effect of sucha
proceeding is, of course, to make the natives thoroughly dis-
pleased with the working of the Russian courts.

“Another case of the ill-advised action of the authorities,
regardless of the effect produced upon the natives, occurred
last summer.

“When the Khivan expedition began, it was found neces-
sary to obtain 14,000 camels, exactly 14 per cent. of the
whole number of camels in the provinces, and it was agreed
that in case these camels died a sum of fifty roubles would be
paid for each. They had to be furnished in proper propor-
tions by the different districts. In consequence of the hard-
ships of the expedition, nearly all the camels perished, and it
became, therefore, necessary to pay a sum of 700,000 roubles.
One of the prefects, thinking that he had found a good
opportunity to show his zeal for the administration and the
good feeling of the district, told the population over whom he
ruled that the Government would never pay for these camels,
and that it would be much better for them to make them a
present to the administration, and, by the use of proper
persuasion, succeeded in accomplishing this. The example:
was followed in most of the other districts, and the result is,
that the inhabitants feel that they have been absolutely
robbed by the Government of these camels; and, to speak of
nothing else, if it were necessary again to furnish camels for:
some expedition, the discontent would be very great.

“ No efforts have been made to spread Christianity, though
a church exists at Tashkent for the use of the Russians, and
General Kauffmann has speedily put down all missionary
projects.

* * * * *

“ As far as education is concerned, the Russians have done
almost nothing. In Samarcand, owing to the vigorous efforts.
of the commander of the city, himself a Mussulman, a small
school has been opened for the instruction of Mussulman
396 APPENDIX C.

children in Russia; but neither in Tashkent nor in any
other town of the province does such a school exist, nor,
indeed, a school of any kind. It has been proposed once or
twice to introduce the teaching of Russian and of modern
knowledge into some of the Mussulman medresses, or high
schools, and upon the whole this project was viewed with
favour by the authorities, but owing to their lack of intuitive
the matter has been neglected.”

APPENDIX C.

Russian Immorality in Central Asia®*

Major Wood, in his work, “ Shores of Lake Aral,” remarks,
in page 241, as follows :—

“ Notwithstanding the constant drill and rifle practice, the
Russian officers on the Amou Darya would find life dreary
were it not for the occasional brush with the Turkoman tribes,
which promises to become a periodical institution. Besides a
little tiger slaying or pheasant and snipe shooting, means of
recreation are totally wanting, and such an isolated position,
besides aiding, perhaps, to a caducity of European sorale,t
is in itself an incentive to that military restlessness and
yearning for decorations which is taken as a sign of the
-aggressive policy of Russia in Central Asia.”

* “TInfandum! adolescentes Bokharz, urbe stuprorum, lupanari;
palam ac jure venundari apud Vamberium narrantur. Utrum censorum
Scythici isteec permittent nescio, foedissima percontari non soleo, confiteor ;
attamen credo hec probra etiamnum florere, nam greges adolescentium ex
intima Asiz Mediz sub tutela et cum assensu censorum, agrum Scythicum
stupri causd perlustrare solent. A.D. MDCCCLXXIV grex impuberum
in castris Nukii et Cimbee (in regione Oxii) lubricas saltationes Scythicas
centurionibus gratissimas exhibebant. Prudenti satis.”

+ Major Wood has not in any way exaggerated the vicious propen-
sities of some of the Russian officers in Central Asia. The state of things
is far worse than that which he describes.—4 uthor,
APPENDIX D.

Treaty of Peace between Russia and Khiva, prepared by
General Aide-de-camp Kauffmann, commanding the
Sorces acting against Khiva, and accepted by the Khan cf
Khiva, Seid-Muhamed-Rahim-Bahadur-K han.

1.- Seid- Muhamed-Rahim-Bahadur- Khan acknowledges
himself to be the humble servant of the Emperor of all the
Russias. He renounces the right of maintaining any direct
and friendly relations with neighbouring Rulers and Khans,
and of concluding with them commercial or other treaties of
any kind soever, and shall not, without the knowledge and
permission of the superior Russian authorities in Central Asia,
undertake any military operations against such neighbourinz
countries.

2. The boundary between the Russian and Khivan terri-
tories shall be the Amou Darya from Kukertli down the river
as far as the point at which the most westerly branch of the
Amou Darya leaves the main stream, and from that point the
frontier shall pass atong such branch as far as its mouth in
the Aral Sea. Farther, the frontier shall extend along the
sea-coast to Cape Urgu, and from thence along the base of
the chink (escarpment) of the Ust-Urt, following the so-called
ancient bed of the Amou Darya.

3. THE WHOLE OF THE RIGHT BANE OF THE
AMOU DARYA AND THE LANDS ADJOINING
THEREUNTO, WHICH HAVE HITHERTO BEEN
CONSIDERED AS BELONGING TO KHIVA, SHALL
PASS OVER FROM THE KHAN INTO THE POS-
SESSION OF RUSSIA, TOGETHER WITH THE
PEOPLE DWELLING AND CAMPING THEREON.
Those parcels of land which are at present the property of the.
Khan, and of which the usufruct has been given by him to
Khivan Officers of State, become likewise the property of the
398 APPENDIX D.

Russian Government, free of all claims on the part of the
previous owners. The Khan may indemnify them by grants
of land on the left bank.

4. In the event of a portion of such right bank being
transferred to the possession of the Ameer of Bokhara, by the
will of his Majesty the Emperor, the Khan of Khiva shall
recognise the latter as the lawful possessor of such portion of
his former dominions, and engages to renounce all intention of
re-establishing his authority therein.

5. Russian steamers and other Russian vessels, whether
belonging to the Government or to private individuals, shall
have the free and exclusive right of navigating the Amou
Darya river. Khivan and Bokharan vessels may enjoy the
same right not otherwise than by special permission from the
superior Russian authority in Central Asia.

6. Russians shall have the right to construct wharves
{landing-places) on the left bank wheresoever the same shall
be found necessary and convenient. The Government of the
Khan shall be responsible for the safety and security of such
wharves. The approval of the localities selected for wharves
shall rest with the superior Russian authorities in Central Asia.

7. Independently of such wharves, Russians shall have
the right to establish factories on the left bank of the Amou
Darya, for the purpose of storing and safe keeping their
merchandise. For the purposes of such factories the Govern-
ment of the Khan shall allot, in the localities which shall have
been indicated by the superior Russian authorities in Central
Asia, a sufficient quantity of unoccupied land for wharves,
and for the construction of storehouses, of buildings for the
accommodation of servants of the factories, and of persons
transacting business with the factories, and of merchants’
offices, as well as for the establishment of domestic farms.
Such factories, together with all persons residing thereat, and
with all goods placed therein, shall be under the immediate
protection of the Government of the Khan, which shall be
responsible for the safety and security of the same.

8. All the towns and villages without exception within
the Khanate of Khiva shall henceforward be open to Russian
TREATY OF PEACE WITH KIIVA, 399

trade. Russian merchants and Russian caravans may freely
travel throughout the entire Khanate, and shall enjoy the
special protection of the local authorities. The Government
of the Khan shall be responsible for the safety of caravans and
stores,

9. Russian merchants trading in the Khanate shall be free
from the payment of customs duties (zakez), and of all kinds
of dues on trade, in the same manner as the merchants of
Khiva have long enjoyed immunity from zzaée¢ on the route
through Kazalinsk, at Orenburg, and at the stations (landing-
places) on the Caspian Sea.

10. Russian merchants shall have the right of carrying
their goods through the Khivan territory to all neighbouring
countries free of customs duties (free transit trade).

tI. Russian merchants shall, if they desire it, have the
right to establish agents (caravan bashis) in Khiva and other
towns within the Khanate, for the purpose of maintaining
communication with the authorities, and superintending the
regularity of their trade.

12. Russian subjects shall have the right to hold im-
movable property in Khiva. A land-tax shall be leviable on
the same by agreement with the superior Russian authority
in Central Asia.

13. Commercial engagements between Russians and
Khivans shall be fulfilled inviolably on both sides.

14. The Government of the Khan engages to examine
(inquire into) without delay the complaints and claims of
Russian subjects against Khivans, and in case such complaints
and claims shall have proved to be well founded, to give
immediate satisfaction in respect of the same. In the exami-
nation of disputes (claims) between Russian subjects and
Khivans, preference shall be given to Russians in respect to
the payment of debts by Khivans.

15. Complaints and claims of Khivans against Russian
subjects shall be referred to the nearest Russian authorities
for examination and satisfaction, even in the event of such
complaints and claims being raised by Russian subjects within
the confines of the Khanate.
400 APPENDIX D.

16. The Government of the Khan shall in no case give
refuge to emigrants (runaways) from Russia having no permit
from Russian authorities, without regard to the nationality
of such individuals, Should any Russian subjects, being
criminals, seek concealment within the boundaries of, Khiva
in order to avoid judicial pursuit, the Government of the
Khan engages to capture such persons, and to surrender them
to the nearest Russian authorities.

17. The proclamation made by Seid-Muhamed-Rahim-
Bahadur-Khan on the 12th (24th) of July last, respecting the
liberation of all slaves in the Khanate, and the abolition in
perpetuity of slavery and of trade in men, shall remain in full
force, and the Government of the Khan engages to employ
all the means in its power in order to watch over the strict
and conscientious prosecution of this matter.

18. A fine is inflicted on the Khanate of Khiva to the
extent of 2,200,000, roubles, in order to cover the expenses
incurred by the Russian Exchequer in the prosecution of the
late war, which was provoked by the Government of the
Khan and by the Khivan people. Since, owing to the in-
sufficiency of money in the country, and particularly in the
hands of the Government, the Khivan Government is unable
to pay the above sum within a short time, the Khivan
Government shall, in consideration of such difficulty, have the
right of paying the said fine by instalments, with the addition
of interest thereon at.the rate of 5 per cent. per annum, on
condition that, during the first two years, 100,000 roubles shall
be annually paid into the Russian Exchequer, 125,000 roubles
per annum during the two ensuing years, and, after that,
175,000 roubles per annum during the succeeding two years,
and in the year 1881, that is to say, after the expiration of
cight years, the sum of 200,000 roubles shall be paid, and
lastly a sum of not less than 200,000 roubles per annum shall
be paid until the final settlement of the claim. The instal-
ments may be paid both in Russian bank notes and in the
current coin of Khiva, at the pleasure of the Government of
the Khan.

The first instalment shall be paid on the Ist (13th) of
TREATY OF PEACE WITH KHIVA. 401

December, 1873. On account of this instalment the Khan
shall have the right to levy a tax for the current year from the
population on the right bank, according to the assessment
hitherto in force. This collection shall be terminated by the
Ist (13th) of December by agreement between the Khan's
collectors and the local Russian authorities.

Subsequent instalments shall be paid in by the Ist (13th)
of November of each year, until the entire fine, with interest,
thereon, shall have been paid off.

After the expiration of nineteen years, that is to say, by
the Ist (13th) of November, 1892, after the payment of
200,000 roubles for the year 1892, the sum of 70,054 roubles
will still be due by the Government of the Khan, and by the
Ist (13th) of November, 1893, the last instalment of 73,557
roubles shall be paid. Should the Government of the Khan
desire to shorten the term of payment, and thus to reduce the
amount of accruing interest, it shall have the right to pay
larger annual instalments.

These conditions have been fixed and accepted for exact
execution and constant guidance on the one part by General
Aide-de-camp Kauffmann, Governor-General of Turkistan,
and on the other part by Seid-Muhamed-Rahim-Bahadur-
Khan, Ruler of Khiva, in the garden of Hendemian (the camp
of the Russian troops at the city of Khiva), on the 12th (24th)
day of August, 1873 (on the first day of the month of
Radjab, in the year 1290).

The original treaty was signed and sealed by General
Aide-de-camp Kauffmann, Governor-General of Turkistan,
and by Seid-Muhamed-Rahim-Bahadur-Khan,
APPENDIX E.

The Promise not to annex. Khivan Territory,

EARL GRANVILLE TO LORD A. LOFTUS.

“ Foreign Office, Jan. 8th, 1873.

“My Lorp,—Having received information from your
Excellency and from Count Brunnow that Count Schouvalow,
a statesman enjoying the full confidence of the Emperor of
Russia, had left St. Petersburgh for London at the desire of
His Imperial Majesty, I had the pleasure of receiving his
Excellency on the 8th instant.

“ He confirmed the fact that it was by the Emperor’s desire
that he sought a personal interview with me. It had caused
great surprise to His Imperial Majesty to learn from various
sources that a certain amount of excitement and susceptibility
had been caused in the public mind of this country on account
of questions connected with Central Asia.

“The Emperor knew of no questions in Central Asia which
could affect the good understanding between the two countries.
It was true that no agreement has been come to as to some of
the details of the arrangement concluded by Lord Clarendon
and Prince Gortchakow on the basis of Mr. Forsyth’s re-
commendations as to the boundaries of Afghanistan ; but the
question ought not to be a cause to ruffle the good relations
between the two countries. His Imperial Majesty had agreed
to almost everything that we hadasked. There remained only
the point regarding the provinces of Badakshan and Wakhan.
There might be arguments used respectively by the depart-
ments of each Government, but the Emperor was of opinion
that such a question should not be a cause of difference be-
tween the two countries, and His Imperial Majesty was deter-
mined that it should not be so. He was the more inclined to
carry out this determination in consequence of His Majesty’s
belief in the conciliatory policy of Her Majesty’s Government.
THE VALUE OF RUSSIAN ASSURANCES, 403

“Count Schouvalow added, on his own part, that he had
every reason to believe, if it were desired by Her Majesty’s
Government, the agreement might be arrived at at a very
early period.

“With regard to the expedition to Khiva, it was true that
it was decided upon for next spring. TO GIVE AN IDEA
OF ITS CHARACTER IT WAS SUFFICIENT TO
SAY THAT IT WOULD CONSIST OF FOUR ANDA
HALF BATTALIONS. Its object was to punish acts of
brigandage, to recover fifty Russian prisoners, and to teach the
Khan that such conduct on his part could not be continued
with the impunity in which the moderation of Russia had led
him to believee NOT ONLY WAS IT FAR FROM THE
INTENTION OF THE EMPEROR TO TAKE POS-
SESSION OF KHIVA, BUT POSITIVE ORDERS
HAD BEEN PREPARED TO PREVENT IT, and
directions given that the conditions imposed should be such
as could not in any way lead to a PROLONGED OCCU-
PANCY OF KHIVA.

“Count Schouvalow repeated the surprise which the
EMPEROR, entertaining such sentiments, felt at the uneasi-
ness which it was said existed in England on the subject, and
HE gave me most DECIDED ASSURANCE that I might
give POSITIVE ASSURANCES to Parliament on this
matter.

“ With regard to the uneasiness which might exist in Eng-
land on the subject of Central Asia, I could not deny the fact
to Count Schouvalow; the people of this country were decidedly
in favour of peace, but a great jealousy existed as to anything
which really affected OUR HONOUR and INTEREST ;
that they were particularly alive to anything affecting India ;
that the progress of Russia in Asia had been considerable,
and sometimes as it would appear, like England in India and
France in Algeria, more so than was desired by the Central
Governments; that the Clarendon and Gortchakow arrange-
ment, apparently agreeable to both Governments, had met
with great delay as to its final settlement ; that it was with the
object of coming to asettlement satisfactory to both countries,
404 APPENDIX E.

and in a friendly and conciliatory spirit, that I had addressed
to your Excellency the despatch of the 17th October.

“The only point of difference which now remained, as
Count Schouvalow had pointed out, concerned Badakshan
and Wakhan. In our opinion, historical facts proved that
these countries were under the domination of the sovereign of
Cabul, and we have acknowledged as much in public docu-
ments; that, with regard to the expedition to Khiva, Count
Schouvalow was aware that Lord Northbrook had given the
strongest advice to the Khan to comply with the reasonable
demands of the Emperor, and if the expedition were under-
taken, and carried out with the OBJECT and WITHIN
THE LIMITS described by Count Schouvalow, it would meet
with no remonstrance from Her Majesty’s Government, but it
would undoubtedly excite public attention, and make the settle-
ment of the boundary of Afghanistan more important for the
object which both Governments had in view, viz. peace in
Central Asia, and good relations between the two countries.

“As to coming to a decision at an early date, it appeared
to me desirable, inasmuch as it would bear a different aspect if
arrived at in the spirit with which both Governments were
actuated, and not complicated by possible discussions raised
in the British Parliament.

“T concluded by telling Count Schouvalow that I knew the
confidence which was placed in him by the Emperor, and that
I felt sure that my colleagues would agree with me in
appreciating his visit to England, as a gratifying proof of the
eminently conciliatory and friendly spirit with which the
Emperor desired to settle without delay the question at issue.

“Tam, &c,
(Signed) “GRANVILLE.”
APPENDIX F,

Treaty concluded between General Aide-de-camp Kauffmann,
Governor-General of Turkistan, and Seid Muzafer, Ameer
of Bokhara.

Art. 1. The line of frontier between the dominions of His
Imperial Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias and those
of His Eminence the Ameer of Bokhara remains unaltered.

ALL THE KHIVAN TERRITORY ON THE RIGHT
BANK OF THE AMOU DARYA BEING NOW AN-
NEXED TO THE RUSSIAN DOMINIONS, THE
FORMER FRONTIER SEPARATING THE POSSES-
SIONS OF THE AMEER OF BOKHARA FROM THE
KHANATE OF KHIVA, AND STRETCHING ON
THE WEST FROM THE LOCALITY CALLED KHA-
LATA TOWARDS GUGERTLI, “TOGAI” ON THE
RIGHT BANK OF AMOU IS ABOLISHED. THE
TERRITORY SITUATED BETWEEN THE FORMER
BOKHARO-KHIVAN FRONTIER, THE RIGHT BANK
OF THE AMOU DARYA, FROM GUGERTLI TO
MESHEKLY, “TOGAI” INCLUSIVE, AND THE LINE
PASSING FROM MESHEKLY TO THE POINT OF
JUNCTION OF THE FORMER BOKHARO-KHIVAN
FRONTIER WITH THE FRONTIER OF THE RUS-
SIAN EMPIRE, ARE ANNEXED TO THE DOMI-
NIONS OF THE AMEER OF BOKHARA.

Art. 2. THE RIGHT BANK OF THE AMOU DARYA
BEING DETACHED FROM THE KHANATE OF
KHIVA, all the caravan routes leading from Bokhara to the
north into the Russian dominions traverse henceforth exclu-
sively lands belonging to Bokhara and Russia. The Govern-
ments of Russia and Bokhara, each within its own limits, shall
both watch over the security of the march of caravans and of
the transit trade.
406 AFFENDIX F.

Art. 3. Russian steamers and other Russian Government
vessels, as well as vessels belonging to private individuals,
shall have the right of free navigation on that portion of the
Amou Darya which belongs to the Ameer of Bokhara,

Art. 4. Russians shall have the right to establish wharves
(landing-places) and storehouses for merchandise in such places
on the Bokharian banks of the Amou Darya as may be judged
necessary and convenient for that purpose. The Government
of Bokhara shall undertake to watch over the safety and
security of the said wharves and storehouses. The ratification
of the selection of localities for the establishment of wharves
shall rest with the superior Russian authorities in Central- Asia.

Art. 5. All the towns and villages of the Khanate of Bok-
hara shall be open to Russian trade. Russian traders and
Russian caravans shall freely pass through all parts of the
Khanate, and shall enjoy the special protection of the local
authorities. The Bokharian Government shall be responsible
for the security of Russian caravans within the confines of the
Khanate of Bokhara,

Art, 6. All merchandise belonging to Russian traders,
whether transported from the Russian possessions into
Bokhara or from Bokhara to Russia, shall, without exception,
be liable to a tax of two and a half per cent. ad valorem, in
the same way as a duty of one-fortieth is charged on mer-
chandise in the Turkistan province. Besides this ziaket, no
other supplementary tax shall be imposed.

Art. 7, Russian traders shall have the right to transport
their merchandise through Bokhara to all neighbouring
countries free of duty.

Art. 8 Russian traders shall be allowed to establish
caravanserais for the storage of their merchandise in all
Bokharian towns in which they may consider it necessary to
do so. Bokharian traders shall enjoy the same privilege in
the towns of the Turkistan Province.

Art. 9. Russian traders shall have the right to have com-
mercial agents in all the towns of Bokhara, whose business it
shall be to watch over the regular course of trade and over
the legal imposition of customs dues, and who shall also be
THE RUSSIAN TREATY WITH BOKHARA. 407

authorised to enter into communication with the local autho-
rities. Bokharian traders shall enjoy the same privilege in
the towns of the Turkistan Province.

Art. 10. Engagements of trade between Russians and
Bokharians shall be held sacred and inviolable on both sides.
The Bokharian Government shall promise to keep watch over
the honest fulfilment of all trading engagements, as also over
the conscientious conduct of trading affairs generally.

Art. 11. Russian subjects shall, equally with the subjects
of Bokhara, have the right to occupy themselves in the
Bokharian dominions with the various trades and crafts which
are allowed under the Shahrigate, in exactly the same way as
Bokharian subjects are permitted in the Russian dominions to
follow those occupations which are sanctioned by the laws of
Russia. .

Art. 12, Russian subjects shall have the right to possess
immovable property in the Khanate, ze, to acquire by
purchase gardens and cultivable lands. Such property shall
be liable to a land-tax on an equality with the properties of
Bokharian subjects. The same right shall be enjoyed by
Bokharian subjects within the limits of the Russian Empire.

Art. 13. Russian subjects shall enter the Bokharian
dominions with permits, issued by the Russian authorities, for
crossing the frontier ; they shall have the right of free passage
throughout the entire Khanate, and they shall enjoy the special
protection of the Bokharian authorities.

Art. 14. The Government of Bokhara shall in no case
admit into its country any emigrants from Russia, whatever
may be their nationality, who are not provided with permits
from Russian authorities. If a criminal, being a Russian
subject, seeks refuge within the confines of Bokhara from the
pursuit of the law, the same shall be arrested and delivered
over to the nearest Russian authorities.

Art. 15. In order to hold direct and uninterrupted relations
with the superior Russian authorities in Central Asia, the
Ameer of Bokhara shall select from among those around him a
person of confidence whom he shall establish at Tashkent as
his Envoy Plenipotentiary. Such Envoy shall reside at
408 APPENDIX F.

Tashkent in a house belonging to the Ameer, and at the
expense of the latter.

Art. 16. The Russian Government may, in like manner,
have a permanent representative in Bokhara, who shall be
near the person of His Eminence the Ameer. The Russian
Plenipotentiary in Bokhara, as in the case of the Ameer’s
Plenipotentiary in Tashkent, shall reside in a house belonging
to the Russian Government, and at the expense of the latter.

Art. 17. In deference to the Emperor of all the Russias,
and for the greater glory of His Imperial Majesty, His
Eminence the Ameer Seid Muzafer has resolved that henceforth
and for ever the shameful trade in men, which is so contrary
to the laws of humanity, shall be abolished within the limits
of Bokhara. In conformity with this resolution, Seid Muzafer
shall immediately send to all his Beks the strictest orders to
that effect. Besides the order abolishing the slave trade,
commands shall be sent to all the frontier towns of Bokhara
to which slaves are brought for sale from neighbouring coun-
tries, to the effect that in case slaves should be brought to
such places, notwithstanding the orders of the Ameer, the same
should be taken from their owners and immediately liberated.

Art. 18. His Eminence Seid Muzafer, being sincerely
desirous of developing and strengthening the friendly and
neighbourly relations which have subsisted for five years to
the benefit of Bokhara, shall be guided by the seventeen
Articles composing the Treaty of Friendship between Russia
and Bokhara. This Treaty shall be written in duplicate, each
copy being written in the two languages, one in the Russian
and the other in the Turkish language.

In token of the confirmation of Treaty, and of its accept-
ance as a guide to himself and to his successors, the Ameer
Seid Muzafer has attached his seal. In Shaar, the 28th day
of September (O.S.), 1873, in the month of Shagban, 19th
day, 1290,

 
APPENDIX G,
AN AFGHAN PRINCE ON THE IMPORTANCE OF MERVE.

The Sirdar 1skander Ahmed Khan, Baruszkei of Afghanistan,
remarks as follows :—

“ LoRD GRANVILLE’S policy in fortifying Afghanistan on one
side only, and leaving exposed the others to the inroads of
enemies, excites my utmost surprise. It is like unto a man
building a house with three walls, and leaving the gable end
to adventurers.

“ Such is just now the case with Afghanistan. Lord Gran-
ville insured, as he thought, the safety of Afghanistan in
ascertaining its boundary on the Oxus, and leaving exposed
that towards the north-west, thus opening a passage to Russia
by way of Merve, to which she (Russia) is already approaching,
as the recent movements of General Lomakin at once indicate.

“T really think the English Government has no time to lose
by looking indifferently at the question. It may be already
predicated that Russia will certainly take Merve. When that
is accomplished, it is equally certain England will lose her
prestige, not only in Afghanistan but likewise in Persia, and
then she (England) must have recourse to an expedient after
the fashion of a Chinese wall on the Indus to maintain her
supremacy in India. Thus, the national expenditure on behalf
of Afghanistan for these twenty years past will be merged
and finally lost, and that not through the treachery of the
Afghans, or their unfaithfulness towards England, but through
the misguided policy of England herself in allowing the most
powerful invader to take possession of the threshold of the
house, and then telling the inmates to take care of themselves.

“Merve, at this time, is only a refuge for marauders; but let
Russia possess it, and it will then become a place of notoriety,
and one of the richest in the world, both for its fertility and
410 APPENDIX G.

well-known capacity for the maintenance of a corps of soldiers
at little cost: example, five or six melons only will constitute
a camel-load, Hence the animals which rove at large become
fat and sleek, without care of the owner, and vegetation
everywhere is equally luxuriant. In short, if Merve pass into
the hands of Russia it will regain its former splendour. But
the question will not rest here, that Russia will take Merve
merely, and hold it quietly, but she will take the Morgab
river also, and march up to it, and thus possess all the
country. For example, when she leaves Merve, the first
country worthy of note with which she will come in contact
on the same river is Ulatan, with its ruined fort, and which
was the country of the Salore Turkomans for some years after
their defeat by the Persians, and who, through the invasion of
the Teku Turkomans, were compelled to desert, and for these
fifteen years they have come under the jurisdiction of Herat
in the fort of Marooghagh, and cultivate its whole territory.
The next country Russia will seize is Panjdeh, on the same
river, where are Sarok Turkomans dwelling, which place is
nearly equal in fertility to Merve. That country was frequently
dependent upon Herat ; for example, the Shah Kamran, the
last sovereign of Sadozai, had always a commission there, and
my father, at the request of the Sarok Turkomans, sent twice
a Commissioner amongst them to collect the taxes.

“One stage further on, and Russia will come to the fort of
Marooghagh, and from thence within one stage to the fort of
Morgab, which is situated on the high road betwixt Herat
and Maimana, and, further on still, to Afghan Turkistan.
When Russia shall have reached here, she will divide or cut
off Herat from Afghan Turkistan, and thus extend her
power from one side to Maimana, and the other side to Herat
Badgheese as far as the Coshk, which is separated from Herat
Bason by the high mountains of Baba. The countries I have
named are nearly equally fertile, and also favourable to any
number of armies marching through.

“Russia having established herself in these countries, she
will lose no time in exercising her POWERFUL INFLU-
ENCE UPON THE WHOLE OF AFGHANISTAN, BY
THE IMPORTANCE OF MERVE,. 411]

SENDING A MISSION* UNDER THE NAME OF
COMMERCIAL OR SCIENTIFIC PURPOSES—A
PRETEXT WHICH IS NOT UNCOMMON TO EURO-
PEAN DIPLOMACY, AND WHICH INVARIABLY
ACHIEVES THE DESIRED POLICY. IN THAT
CASE AFGHANISTAN WILL NOT BE ABLE TO
REFUSE THE RUSSIAN MISSION, AS SHE HAS
DONE UP TO THE PRESENT TIME, THE ENEMY
BEING AT THE THRESHOLD.

“T cannot think that Russia will approach Merve without
the secret consent of Persia, who must not consent to Russia’s
aggression thither unless some specious proposition be made,
which cannot be less than allowing her to take Herat by
means of her aid.

“Persia must have two points of interest, viz. :—First, the
legitimacy of Merve, which belongs to her of ancient right;
and, secondly, the cost of two armies which perished there.
Therefore Persia must oppose any power approaching Merve,
or if she be unable to do so herself, she must call for the help
of England. Should she do neither (as she has done to the
present, in not mastering her own territory and leaving it to
the mercy of intruders), then the whole question has ap-
proached a solution.

“In my opinion England has not long to reflect upon the
matter indifferently ; she must, as soon as possible, propose
to Persia the conquest of Merve, and thus prevent Russia from
taking it. Should Russia, notwithstanding, make aggression
upon Merve, it will be clear that she has Persia in view (not a
country left at the mercy of any aggressive power), by con-
quering which no power could legitimately accuse her. In
the event of Persia’s refusal to conquer Merve at once, it
remains that England take care of that country, either diplo-
matically, by ascertaining the boundary beyond Merve, or by
taking possession of the country by means of the Afghan
forces, and thus reckoning Persia the closest ally to Russia.”

* It is said that a Russian agent has lately been at Cabul trying to
establish a mission there.—A thor.
APPENDIX H.

THE newly-acquired territory in Turkistan, owing to bad
administration, has only added to the Russian debt. I here
give some figures with reference to the income and expendi-
ture in that province. As these figures are taken from a
Russian source, it may be presumed that they do not over-

state the balance against the national exchequer :—

BUDGET OF THE TUKKISTAN GOVERNMENT.

Income in Administrative

Year. Roubles. Ee pete | aaa
1868 1,643,237... es 620,750 sas ws 1,022,487
1869 2,205,909 ... «1,229,064... ats 976,845
1870 2,007,837... eee 1,177,125 wee ese 830,712
1871 2,021,138... we = -:1,378,768 wae 642,370
1872 2,019,296... eee 1,695,732 one ei 323,564

3,795,978

MILITARY EXPENDITURE IN THE TURKISTAN GOVERNMENT FOR
FIVE YEARS, FROM 1868 TO 1872.

For 1868 ... cas vile a ee Mais 4,392,940
» 1869... ee iad Sie ae sists ws 4,592,460
93 1870 vee dies ius zt aa ate w+ 6,114,883
gy EST Dues ans aie we eo ove «» 6,820,945
» 1872... Ss dee PrP eae ies eee 75,576,186
29,497,414

Deduct Balance ies os 3,795,978

25,701,436

Roubles, or, at 7 roubles to the
pound sterling, a deficit of about £3,671,633

We will now examine more in detail the Budget for 1874.

Income in Roubles ae 83 ss 2,971,889
Add (1) Receipts from Postal ‘Depariment’,., at 108,240
» (2) From Telegraph Department ai bas 42,000

Balance of previous years, secenaing to estimate

of Contract Department .. 1,200

Income from all sources 3,123,329

+
eee soe .

Amount shown in Roubles,
BUDGET OF THE TURKISTAN GOVERNMENT, 413

DETAILS OF INCOME FOR 1874.

 

Income, Roubles.
r. Regular see ies is aie aes ess 2,455,107
2. Fluctuating... ase ee see ou ees 250,000
3. Miscellaneous... as toe sis ee ses 266,782
2,971,889
Details of 1.—Regular.
Rents. Amount Collected. Cost of Collection,
(a) Tax on Kibitkas* vis see 563,735 57,688
(6) Land Taxest ... es wes 1,302,110 eee 40,195
(c) Taxes on Trade ... sie ses 279,472 eae 24,028
(2) Cash commutations for Taxes
in kind ie + 181,511
(e) Poll tax on 570 Mesehans, I ot
the Semirechye abe 5 1,368
(/) Taxes on the Population living
on the upper course of the
Zerafshan a Sus ue 5,000
2,333,196 121,911
2.—Fluctuating.
Roubles,
Amount derived from Excise and Licenses for sale of
Spirit 250,000
3.—Miscellaneous.
(a) Obrok tax on Crown Lands and Cotton Plantations pa
(6) Guild Tax from Russian Merchants 60,000
(c) Duty on Tea imported from the Khanates ... ve 6,054
(dZ) Stamps on Deeds for Sale of Real Pane and Fees 6,000
(e) Sale of Stamped Paper ; ins «+ 18,000
(/) Fines 263 ies 3,000
(g) Passports on 397
(A) Occasional items ae 60,000
(2) Receipts on account of Tur histan Gazette . 3,500
(7) Rents on Government Shops at Fairs, sickling
Caravansaries which yield 20,000 roubles 30,000
(2) Receipts from Forests in the Semirechye District 9,000
Do. Zerafshan Districts oe eon 2,000
(2) Subscriptions to Tashkent Public Library sine 140

* Total number of kibitkas 225,972, at 2r. 75c. per kibitka,

+ Including the Zanap, Kherag, Khospul, and Kipren levied from the settled

population, which amount to 442,305 roubles for the Syr Darya and Zer.
respectively, 900,000,

afshan districts
414

APPENDIX H.

3.—Miscellaneous (continued).

(wm) Receipts from the Governor-General’s Printing

Press ets ie

(wz) Repayment of Advances made to Acsieulinvista at

Sowing-time eis wes se shi aes

Roubles,
4,000

30,000
266,782

 

Total Revenue and Receipts from Postaland Telegraph Depart-
ments, and Balance of former years, as estimated by

the Control Department.
Total Revenue, 1874, 3,123,329 roubles.

EXPENDITURE ON MAINTENANCE OF ADMINISTRATION.

1. Maintenance of Governor-General’s Office

2. Ditto, District Offices Re as ies ose

3. Officers deputed on Special Duty ... ass eee
EXTRAORDINARY EXPENDITURE.

1. Extraordinary proper se as ee igi

2. Transport of Troops wee aus ose ane

EXPENDITURE ON LOCAL REQUIREMENTS.

1. Maintenance of Communications and General
Rural Expenses... a ae 285

2. Schools.. iss sit ane ax “a xs

3. Skationety vie aa wee see des

4. Geological Explotations we Si tes

Io,
Il.
12.

13.

. Expenses connected with TashBent Fa site
. Maintenance of Town Hospital at Samarcand
. Expenses connected with the Samarcand Jail (in-

Cost of Collecting Taxes

cluding Maintenance of Prisoners), &c. aie

. Expenses connected with the Governor-General’s

Printing Press
Publication of the 7; pth ‘Giaete
Cost of Encampments in the Zerafshan Distrlee...
Erection of Store-houses for Grain in the Zerat:
shan District au’ se
Building Expenses ... eos

eee

Roubles.
63,400
439,697
21,500

524,597

 

Roubles,
127,860
55,000

182,860

Roubles,

181,511
31,100
2,000
25,000
121,911
61,440
7,125

16,100

10,000
12,000
45,000

30,000
300,000
BUDGET OF THE TURKISTAN GOVERNMENT. 415

EXPENDITURE ON LOCAL REQUIREMENTS (continued).

 

 

i Roubles.
14. Grants in aid to Russian Immigrants .., ar 3,000
15. Forest Conservation... eas oa sia eee 4,500
16. Miscellaneous Expenses... av ons wit 13,100

863,787
Must be added—
Roubles.

Maintenance of Post Offices, Postal Stations ese 713,901

Ditto, Telegraphs ok aa is sae sa 68,960

Ditto, Control Department... aay aa se 28,848

Ditto, Treasuries of Turkistan ails 113,444

Expenses connected with the Agent of the ‘Ministez

of Finance ... 5,000

Maintenance of School of Sericulture, Chemical

Laboratory, and Government Gardener .. was 12,760
942,913
1874,
Roubles.
Thus—Grand Total of Expenditure amounts to... 2,514,157
Deduct 2,514,157 roubles from 3,123,329 roubles.
Balance ... sits ve 609,172

But now we must deduct ordinary Military expendi-
ture, which, if gauged by former years, amounts to
about 5,000,000 roubles a year.
Deduct 609,172 roubles from 5,000,000 roubles.
Balance... iat +++ 4,390,828
Or about £627,261 excess of Expenditure over Income.

 

APPENDIX I.

Russian operations against the Youud Turkomans, in Fuly, 1873; taken
Jrom the Vestnik Evropy.

GENERAL KAUFFMANN resolved to exact a fine from the Turkomans, and
gave orders to commence the collection of the money from the Bairam-
Shali branch of the Yomud tribe, the most numerous and turbulent
branch of these Turkomans. The amount of the fine was fixed at
300,000 roubles, and notification of the same was made to the Elders of
the Yomuds, who attended on the General in the beginning of June, in
obedience to his summons. The Elders promised that the fine should be
416 APPENDIX I.

paid, and five of their number were allowed to return to their people with
notice to that effect, whilst twelve others were detained as hostages.

At the same time, viz., on the 7th (19th) of July, and without waiting
to see the result, a force under Major-General Golovatcheff, composed of
eight companies, eight so¢zzas, ten guns (including two mitrailleuses), and
a rocket battery, was advanced from Khiva to Hazarat, where the settle-
ments of the Bairam-Shali Yomuds commence. Encountering only small
parties of Turkomans, who followed its movements, this detachment at
once commenced operations on the 9th (21st) of July by seizing a
caravan, and firing some shells into the running Turkomans. It is
therefore evident that from the very beginning it was not expected that
the payment would be made, notwithstanding that five of the Elders were
suffered to return to their tribe to collect the money.

The military operations commenced on the fourth day after the
appearance of the Elders, in compliance with General Kauffmann’s order.
The commander of the detachment sent out against the Turkomans did,
indeed, learn that the Yomuds had not alone not begun to collect the
money, but that they had struck their tents with the intention of
decamping and of offering us armed resistance. What credit attached
to this intelligence it is impossible to say; at any rate, only three days
had elapsed from the time of the first announcement to the Elders of the
imposition of the contribution. Nevertheless, although the initiative of
the campaign against the Yomud Turkomans was not provoked by any
acts on their part, but was solely taken by the local military authorities,
no particular significance need be attached to that circumstance. It is
a universally-acknowledged fact, confirmed by foreign writers, that the
Turkomans sre marauders. Whether they anticipated us and attacked
us first, or we them, is a matter of little consequence. The material
point is that, having concluded a treaty with Khiva,* Russia could not
allow an element of the population to remain free from her influence,
which would most certainly interfere with the fulfilment of the terms
of the treaty, a circumstance which might possibly necessitate a renewal
of Russian military operations in the Khanate of Khiva.

On the 13th (25th) July, General Golovatcheff encamped his force at
the Chandyr village, and was at once surrounded by large masses of
Turkomans. The enemy here made their first display of energy, attacking
the force on different sides, until the intantry fire, the artillery, and rockets
finally forced them to turn and fly, the troops following in pursuit for a
distance of three and a half versts. During this action, Lieutenant
Kamenetski with a few Cossacks, forming an outpost, pursued a party of
Turkomans, and fell into an ambush, where they were all killed. The
enemy suffered a great loss. The affair of the 15th (27th) July was,
however, still more grave, The Turkomans, as it was stated in the official

* The treaty was signed on the r2th (24th) August, 1873, having been ratified by
the Emperor.
THE YOMUD TURKOMANS. 417

report, “fought with a furious determination; pushing their caps over
their eyes, they rushed upon our bayonets with sabres and halberts.”
There was in this action even a “critical moment,” according to the
official report, not, of course, in the sense of a possibility of our losing
the day ; that we could not have lost, for in the report there is nothing to
show that the enemy’s fire occasioned any harm to our soldiers. The
Turkomans fought principally with cold steel, and it was for that reason
that they rushed upon our front ranks. The “ critical moment” occurred
when one of the Cossack sofmdas which was sent forward being obliged
to draw back before superior forces, losing its officer, Lieutenant-Colonel
Esipof ; “the Turkomans broke through the front of our troops, following
upon the heels of the Cossacks. Both mounted and on-foot, they rushed
to this attack, armed exclusively with sabres and halberts. Those
amongst them who had no horses came galloping to our front, mounted
behind the horsemen, and jumping down, joined in the attack on our
ranks. Barefooted, and clothed only in shirts and loose trousers, with
their sleeves tucked up, and screening their eyes with their left arms,
they broke with shrieks and shouts through an opening between the
and Rifle Battalion and the 8th Orenburg sofnza, falling on the suite of
Major-General Golovatcheff, and on his escort. Golovatcheff was himself
wounded, receiving a sabre-cut on his right wrist.”

The chief of the staff of the detachment also received a sabre-cut.
His Highness Prince Eugene Maximilianovitch (of Lauchtenburg) himself
shot, with a revolver, a Turkoman who attacked him. These unmounted
Turkomans had evidently devoted themselves to death, because they
could not have hoped to escape with the horsemen who brought them up
to the Russian front. The enemy was beaten back at all points, and in
retreating were overtaken by shells.

Our detachment then advanced through the town of Ilyaly along the
toad to Kyzyl-Takyr, without at first meeting with any opposition, but,
encountering the enemy again further on, it had to push its way for eight
versts through masses of Turkomans. Onreaching the Ana-Murat canal,
it was discovered that the detachment had been proceeding in a wrong
direction, owing to its having lost its guides. It should not have marched
to Kyzyl-Takyr, but to the lower extremity of the Ana-Murat-Bai canal,
where the enemy was concentrated. Having, therefore, passed the night
by the Ana-Murat-Bai, the detachment advanced on the next day to the
lower part of that canal,

‘Our losses on the 15th (27th) of July consisted of—killed, one staff-
officer and three privates, and wounded, one general, four officers, and
thirty-two privates. According to native accounts the enemy lost only
800 men. The Turkomans engaged in the action are said to have
numbered 4,000 foot and 6,000 horse.

On reaching the Niaz-Sheikh canal General Golovatcheff received in-
telligence concerning the whereabouts of the Turkomans, which compelled

AA
418 APPENDIX I,

him to resume his former direction. On the 17th (29th) of July the de-
tachment had another engagement, which was remarkable only for the
fact that our soldiers captured a large transport escorted by the Turko-
mans, on which occasion the detachment captured upwards of 5,000 head
of cattle, 119 camels, and about 3,000 arbas (three-wheeled carts) laden
with various articles of property. The Turkomans fled in great haste,
leaving behind them not alone their property, but also their wives and
children, and the official report in reference to this, making no allusion
to any loss on our side, speaks only of slaughtered Turkomans.

On the following day, the 18th (30th) of July, General Golovatcheff,
returning to his previous halting-place by the Niaz-Sheikh canal, where
his (Turkistan) detachment was joined by the Orenburg detachment, and
by the main body of the Russian troops under General Kauffmann, who,
receiving no intelligence from General Golovatcheff’s detachment, owing to
the interception of the communications by the enemy, had himself ad-
vanced from Khiva on the 15th (27th) with ten companies, eight guns,
and one sofnza, leaving in Khiva only six companies with two guns.
The Orenburg detachment had left still earlier, and in the wake of the
Turkistan detachment, reaching Kyzyl-Takyr on the 15th (27th) of July,
and proceeding from that place to Ilyaly, where General Golovatcheff
arrived later. General Kauffmann marched first to Hazavat, and then to
Zmukshir, that is, he took the same direction as that followed by General
Golovatcheff, but proceeded along the other side of the canal.

On the 19th (31st) of July all the detachments were assembled at
Ilyaly. The rout of the Turkomans, when our troops came suddenly
upon them, was complete. A considerable number of them were killed
and wounded ; 9,000 head of cattle were captured, and the dwellings,
crops, and various stores of the Turkomans along General Golovatcheff’s
line of march from Hazavat to Zmukshir were devoted to the flames ;
altogether about 3,000 laden arbas were destroyed and burned by our
troops. Materially weakened, and morally beaten, the Yomuds were
dispersed on all sides.

After the 20th July (O.S.) deputations of Yomud Turkomans came to
General Kauffmann, appealing for mercy. The Commander of the
Forces, nevertheless, proposed to exact some portion of the fine from
the Yomuds, which should be in proportion to the means which, on
inquiry, they should still be known to possess. From the other tribes
General Kauffmann demanded a payment of 310,000 roubles within a
twelve days’ term, allowing them to make up half of that sum in camels.

* * * * * * *&

The three Asiatic Khanates of Kokand, Bokhara, and Khiva, preserving
only an appearance of independence, and having lost some portions of
their territories, have fallen under the actual influence of Russia.
Kokand is isolated from the two other Khanates. Khiva is now separated
from Bokhara, and Bokhara and Khiva are now entirely open to
MOVEMENTS OF RUSSIAN TROOPS ON THE OXUS. 419

Russian troops, who, at the same time, command the irrigation sources of
those Khanates, and by that means alone hold the populations of those
countries entirely at their mercy.
* * % * * * *

Although by the treaty with Khiva our frontier on the western side is
defined by the old bed of the Oxus, yet it exists, of course, only as far as
those extreme points where the Khivan territories merge westward into the
steppes. The points already occupied by Russian troops on the south-
eastern coast of the Caspian lie considerably to the south of the Uzboi
(the so-called ancient bed of the Oxus), so that here the line of frontier
must necessarily be formed by the Attrek. It has already been officially
declared to be our boundary by the Russian authorities, and has been
practically recognised as such by Persia, our immediate neighbour in
that quarter.

APPENDIX J.

Movements of Russian Troops on the Oxus, in Fanuary, 1874, from
Russian Official Accounts.

LATER on it was given out that the Turkomans intended to ravage the
country appropriated to Russia in the Delta of the Oxus, so soon as the
ice became strong enough to allow them to pass over it to the Russian
side.

Accordingly, on the 4th of January, Lieutenant-Colonel Dreschern
marched from Petro-Alexandrovsk with four companies of infantry and
fifty Cossacks, taking with him two field-guns and two howitzers. Three
days later Colonel lvanoff followed with a sotz¢a of Cossacks and a rocket
campany, leaving instructions for two companies of infantry, with a troop
wi eid artillery and Sfty Cossacks, to be in readiness as a reserve force
in the event of its being required.

The troops thus left in garrison were three companies of infantry in
full complement, and a troop of Cossacks, with the garrison artil'cry,
and a troop of mountain artillery, or a total of something more tian
1,000 men,

The troops forming the expeditionary force were supplied with fur
coats, felt blankets, and felt boots.

Arrangements were made fer the erection of tents by the local
inhabitants at the various places where the troops were appointed to
bivouac,
420 APPENDIX F.

The average temperature was 5° below freezing-point (Reaumur) ;
during the night it fell to 11° and 12%. It was daily expected that the
river would be blocked with the ice.

The official reports state that the rumours concerning the hostile
intentions of the Turkomans having increased, Colonel Ivanoff ordered
the reserve force to quit the fort, which it accordingly did on the 15th
January, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Aderkas, provided |
with every winter requirement, with provisions for nineteen days, and
accompanied by a transport of seventy camels, laden with sacks of biscuits,
buckwheat, and conserved meats.

The first intimation of the crossing of a body of Turkomans to the
right bank of the Oxus was received on the 15th January, z.¢., on the
same day on which the reserve issued from Petro-Alexandrovsk. It was
then said that the Turkomans had made their appearance at Khodja-Kul
(lake), at Kipchak, and at the same time it was rumoured among the
Kirghiz that they intended to break past the Russian column to the
encampments of the nomads of the Dat-Kara, a lake situated about
seventy miles to the north-east of Nukus.

Subsequently to this it was learned that a body of about 300 Turko- |
mans had attacked the fortified post of Mohmut-Kul, but that, failing in
their attempt to seize it, they had proceeded to Kipchak, destroying all
the tents and stores of clover prepared for the Russian troops.

At Nukus Colonel Ivanoff found no signs of the Turkomans, but his
spies brought him the intelligence that some 6,000 Turkomans, mounted
and on foot, were assembled in the vicinity of the Laudan, and all along
the course of that canal up to Kipchak. It was further stated that these
Turkomans were under the leadership of Kazy-Murad (one of the depu-
tation of Elders unwarrantably kept as a hostage during the Khivan
expedition (see page 419), but who succeeded in making his escape),
and of a Kirghiz named Dosan. The spies reported that none of the
other Elders of the tribes joined in the movement, although they suffered
their people to take part in it. -

On the 17th of January it was ascertained that about 1,000 Turkomans
had crossed the Oxus near Kipchak, and had taken the direct road to the
Daii-Kara.

Colonel Ivanoff being at this time left with only fifty mounted
Cossacks (having previously detached one sofnéa, with a rocket company,
to escort back to Petrovsk the officer who had brought the reinforce-
ments to the Oxus), mounted Ioo riflemen upon cart-horses, and sent
them under Lieutenant-Colonel Dreschern in the direction of the Dat-
Kara, to the encounter of the returning escort. This improvised cavalry,
without saddles or bridles, performed a journey of thirty miles, and,
meeting the escort, rode back again.

_ On the 2oth of January Colonel Ivanoff, leaving the gr eater portion of
his baggage at Nukus, marched from that place to Nazar-Khan (up-
MOVEMENTS OF RUSSIAN TROOPS ON THE OXUS. 421%

stream one march distance from Nukus), at which place Lieutenant-
Colonel Aderkas, coming down from Petro-Alexandrovsk with the reserve
forces, was ordered to await him, being instructed in the meanwhile to
send patrols up the river in order to ascertain the strength of the enemy
and to prevent him from crossing. At this time the river was only partiaily
frozen over, and it was found that the Turkomans were passing over at
Kipchak, where the ice was strongest.

On the 21st and 22nd January the outposts of the united forces of
Colonel Ivanoff and Lieutenant-Colonel Dreschern, which were encamped
at Nazar-Khan, were harassed by small parties of Turkomans, but these
were fired upon and kept at a distance. On the 23rd the force advanced
up the river, provided with felts, furs, and ten days’ rations, leaving the
impedimenta at Nazar-Khan, under the charge of the Kirghiz Elders.
On the same day the force encamped at Kipchak, where the ice was
traversable from three points, taking up a position immediately in front of
the central crossing.

The left bank of the river was densely lined with Turkomans, who,
while the Russian detachment was advancing towards Kipchak, likewise
pushed on in the same direction. The Russians had barely formed their
camp when the Turkomans opened fire upon them, but without any effect,
to which the Russians did not respond. In the meanwhile the Cossack
patrols kept the Turkomans from crossing above and below the Russian
camp. :

Having determined to pass over to the left bank, Colonel Ivanoff sent
a cavalry force to reconnoitre all the three crossings, and while in this
manner leaving the Turkomans in ignorance regarding the one he would
select for passing his troops over, he despatched Lieutenant-Colonel
Aderkas with two sofuzas of Cossacks and a company of rifles, to drive
back a strong body of Turkomans which had mustered at the lower
crossing, about three miles lower down the river, and to examine the
condition of the ice in that direction. This operation was speedily per-
formed, with very little firing, and the ice was reported to be of a good
thickness.

On the night of the 23rd January the Turkomans kept up a sharp tre
upon the Russian camp, and made some bold attacks upon the chain of
pickets and on a patrol, but were repulsed with heavy losses.

The Turkomans were chiefly massed on the left bank, opposite the
Russian camp, believing that the Russians intended to cross the river at
that point. In order, therefore, to keep them in their delusion, the
Russian Commanding Officer sent Lieutenant-Colonel Dreschern with
two companies of infantry and a troop of mountain artillery to occupy
the right bank of the lower crossing, Lieutenant- Colonel Aderkas
being at the same time ordered to proceed with three sofmzas, one
company of rifles, and a troop of field artillery, to make a demonstration
in the direction of the higher crossing leading to Kipchak, while Colonel
422 APPENDIX fF.

Ivanoff, with the main body and the train, remained temporarily in
camp.

The detachment under Lieutenant-Colonel Aderkas was soon engaged
in a sharp fusilade with the Turkomans, of whom 1,500, scattering them-
selves over the ice, and screening themselves behind carts and boats
brought down by the drifting ice, kept up a continuous fire, accompanied
by a practice with their falconets from the left bank. The field artillery
being brought into play, the Turkomans were driven back from off the ice.
Ordering Lieutenant-Colonel Aderkas to remain where he was for about
an hour, Colonel Ivanoff hastily broke up his camp, and moved quickly
with all the rest of his force, and with the train, to the lower crossing,
where Lieutenant-Colonel Dreschern had located a company of infantry
on the ice, midway between the two banks..

On being informed that the ice was sufficiently strong for the passage
of the troops, Colonel Ivanoff organised a special column for the occu-
pation of a position on the left bank. Taking with them a troop of
mountain artillery, the men ran across the river (850 fathoms wide), and
firing a volley at the Turkomans massed on the bank, established them-
selves in a strong position. Preparations were next made for the passage
of the remainder of the force, which was effected with complete success.
The guns were drawn over by the men, the wheels being bound round with
felt, and the ends of the carriages placed on wooden slides, in order to lessen
the friction. Lieutenant-Colonel Aderkas had joined the main force before
the passage was effected. Abandoning his position at the higher crossing
he was followed by great numbers of Turkomans, On joining Ivanoff’s
detachment, however, two so/zzas were told off to go up the right bank, in
order to protect the transports. Seeing that the Russian troops had
already established a footing on the left bank, and that the rest of the
force could not be prevented from crossing, the Turkomans offered no
further resistance, and gradually dispersed.

From the position on the left bank Colonel Ivanoff sent a letter to the
Khan of Khiva, acquainting him with the fact of his having traversed the
river, and requesting him to pacify the Uzbegs, and not to interfere in the
affairs of the Russians with the Turkomans. He also requested the Khan
to attach an agent to the Russian detachment so long as it remained on the
left bank of the Oxus. On the 25th January the Russian detachment
marched to Kazy- Murad, an encampment of Turkomans. Leaving
Kipchak on its left, the Cossack cavalry sent in advance demolished all
before them so effectually, that when the main force came up there was
not a living creature to be seen, fire and sword having already laid waste
the country.

Wishing to avoid the permanent dwellings of the people of Kipchak
and of Mangyt, Colonel Ivanoff proceeded towards the Kuba-tad hills, but
found to his astonishment that the country was flooded. This was a
surprise even to the local guides, who knew that the canals were always
MOVEMENTS OF RUSSIAN TROOPS ON THE OXUS. 423

dry in the winter, and were not aware of the fact that the Turkomans had
destroyed the dam of the Arna canal,

As the water was rising rapidly over the low marshy lands, Colonel
Ivanoff recalled the Cossacks, who were continuing their work of de-
struction in all directions, and fell back upon the desolated Kazy-Murad
encampment, where the Russian force halted on the night of the 25th of
January.

On the morning of the 26th the Russian detachment marched through
Mangyt, the Commanding Officer assuring the inhabitants that they had
nothing to fear, and crossing in. that town the only existing bridge over
the Arna canal, proceeded four miles beyond Mangyt, coming upon the
winter encampments of the Kulchar Turkomans, which were at once de-
molished ; the Cossacks performing the work of destruction at distances,
while the infantry did it as effectually along the line of march.

At Mangyt Colonel Ivanoff had received a notification from the Khan
of Khiva, to the effect that the Yomud Turkomans of Hazara had given
in their allegiance. To this Colonel Ivanoff replied that, although he did
not fully believe in the sincerity of the Yomuds, he would not pass through
their lands, but would proceed by way of the encampments of the
Chaudurs, and so back again to the right bank of the river. Taking
warning by the fate of the Kulchars, the Chaudur Elders presented them-
selves on the 26th January in the Russian camp at Lake Chagat, on the
north-west side of the Kuba-tat hills, with a moiety of the contribution
demanded of them, on the condition that they should not be molested.
They entreated Colonel Ivanoff not to proceed-through their lands, but to
this he would not accede, assuring them, however, that he would do the
people no injury if they complied with his demands. On the 27th the
Russian detachment bivouacked at the Ikdyr wells, where another moiety
of the contribution was paid by the Chaudurs. On the 28th the detach-
ment reached Porsu (about thirty-three miles north-west of Kipchak), and
halted at Lake Lar. Here the Elders of the Imraly, Kara-Dashly and
Kara-Ilyaly Turkomans, presented themselves with tenders of submission,
and with some of the contributions exacted from them.

On the 29th of January, Colonel Ivanoff, with a portion of his detach-
ment, visited the site of Old Porsu, where Prince Cherkaski and his suite
were murdered in 1717. The place is now a scene of utter ruin, having
been abandoned by the inhabitants thirty years ago on account of a
deficiency of water. Here a triple volley was fired in honour of Bekovitch
and his followers, and after a night’s halt Colonel Ivanoff rejoined the rest
of his force. On the 30th January he camped again at Lake Chagat.

On the 31st the force entered Kipchak, where it was obliged to wait
for the opening of the river, the ice having been weakened by warm
weather. On the 4th of February the river was clear of ice, and on the
5th the Russian detachment crossed over in boats to the right bank.

During the stay of the Russian force in Kipchak, Colonel Ivanoff sent
424 APPENDIX RK.

three so¢zias of Cossacks down the river to the Laudan canal, to survey
the left bank in that direction, a work which had not bezn done during
the expedition to Khiva in the summer. These so¢nzas performed the
journey (fifty-three miles there and back) in a single day.

APPENDIX Kk.

THE distance from Khiva to Merve is about 430 miles, and the time
occupied by a caravan in performing this journey is seventeen days.
According to all accounts, troops, if supplied with a camel train, can
easily accomplish this march. The only part of the road trying to man
and beast is the 170 miles’ desert which lies between the Moorghaub and
the Oxus, but even here wells are to be found; and the longest interval
traversed without water is fifty-six miles. A force despatched from Khiva
to Merve would not have to undergo half the hardship experienced in the
route from Kasala to Khiva. Indeed, the Khivans, under Mohammed
Rabiss Khan, were able to take Merve; thus showing that even a badly-
organised Asiatic force can perform the journey. Besides the two
caravan roads that lead from Nhiva to the capital of the Turkomans,
there is a direct caravan track from Bokhara to Merve, by Chardjui,
the distance being about 230 miles. This is by far the easiest
route. Two days is the longest time that troops would be on the road
without finding wells, whilst caravans go from Bokhara to Merve in
thirteen days. A Bokharan army, under Shah Murad, captured this
stronghold of the Turkomans, and destroyed the dam or bend of the
river Moorghaub, in order to impoverish the country. Where Bokharan
troops can go Russian soldiers would have no difficulty in following, and
the same force which h:s captured Samarcand would find little difficulty
in overcoming any resistance the badly-armed but brave Turkoman
hordes might be able to oppose. There is a third route to Merve,
which would perhaps be the easiest of all in the event of an advance
in that direction. This would be along the line of the Turkoman
forts, under the slopes of the Attrek outside Khorassan. This road leads
through a fertile and well-watered country, and where some Turkoman
tribes have been already gained over to the Russian interests. A Russian
line of military operations along the Kurren Dagh would flank Persia in
the north, and turn her from the east at Meshed.

 
APPENDIX L,

CaPTralN PoTTO, of the Russian service, in his work, “Steppe Cam-
paigns,” gives the following information about a Cossack bivouac :—
“In the presence of the enemy a detacnment ordinarily bivouacs behind a
wagon barricade; but if the transport be small, and the place selected for
the bivouac offers one of its sides to a river, ravine, or other obstacle which
is secure from an unexpected attack, the wagon barricade may, in order to
gain internal space, be arranged in the shape of a lunette, with its open side
towards the natural obstacle. On the other hand, if the train be large, it is
preferable to form a square, the carts being in several rows, and sufficient
room being given for the reception of the horses, not losing sight-of the
possibility of bringing a fire to hear upon the enemy from behind the
carts. The length of each face of the square should be in proportion
to the number of men defending it. The angular spaces are filled with
bales, or occupied with guns. The troops are ordinarily distributed
parallel to the faces of the wagon barricade, and at such distances apart
that between them and the inner row of carts in rear there may be suffi-
cient space, in the event of attack, for bringing up artillery and reserves.
The men’s kits are heaped up in rear of their own particular section, and
behind them are piled their rifles. The Cossack horse-lines are in rear of
the line of the bivouac, and behind them, in the centre of the barricade,
are the staff, the artillery park, the engineer and hospital trains, the
sutlers, and, lastly, if there is room, the drivers with their horses and
camels in a separate square. By day it is necessary to take advantage of
any opportunity of sending out the animals to pasture; but they should
be again brought into camp at twilight, and, if possible, placed within the
barricade—the camels near one of the faces most removed from attack, and
the horses in the horse-lines, and hobbled. For the defence of a camp, both
by day and night, it is necessary to throw out a chain of dismounted posts.
These posts furnished from the Cossacks are called mayaks (signalling
stations). Each mayak consists of three men; one of them always re-
mains mounted, while the other two rest. They go separately to watcr,
to get grass, &c. At night the camp should be surrounded with a chain
of sentries, and the detachment should be on the gud vzve, as the robbers
often make a dash at the camp, and, taking advantage of the commotion
which ensues, endeavour to carry off the camels and horses, or to seize
anything they can. In former times the detached Cossack posts, pickets,
ard small forts along the Siberian Jine protected themselves by throwing
out sentries on commanding eminences, and at night by patrols; but
426 APFENDIX M.

owing to the small number of men and the frequent alarms, the outpost
service was so fatiguing that the Cossacks had recourse to the use of
dogs. These dogs were exceedingly watchful, and at the smallest noise
barked and roused the Cossacks. This custom was probably brought
from the Caucasus, in fact from the shores of the Black Sea, where the
employment of dogs was in general use, and where these animals were
regularly rationed and trained.

 

APPENDIX M.

CAPTAIN POTTO’s observations about the size and requirements of a
steppe train may not be unizteresting to military readers. This officer
remarks :—“ The amount of train in a steppe campaign depends on the
quantity of provisions and other requisites which have to be carried by
the expeditionary force. The following are the chief articles to be carried :
Food, forage, horse equipment, officers’ and soldiers’ baggage, medicines
and hospital stores, felt tents and camp equipage. The proportion of
this equipage for a company of 170 men is as follows :—Six cast-iron
boilers with lids, two white metal dram cups, seven water vessels, seven
pounds of pepper, four pounds and a half of laurel-leaves, 100 pounds of
leaf tobacco, nine bottles essence of vinegar, 100 pounds of onions, ten
pounds of garlic, ten pounds of horseradish, ten pounds of soap, 200
pounds of salt, three wooden troughs, five scythes, 120 mats, 300 fathoms
rope, three hatchets, three spades, three picks, seven shovels, two white
metal mugs, one eight-gallon cask, three wooden shovels, one net, one
iron pail, and 170 wooden teacups. The weight of this is from 1,200 to
1,600 pounds. Sometimes we have had to carry with us such things as wood
field forges, bridging material, portable wells, guns on pack animals, and
finally a number of spare horses or camels in case of forming sick convoys,
flying detachments, or for carrying convalescents, &c. From this list of
necessaries it is plain that the train of a steppe detachment must be very
munerous, In European warfare one cart ordinarily suffices for forty or
fifty men; in steppe campaigns it is otherwise, every two or three men
must have an animal, and sometimes more. If we suppose, for example,
Cossack so¢néa (150 men) taking the field with a month’s supplies, then,
according to calculation, it will require about eighty camels, without
counting officers’ baggage, carts for the transport of military stores, the
sick, &c. This is the reason that military detachments marching in the
steppe are nothing else but an escort to their own numerous trains,
Napoleon’s campaign in Egypt, where the transport organised by him
SIZE OF A STEPPE TRAIN, 427

was on so reduced a scale that everything could be placed within a small
infantry square, cannot serve us as a precedent, because the French were
able to transport their food and other stores by. the Nile. The same must
be remarked respecting the later expeditions in Algeria, where the French
had seldom to proceed more than two or three marches from their store
depéts ; but even in this case, according to the observations of Marshal
Bugeand, there were often more than 1,000 different sorts of animals with
a column consisting of 5,000 men under arms. In the steppes the smallest
train, as we know, was that at the time of the Khivan campaign of Prince
Bekovitch Tcherkassky, when there was a camel to every two men; the
greatest was in the winter of 1839 in General Perovsky’s expedition, when
‘every man had two camels, and every two men approximately had a three-
horse cart. The English train in the East Indies and in Afghanistan
was still more numerous. Suffice it to say that, according to the returns,
“the train of each battalion of infantry is fixed in time of peace at 1,200
mules and 600 mule-drivers. In the field these numbers are still further
increased. The reason why such vast crowds of servants and immense
trains follow in the wake of a detachment, where every elephant, every
horse, every camel, and every bullock has his attendant, is partly due to the
climate so baneful for Europeans, and still more to the Oriental habits
which effeminate the troops. Even the common soldiers had their ser-
vants, and thus, in the words of an Englishman, the military camp was
turned into a motley show. Similar license led to pernicious consequences
for the English during their second expedition to Afghanistan in the winter
of 1841, when the detachment of 4,000 men under General Elphinstone
was forced to retreat ; the train following in rear numbered 12,000 men.
This unarmed, dissolute, and most demoralised mob quickly fell into com-
plete disorder, enabling the Afghans to surround the English detachment
and destroy it, so that of the 16,000 or 17,000 men only one Englishman,
thanks to the rapidity of his horse, succeeded in reaching the fortress of
Jelalabad. Consequently, in the Abyssinian campaign in 1867, the
English deemed it necessary to limit the baggage of each officer to eighty
pounds, and that of each soldier to twenty pounds, including bedding.
The result was to reduce the ordinary number of mules per ba-talion from
1,200 to 187, and Ioo drivers. But with all this the train of the expedi-
tionary force numbered 20,000 various animals. For carrying the baggage
in steppe campaigns, we use pack animals, two-horse or one-horse carts,
and, lastly, bullock transport. The baggage is so arranged that cach pair-
horse or pair-bullock cart has not more than 1,400 pounds, each one-horse
700 pounds, each camel-load 580 pounds. The quantity of carts or camels,
and consequently the size of the train, is calculated for each unit. As-
suming the company of infantry at 200 men, inclusive of servants, non-
combatants, and officers, it requires, for one month, 12,480 pounds of biscuit
(net weight), 2,080 pounds of groats (net), in lieu of five-sixths of the monthly
allowance of spirit, sixty pounds of tea, and 180 pounds of sugar, and five

.’
428 APPENDIX N.

gallons and a half of spirits, weighing eighty pounds ; oats for the draught
horses, 600 pounds ; fifteen kibitkas, being ten per company, two for sick,
three for officers, each weighing 260 pounds, equal to 3,900 pounds; felts
for bedding (ten pounds to twelve pounds), camp equipage and anti-
scorbutic stores, 1,200 pounds to 2,000 pounds; men’s kits at sixty pounds,
12,000 pounds ; ammunition, 2,000 pounds ; in all, about sixteen tons.
If this amount of baggage be placed in one-horse carts, 1,000 pounds in
each, thirty-six carts will be required. Of this number for food alone (six
tons and a half) fifteen carts, and as the detachments are never sent for
less than two months, fifty carts will be required. To this number we
must add three or four additional carts for the apothecaries’ medicines
and sick on the march ; in all, say fifty-six carts. For this load there
ought to be sixty-five camels (each at 560 pounds), allowing one spare
camel for every seven or ten camels. The sofnias of Cossacks have no
special carts for their baggage, but carry it with the forage; the number
of carts which they require is much greater than for a company. For a
Cossack sofnza consisting of 145 men and three officers, 148 riding and
fourteen pack horses, much more transport is required than for a company.
The food for the men, and barley or oats (eight quarts and a half daily)
for the horses, amounts in two months to 120,000 pounds, without the
sacks. The other baggage is not great, ten or eleven kibitkas, seven for
the Cossacks, three for officers, and one for sick, equal to 2,600 pounds,
and two or three carts for the apothecary, medicine, and sick. On this
computation the number of carts necessary for a sofnza for two months,
including sacks and coverings, will amount to 130 or 135. Of camels for
the same period, leaving five carts, there would be required about 200
(each carrying 640 pounds), to which must be added about thirty spare.
If hay has to be carried, a considerable addition must be made to the
transport.”

APPENDIX N.

Ways of Communication by Sea to the East Coast of the Caspian.

From Astrakhan to Fort Alexandrovsk it is a twenty-four hours’ journey ;
however, the bar at the mouth of the Volga has a depth of only one and
a half feet, so that vessels have to wait for a south wind to bring upa
sufficient quantity of water into the estuaries to enable them to pass out.
From Astrakhan to Balkan Bay, forty-eight to sixty hours. From
Astrakhan to Ashourade, seventy-two to eighty-four hours. During
strong westerly breezes these passages are longer, and entrance into the
WAYS OF COMMUNICATION BY SEA. 429

harbours or creeks is effected under difficulties. From Petrovsk and Baku
to Fort Alexandrovsk and to Krasnovodsk, with a fair wind, the passage
lasts only twenty-four hours. The distance in both cases is not over 127
miles. From Ashourade, in Astrabad Bay, to Gomush Tepe, one hour
and a half; to Hassan Kuli, three hours and a half; to Cheleken Island,
sixteen hours ; to Balkan Bay (185 nautical miles), twenty hours. Two
private steam navigation companies are bound under contract with the
Russian Government, one of them to keep fifteen steamers on the Caspian,
and a corresponding number of barges ; and both companies to transport
stores and troops, &c., at certain rates from Astrakhan, Petrovsk, and
Baku, to the east coast of the Caspian. There are other vessels belonging
to these companies and to merchants of Baku, besides about 500
Turkoman boats, which are suitable for navigation along the shallow
eastern coast.

Distances between Main Points on the East Coast (of the Caspian Sea) to
Astrabad (from Blaremberg).
Miles.

From Cape Tuik-Karagan to Peschanni (Sandy) Point ee oe +. 1163

», Peschanni Point to Kinderlinsk Bay .. ve oe a ee = 835
», Jinderlinsk to Kara-Bugaz Bay i rr ve «» 120
»» Kara-Bugaz to the extremity of Krasnovodsk Spit - ve +s 100
+, Krasnovodsk Spit to extremity of Dervish Promontory ve os 263
»» Dervish to Kok-Tepe .. ee oe ee . oe ss «690
», Kok-Tepe to Ak-Tepe .. . ee ve o oe +. 20
»» Ak-Tepe to Hassan-Kuli Bay .. . ove ee oi ee = 168
>, Hassan-Kuli Bay to Gomush-Tepe .. a +e oe ve 268
», Gomush-Tepe to mouth of Kara-Su., ne . a 26 20

 

Total o> “> ee O00
APPENDIX O.

Sary Kamysh-Yol (road) to Khiva,

 

 

 

Names of Wells, Boek cae wee Quality of Water,

Segreshem in Balkan Bay,

by the Ok Mountains... —. I Good.
Burnak < ae + 3 Good.!
Siulmen 14 10 Good.
Siuli ... ae aoe oes 13 25 Bitter.
Yazi Eshem ., ae tee I 2 Bitter.
Er-Oilan ... iss ei i 7 Bitter.
Tuer .. es a aa 3 Good.
Diren Dimpe aia ads rm IZ Brackish.
Osiun-Kui ase vee 2 20 Bitter.
Besh-Deshik... cee ass 2 I Good.
Khivan Territory ws. aes 3 — —

15%

 

 

 

 

At all the wells on this route there is sufficient brushwood for fuel.

STEPPE ROUTES.

1. To Khiva from Novo Alexandrovsk (a former fort) in Kaidak Bay,
(410 miles), across the Ust-Urt, to Aibugir Bay on the Aral—
Turpaef, an Armenian, rode this way to Khiva in seven days, in 1834.
A caravan would be three weeks travelling.

2. The Mangyshlak caravan route through Baki-Kuduk, by Tabyn-Pu
and Aibugir, 569 miles; a month’s caravan journey. Water scarce,
and fodder only along the first few stages.

3. To Kune-Urgendj from Kinderlinsk Bay, 420 miles. Little water.
Here, however, proceeding more to the south, the Mangyshlak road
may be struck, reducing the distance to 316 miles.

4. From Krasnovodsk, the Sary Kamysh road, according to Muravief,
546 miles; but according to Markorof about 486 miles. Markorof
route in all respects the best ; falls in with Muravief’s at Beshdeshik,
and proceeds by that.

gs. From Hassan Kuli (the Degeli route) by Gesli Ata, and then following
Markorof’s route, twice crossing the old bed of the Oxus, 360 miles.

6. The Ortokui route, between the two last mentioned, leaving the first at
the fourth stage, and so reducing the distance by 53} miles.

7. From Gomush-Tepe, across the embouchure of the Attrek, and then
partly following the Degeli route, and partly over a separate route, by
the Shargel Lake—Vambery’s route.
ROUTE FROM ASTRABAD TO HERAT. 431!

8. The Teke route, also between the above two (four and five) to Chin-
Mahomed and Ortokui, 5332 miles.

g. From Balkan Bay, along the old bed of the Oxus to Kune Urgendy.
According to Dandevil’s inquiries in 1859, it would appear that the
distance to Kune Urgendj, from the eastern extremity of Balkan
Bay, is 385 miles, which can be accomplished in eight days, Fresh
water at each night halt.

10. From Krasnovodsk to Kizyl Arvat, through Mulla Kari, 253 miles,
This route was traversed in 1870 by a detachment. No fodder, sands,
and little fuel. This route crosses the bed of the Oxus at Aidin well,
and then passes along the northern side of the Kurren dagh moun-
tains. Beyond Kizyl Arvat it proceeds eastward along the base of the
Keppet-dagh mountains, through the country of the Teke Turkomans.
Karys fort, 83 miles beyond Kizyl Arvat; 733 miles farther is
Astrabad, and about 200 miles farther still lies Sarak, from which,
says Colonel Venukoff, Herat is only 133 miles. The distance from
Krasnovodsk to Herat by this route he estimates at 633 miles.

1. From Astrabad to Herat the road passes through Boodjnur (200 miles}
—Meshed (362 miles), equal to twenty-six stages through a populous
country. Entire distance to Herat, 5803 miles.

Important Route from Astrabad to Herat.

 

Versts. Versts.
1 Astrabad 8 ee 45 14 Toos ... ove sais 57
2 Shvarkila ca Ses 28 15 Meshed sae oe 25
3 Fenderiks ue wad 17 —
4 Pisserook eee see 40 142
5 Shah-Abad_... aes 63
6 Simoulgan tee 60 16 Kehriz-deme ... ee 33
y Gider-abad ses 20 17 Kalianta Abad... es 38
8 Town of Roodjnur ... 26 18 Abdal-Abad ... is 26
—— 19 Toorbeti Sheh Djemi... 37
299 20 Abbas-Abad ... te 33
21 Kehriz ... sis site 20
é K sa se a
9 Town of Shirvan .., 46 me Gies
1o Douin ... a ee 27 24 Goorvan ve on 28
11 Town of Kabooshan ... 30 25 Shikivan a = ai
103 26 Herat ... eee tee 32
327
2 Beknazir aoe ete 37 ees
a Seillan 1 aa ae 23 Total versts Pe 871

 

Colonel Venukoff says, referring to this route :—“ Properly speaking,
this great trade route lies beyond the limits of Turkomania, and within
those of Persia; but it is, in a strategical sense, the most important of
all, even with respect to the Turkoman country alone, which it flanks on
the south.”
APPENDIX P.

THE MOST IMPORTANT ROUTES IN TURKISTAN.

Compiled by Colonel Venukoff, of the Russian Army.

IN China we shall enumerate the frontier routes which pass through
the Chinese dominions ;* we here publish some inner routes, which go
through our own territories, and continue into Independent Turkistan.
This we do because there are no route-maps and road-books for Turkistan.

1.—The road from Semipalatinsk to Vernye.

This is the best road from Siberia to Central Asia. It runs parallcl
with the Djungarian frontier. It has also a double importance in a stra-
tegical point of view, because it is connected with all the rest of the roads
which lead from the provinces of Semipalatinsk, and Semiretchensk, into
the interior of Djungaria.

Versts.
Semipalatinsk se ...695 From Omsk,
1. The picket Oulougoos ......_ 25
2. Arkaleek ... ag wai 22
3. Astchee-Koul ie +. 27 }Steppe. Hard ground.
4. Djartash... ao sn ia
5. Keeseel-Moul eee eee 26
6. Arkat... ay ans «.. 264 Near the Arkat mountains,
7. Aldjan-Adeeroff ... we 24
8. Ousoun-Boulak ... eee 2dd
9. Inrekey ane aes esa: 20}
to. Alteen-Kalat es + 222 Hilly. /
II. Sergiopol as. eae +» 26h On the right bank of the Ayagoos,

A fortification and a military
— station,
271% versts,

* It must be remembered that all these march routes were published in St, Petersburg
in 1873. Since that time Russia has annexed Kokan.— Translator.

&
12.
13.
14.
15.
16,
17.
18,
19.
20.
2t.
22.
23:
. Kopal vee eee

>

t

Nn
Oo

bo oN
ON

WW UW Od N
wpBwh = O oO

WW UW)
CON OV

COLONEL

Ayagoos ove

Taldee-Koudouk ...
Keeseel Key...
Malo-Ayagoos oes
Djouss-Agatch
Arganatinsk... oe

Astchee-Boulak ..,
Lapseensk ... eee
Baskansk ... oo
Aksouisk .., oi
Abakoumoff aie
Village Arasansk ..,

. Ak-Itchkin ... aes
. Saree-Boulak

. Kara-Boulak se
. Djangeess-Agatch ..,
. Tzaritzeen ... vee
. Kougalinsk ... ate
. Aiteen-Eemell

. Kouyankous

. Karatchekin..,

. Tchingeeldinsk

. Fortification of Illiysk
. Koutentaysk ses
. Karasouisk ... eee

. The town Varniy ...

eee

‘VENUKOFF'S ROUTES, 433
Versts.
os 313 Hilly.

29 Across the Ayagoos, by a plain.

o. 239
- 26 > Steppe.

see 263

. 31 Sandy hills.

.. 29% Slightly hilly ; no water.
. 34 Steppe; sandy ground.
. 283 Steppe; clay ground.

... 285 A plain; small quantity of grass,
.. 254 Aplain; good grass,

. 21. Mineral waters.
.. 29 Hilly ; afterwards a level country.

eee

3633 versts.

27 A mountain plain, with ravines.

».. 25 Over the mountains into the valley

of the Karatal.

.. 30 Aplain ; cross over the Karatal.

ee 22 A plain; hilly.
... 203 Steep descent to Koksoo ; a cross

over.
. 25% Over mountains.
. 223 Avvalley. Very many ravines.
27% ” ”
. 273 Hilly.
. 33 Aplain. Few ravines.
. 233 Deep sands. Cross the river Ili

on a raft.

.. 233 A sandy plain.
wee 224 35
.. 244 Steppe. A small quantity of grass.

356 versts.

In all, from Semipalatinsk, 991; versts. 38 stages.

I1.—Szeppe Roads in the Sibcrian Steppe.

(a). From Karkaraloff to Aulieta, through the harbour of Berteesh

or Balhash, then along the west bank of this lake, thence to the river
Chu below the ruins of Saree-Kourgan, and from there, through a
sandy-steppe, to the mountain road from Vernye to Aulieta. The road

BB
434 APPENDIX P,

is bad. There is very little water or grass. It is about Soo versts in
length.

(8). From Karkaraloff to Tchoulak-Kourgan through Kara-Mendee,
Kay-Lubay-Boulat, Tess-Boulat, the ford Kasangan on the river Chu,
and through a sandy steppe to the west of the lake Karakol; in all, about
1,000 versts. This road is good. To the north of the boundary Kaylubay-
Boulat, but further on to the Tess-Boulat, water is found only in three wells,
and that is of a bad quality. From Tess to the river Chu, 70 versts, there
is no water at all. On the other side of the river Chu the water is salt
in the wells and in the offshoots of lake Karakul.

(c). From Aktau, through the boundary Djartash to Djulek Kurgan,
it is the same kind of road as that marked 4. There is a road to Chem-
kent. From Djulek Kurgan through the Karatau mountains it is about 750
versts in length, reckoning from Aktau.

(a). From Akmoloff to Turkistan through Kaeebatee on the river
Saree-Su, there is a caravan road, which from Kaeebatee leads through the
sands of Djeetee-Konour and the Golodnaya steppe (the steppe of hunger)
on the right bank of the river Chu. This river is crossed at the ford
Toy-Tubai, and the road goes on to Surak through a sandy steppe, which
abounds in saksaool. After Surak it leads across the Karatau moun-
tains, by the sources of the stream Kashkar-Ata. The north and south
parts of this road are pretty good, but the march through the sands
of Djeetee-Konour and the Golodnaya steppe is a trying one. The dis-
tance from Akmoloff to Turkistan is about goo versts.

(e). From Akmoloff to Turkistan through Kaeebatee, along the river
Saree-Su, to the ford Karaoutkoul in the river Chu, then rounding the
mountain Karatau to the springs Daouh-Hodja, hence to the Tumen-
Areek, and so to Turkistan, in all about 1,000 versts. There are some fine
pastures in the valley of the Saree-Su. The water in the river, although
@ little salt, can be used. Between Ayna-Koul and the ford Karaoutkoul
it is necessary to dig wells, on account of the badness of water in the
Bahtee-Koureem. There is scarcely any pasture at the springs Daouh-
Hodja ; but it is to be found in the neighbouring mountains. For firing
—djikda and saksaool,* &c., are met with on the greater part of the
road,

The road from Oulou-Taou, Taou, Atbassar, Koktchetarr, and Petro-
pavlovsk joins the last-mentioned road at Kon-Dombak on the river
Saree-Su. The distance from Petropavlovsk to Turkistan is 1,500
versts.

* Bramble trees,— Translator.
PWN

Lol
AOD MN AN

ca

12.
13

‘<

14.
15.
16,

17,
18.

19.
20.
OT.
52;
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.

COLONEL VENUKOFF’S ROUTES, 435

IlI.— The caravan road from Troitsk to Tashkent,

. The town Troitzk ...
. Station Mihaylovskaya
. The lake Kourpoueedan

The lake Yaman-Alakoul ...

Dombar

. The forest Yaman-Karagay
. The river Djailebay a
. The lake Shageer-Koul ...
. The lake Ourkatch...

. The lake Tchouitee

. The sources of the river

Kabeerguee...
Sands Kashelack
The town Turgai ...

Days.
I One day’s journey.
I
1 Between the river Tobol and the
Nickolaeffsk station.
1 By the river Tobol.
1 The last forest to the south.
I
I
1 Large supplies of salt.
I
I
2
I

 

The river Djeelantchik ...
The lake Boustche-Koul ...
The rivers Kargalai and
Kaydoul ey

The river Moldeer ...
Kalmak-Kerglan

Aispai af a
The lake Arse-Toos
The lake Telekoul ...
The well Daoud-Hodja
Meen-Boulak
Yanee-Kourgan...
Turkistan

Chemkent

Tashkent

13 days. About 450 versts.

2
I

I

I

1 Probably the place where the Kal-
mouks were massacred in 1772.

13
1} Sands.
14 Sands.

I

I
I
= Along the mail road, or along-
3 side it.

 

38 days. About 1,640 versts.
4 36 APPENDIX P.

IV.—From the town of Irghiz to Kasalinsk.

A mail road.* It is within the district of the Governor-General of
Turkistan. Good stations are to be found. The town of Irghiz is 393
versts from Orsk by the mail road.

Versts.
1. Djalangatch... vee wes 20
2. Katye-Koul... ies va 18
3. Djalownee ... ace wi, 36)
4. Terekli i iiss se “30
5. Djouluss... dies eng TZ.
6. Kara-Koudouk ae oe 18
7. Doungluck-Sor ... ia BO Sands for Karakoum.
8. Koul-Koudouk ee ie, 20
g. Altee-Koudouk ... wwe 21
10. Ak-Djoulpass a ne 28
11. Sapak eats se ia) 28
12. Kameeshlee-Bash ... oe 28
13. Bok-Baoulee sits we 34
14. Fort No.1. ThetownofKasala 32

346 versts, and from Orsk, 739.

V.—From Kuldja to Kasalinsk.

This road from Vernye is a mail road. It runs through the Russian
colonies, which may be looked upon as the basis of our operations in
Turkistan, both within the boundaries of Djungaria, Tian-Shan, Touran,
and Khiva. It branches off at different points; the south branches lead
into inner Turkistan. The above-named roads, from the Kirghiz steppes
and European Russia, join it from the north.

The town of Kuldja (old, or of Taratchinsk). |

Versts.
1. Yangueeshar ave «. 15 Cross the river Ili,
2..Hanahay ... oer sc BT

3. Kaldjatt .. oe oe 2340,
4. Ketmen he a be 30 Villages near mountains.
5. Dardamba ... vee vee IQ

6. Tchountchjee ous ieee 25
7. The ford Telek .., « 23 By the river Tchareen,

8. Kara-Toum ... tee me 13
9. Saree-Tchagan wae se 30
to, Saree-Boulak vee vee 30

* This road I travelled along myself. Some of the stations have been changed. In
Appendix Q this route will be found as it now exists.— Translator.
COLONEL VENUKOFF'S ROUTES.

Versts.
zo Onthe river Tchilik.
19
21
22
20
22 } Carriage road.
23

393 versts. A good cariiage road.
28%
27
27
33
308
323
30
23
22% Cross the river Chu.
232
133
19
2 .
aod Close to mountains ; many small
af rivers, marshy river leds, and
oe ravines.
224
aaa.
29
30
24

11, Togoos-Toraou sas sas
12, Lavar ae ait
13. Oulkoun-Enko aig ac
14. Village Mihailovsk...

1S. Military station Sophina ,
16. Military station Nadejdina
17. The town of Vernye

18, Village Lubovniy

19, Ousouu-Agatch

20. Kastek

21. Targansk

22. Otarsk i “ei ita
23. Kourdaysk ... se3 ous
24. Sagatinsk

25. Konstantinovsk

26. Pishpek

27. Soukoulouk ..,

28. Aksou

29. Karabaltee ...

30. Tchaldeewarr

31. Merke e's

32. Tartee

33. Koumareek ..,

34. Akeer-Tubai

35. Outch-Boulak

36. Aulieta ve

37. Fouyouk ...

38. Terse... aah

39. Tchakpak ...

40. Tulkouba ...

41. Mashat aa

42, Mankent ..,

43. Chemkent ... wee

44. Bourdjar ...

45. Areess toe

46. Bogoun tee ais vee

502% of good road.

30 Cross over the Talazs.
20
28
28
30
12
25

173 versts.

Across many rivers and ravites.

14
20 Cross over the Areess,
30
43 8 APPENDIX P,

Vv

Versts,
47. Ak-Molee ... eae ses. 30
48. Nogay-Koura ee we 17
49. Ikan ie es sa 19)
50. Turkistan ... es eee 22

 

152 versts,

51. Koss-Missgueel ... we. 20
52. Saouran ss sve 28
53. Arasatt ies oun wee 35
54. Yanee-Kourgan ... ve 352
55. Tumen-Areek ... we IQ
56. Djataktal ... nie ve 25
57. Misheoulee.., wi me 28

58. Djoulek ... int ve 250 |
59. Tartougay .., ba bese 30 Along the banks of the Syr Darya

60. Dinartee-Koum “a 28 river. Steppe,
61. Djartee-Koum ... a 25
62. Berkasan .., oh ve «8
63. Beroubay ... ais ww. =16
64. Perovsk ... se ie 26

 

3463 versts,

65. Dmitrievsk,., ie we 233
66. Petrovsk ... ate wwe 262
67. Semenovsk es vee 204

Steppe. To the north of the

68. Alexandrovsk nee wwe 233 :
Jungle on the banks of the

69. Vladimirsk.., si vee 242

70. Theodorovsk i veer LO Syt Darya.
71. Victorovsk .., ae see 20

72. Karmaktchee (No.2)... 22

73. Hor-Hout .., ea ign ES.

74. Kara-Tougay oe ses 20

75. Illtcheebay re vee 26

76. Ak-Djar... ea vee 24

77. Ak-Souatt... 4... ..,. 22 [ Along the Syr Darya,
78. Mayleebash sys ave 32)

79. Bass-Kara .., ey coe 22

80, Kasalinsk .,, cna ow 18

391% versts.
In all... vas 1,9283 versts,
COLONEL VENUKOFr’S ROUTES.

439

Vi—from Kuldja to Pishpek by Issyk-Kul,

1—4. Village Ketmen ..,

24.

Fergan valley. At Sang they cross the Syr Darya.

. Tchalkadee-Sou
. Karagaylee ... .
. Tcheebeetee-Boulak

. The river Kaiguen ..,
. The great Karkara...

The little Karkara ...

. The river Tounn

. Preobrajenskoye ...
. Ouital

. Koungay-Aksou

. Tchoulpan-Ata

. Tcheerpickskaya ..,
. Touraygueersk =...
. Koutemaldinsk

. Kok-Moinak

. Djell-Areek ... ‘
. Karaboulak... ves
. Tokmak ow
. Isseegatee

Pishpek

Inall ...

vee

Versts.

107
42
19
24
20
26
17
25 Over the Santash.
30. «By the river Toup.

40
32|
33

27
17
°7° The Bouam defile.

27)

30

] f The valley of the Chu.

23

See the route No. V.
Over the Ketmen.

Through a valley.

By the northern shore of Issyk-Kul.

«+» 650 versts.

The mail road begins at
the twelfth stage.

VII.—From Aulieta to Kokan.

A difficult bridle-road over the mountains,

. Outch-Kurgan :
. The mountain-pass ee

Boura

. The river Tcheerik

Kouree-Tchaneesh

éesh ade

. Ak-Tash

. The mountain-pass Tchan-

Versts. Verst
25 | 7. Iskee-Abad ves q3

8. Namangan one w= =20
40 | 9. Turia-Kurgan.., ewe 12
35 | 10. Sang 3 aes oe = 33
30 | 13. Soultan- Saved se saa 2

12. Kokan eee i 20
25 —
25 299

From the village Iskee-Abad to Kokan caravans march through the

go across twenty versts of sand,

After this they must
440

NOM PWN HE

16,
17.
18.
I9.
20.

wPwHNe

APPENDIX P.

VIIL.—From Chemkent to Samarcand.

Chemkent is on the road from! Turkistan to Aulieta (see route No. V.).

. Ak-Tash wn
. Begler-Bek ...
. Sharaeehan ...
. Djerree

. An-Djar

. Kouplan-Bek
. Tashkent ...

. Niasbash

. Tashkent station
Io.
Ir,
12.
13.
14.
15.

Tcheenaz
Malek
Moursa-Rabat
Agatchleek ...
Outch-Tubai
Djeesak

Yanee-Kurgan
Sarayleek ;
A stone bridge
Djimbay
Samarcand ...

In all ...

.. 17. Cross the Syr Darya,

Versts.
vee 149
van 15
w.. 21}
we IG
vs. 16}
gee TS

. 183

1142
. 192
giv. 22
Pe
w 332
eos 292
xs 20
oe TA

179%
».. 234 Defile,
ow 152
wev THE
ee 19F
sry LOR

94%

388% versts.

A sterile steppe.

The mail road.

1X.—From Tashkent to Namangan.

. Keliaoutchee
. Teliaou tae

Kam-Rabat

. Shaydan ...
. Ak-Djar ...

wee

Versts,
es» 52{ 6, Oroum-Saram_.,
“x 30) 7. Shagan.,, is
vee 25 8. Tchouss
es 22] 9. Turé-Kurgan
«+ 321 10, Namangan

Versts.

eee

eee

In all, 273 versts of good caravan road. Suitable for carriages.

24
“5

32
20

12
 

COLONEL VENUKOFF’S ROUTES. 441
X.—Frou Tashkent to Kokan.

Versts. Veists.

1. Kouiluke ”.., eee .. 12 | 6, Tchilmahram re sae 32

2. Toy-Tubai .., as .. 22] 7. Bayboutee ... ave eee 32

3. Kelsaoutchee wae ww. 18] 8 Kokan sa ave aw 8

4. Teliaou eae 30 —

5. Moulla-Meer 56 210

Cross the Chirchik on rafts, at Kouiluke, and the Syr Darya at
Tchilmahram.

XI.—-From Tashkent to Hodjent.
A mail road, ‘through a populous country.

Versts. Versts.

1. Karassou ... ase oe =344| 5. Moursa-Rabat Pon 30

2. Pskent ‘ .. 18] 6, Hodjent 4. ae 24

3. Ouralskaya ea wee 26 -—

4. Djamboulak a0 wee 30 170

XIL.— From Osh to Djizzak.
A capital carriage and caravan road through Fergana.

Versts. Versts

Osh aes —j| 9. Hodjent ... vee 32

.1, Assakai 60 ——

2. Kokand spa 28 112

3. Margueelan + 23 | Io. Naou wala wee 25

4. Reeshtan vee 27 | It. Oura-Tubai 40

5. Kokan ae wie os 36 | 12. Savat 32

13. Zaameen ... siiie waa 25

168 | 14. Djizzak ads aoa 55

6. Bish-Areek wee aes, 32 =

7. Kaneebadam 24 177

8. Karaktcheekoum ... 24 In all ... 457

There is a good carriage road from Hodjent to Djizzak,
442 APPENDIX P,

XII —From Samarcand to Bokhara.
Through the valley on the left bank of the Zerafshan.

Versts.

Samarcand wa oo. — | 6. Mialik... <a
1. Daoul aes Le «. 22 | 7. Boustan ... as
2. Tchimbay ... figs «» 21¢| 8 Kouyouk-Mazar ...
3. Katee-Kurgan «4. wee 223] «9, Bokhara ... aes
4. Kala-Ee-Davouss ... vee 30
5. Kerminai ... waa ee 35

X1IV.—F rom Samarcand to Karshi.

 

Versts
we 18
oe §=28
we 25
eo 29

225

A caravan road through a hilly country ; no streams, but plenty of wells.

Abundance of water.

 

 

Versts. Versts,
1. In the valley of Miankal 30 5. Koungour-Taou ... iw 15
2, Djamm aes aes vee 40 6. Karshi ee si wi IF
3. Shour-Koudouk ... we 20) ais
4. Kara-Tegueen ... ow 12 133

XV.—From Bokhara to Beldjouan.

Versts. Versts.
1, Kogan sae oui vo & | 15. Darvan wet oe 16
2. Mamo-Djourgatee .. 16 | 16, Baysoon 24
3. Karaoul-Tepai... ww. 16 | 17. Kaluke we 36
4. Kakeer es ae .. 24 | 18. Mirshad ize 26
5. Hodja-Mouborak .., w. 20 | 19. Deehnaou sive 24
6. Bousourg-Serbaba o 24 | 20, Dashnawat ow 23
7. Pidna ves se vw. 12 | 21. Reegar ss 20
8. Karshi aaa See *.. 16 | 22. Guessar a 24.

—| 23. Demambai sep 26

134*| 24. Feyzabad ... 15
g. Yankent ... wie es 20 | 25. Norak ste 32
10, Gousar vee vee 24 | 26, Duert-Koul 24
11. Bibee-Karagatch .., .» 24 | 27. Kongour 24
12, Tchamkaya sae ss 35 | 28. Belldjouan Por ue AO
13. Habsan ... eee eee 12
14, Arbat aes oe we IO In all ... 603

* The figures are given as stated by Colonel Venukoff. Where errors occur in the
addition, the translator does not assume the responsibility,
AnWPWN NAWPWDHND NOWNP WN

OD KSNANDAWH HA

ro

 

 

This road is mentioned by Burnes, Wood, and “ Mirza.”

COLONEL VENUKOFF’S ROUTES. 443
XVI.—From Bokhara to Balkh.
Versts. Versts.
. Karshi ive ova «. 134 | 8. Seerdaba ... vee 20
Kara-Tepai an «. 24 | 9. Farrahabad 22
. Kirkeendjeek a sae OA | TO) a . 80
Kees-Koudouk ,.. .. 32 | 11, Balkh :
. Shour-Koudouk .., wa 32 Se
 Irakbitan .. eae TS Tn 955
. Hodja-Sala... ae es 27
XVII. From Bokhara to Merve.
Versts. Versts.
. Shar-Islam... aie’ we 24 | 8 Balgoui ass 25
. Karakoul ... ae w. 32 | 9. Nizasher ... ia 60
Ardan an aie v.36 | Io. Kaltcha 30
. Dengees_... 28 | 11. Merve 40
. Tchardjoui (anew ‘Datyal 32 ae
. Kouttaminar ses sev BO Inall ... 367
. Shirk-Rabat ase se 30
XVIII.—From Bokhara to Maimene.*
Versts not given by Venukoff.
Versts. Versts.
. Hosh-Rabat wee 58s 7. Hor-Abat ... on .
. Shaha ae 2 8. Kagdeef-Kala ‘
. Karalindai .. ae g. Maimene ... . 130:
Tay eee Ina 5
. Andhoui ,,, . 145
XIX.— The Bactrian Road.
Versts. Versts.
. Andhoui from Maimene ... 130 | 11. Tuleehan... 28
. Aktcha 12, Hibard 221,
. Tchoutchak ze 13. Roustak ... a 16
Tachtanoul . 150 | 14, Alkaseem 13
Mezar sais aes 15. Atam-yad 22h
. Kohrabash ... 16, Tchchardourra ... 17
. Houloum ... se .. 70 | 17. Feysabad (iaadidicshan) 12
Abdan ie vee a a
. Koundous ... ase we 48 dno gas:
. Halabad .., ive ‘aa 1G

* See Appendix R. Captain Kostenko’s route from Maimene to Bokhara,
444

APPENDIX P,

XX.—From Kokan to Kashgar.

Osh is 168 versts from Kokan, as in the route No. XII.

From Osh

three different routes are given by the natives ; but on looking at the list,
they appear to resolve themselves into one, except at one place :—

Versts.
Madee... we 14
Kablan-Kol ee 35

Houlsha ... ive 2,
Keeseel-Kurgan ...
Sofoo-Kurgan
Djerday
Terek-Davan
Ak-Suouk..,
Kok-Sou ... es
Aygeesek ... S58
Togoy-Basha ..,
Djeegueen
Meen-Tour eae
Roman-Koul
Yastecketchou ...
Ok-Sallach one
Shoch-Boulak
Kanjeegalee :
Meen-joll se
Kashgar ..

4
we 3
3
2
3
3
4
3
4
2

23

23

MWHWWwWum

Inall ... 63

 

Versts,
Langer ... se 3
Kablan-Kol 4
Houlsha ... 4
Keeseel-Kurgan ... 4
Sofoo-Karaoul 3
Sourfa ee 3
Terek-Davan .., 23
Sarat oe 3
Ars-Souyouk we 3
Togoy-Tobai a3
Djeegueen wwe 4
Nagaree-Tchaloua 4
Korgan ... ws 3
Seeree-Ketchek ... 3
Korgashin-Kan .., 3
Kondjee-hallee ... 5
Meen-yoll 5
Kashgar .., one 5

In all ... 643

 

Madee ...
Kablan-Kol
Houlsha ...

Keeseel-Kurgan .,,

Sofoo-Karaoul
Shart (mount)
Alay ‘ss
Analma ...
Togoy-Boree
Terek-Davan
Alb-Souyouk
Aygueesek
Korouan-Kol
Djeegueen
Korgan
Yasteeketchou
Ok-Sarach
Shor-Boulak
Kanjeegalee
Meen-yoll
Karaoul-Keeta
Kashgar ...

In all

Versts.
2

we

te ie

WwW NWWMNNW RWW HW HPWWW WWW

|

. 703

There are no settlements on the roads, and caravans rest under the

open sky, where convenient, and near the brooks or wells.

The

moun-

tainous character of the country past Sofoo-Karaoul, sometimes obliges
the traveller to make detours.
APPENDIX Q.
Captain Durnaby’s Route from Orenburg to Kasala.

Name of erahions Number of

Town of ¢ ae erste
Najinsky sus as ais ie tee tee tes 17
Kamennye he a an an a 5 a 14}
Vyazooskaya .., is aes ek wae ae ce 16
Krasnogorskaya sis sae wa ee ae ae 27
Giryalskaya .., sat wet at ee es a 223
Verhne Osemaya ate ais its sist eee eae 21
Nicholskaya ... sate aie nes ‘as ‘ins ‘as 27%
Jlinskaya tie ee oe ae ais ies sole 19
Podgornye ho ee aie ais ies ce iss 19
Gooberlinskaya eae ws wa ss ato Sis 26
Habarnye jes re bs se isi ates sis 29
Orsk see aaa va $i a doa si $03 264

Total versts ... 265

Tokan ... witd ite iia Hels Fee iis as 2

Istemes ... aa ii site ak ate ate ws 32
Aral Tubya ... sie ied ots ae ise uae 254
Sarye Kamesh ae ait athe id es wis 363
Boogatye Sai ... esis ‘in ae ies ais ie 22
Damdye dick te sisi ia oe wis ‘ae 19
Bashkarabootak ie iv wis oui see os 284
Fort Karabootasky ... oak Ss ooo ee co 20

Total ... 210

Choolak Kairaktye ... ke vee ies bai ies 322
Koomsai re site ats it or vi ies 25%
Karasai aa ‘ise i sia va RAE. eis 262
Saralye ... ie Pe ae as she ane sae 323
Kuezzel Yar... ae sie ss se wate oe 303
Booz Goomer ... sae a as ies is aes 143
Ural Fort ves a ie si avs Batt tee 20

Total ... 1823

Ozer Djalangach te oh ie ose wee she 20
Sales... on an es ce ae os sie 25
Arma w. iss ee nis see ans ase ae 26
Terekli ... ite ove ee a aie ve sa 30

 

Total ... 101
446 APPENDIX R.
Djooluse tee tes oss os ay
Kara Koodock
Konstantinovskaya ... sie ian Sais
Djoongoorlock Sor... ae ose ea
Kool Koodock Ga nae site tes
Nicolaevskaya... ; “ih aie

Altye Koodock at ss a

Ak Djoolpas ...

Soppak ...

Andreevskaya ...

Kameshlye Bash

Golovskaja

Bik Baooli

Yuniskaya sa oe

Fort Number One, or Kasala

APPEND IO. Rs

Total

17
17
163
16
15%
16
16
164
17
17
17
16%
134
16
14

 

241¢

MARCH ROUTES IN BOKHARA AND AFGHANISTAN, COMPILED BY
CAPTAIN KOSTENKO, A RUSSIAN STAFF OFFICER.
SEE KOSTENKO'S “CENTRAL ASIA."*

from Bokhara to Balkh and Koondooz.

From Bokhara

Karshi ... st wie sie wie nis sic
Cross the Amou Darya at Kileff or at Hodja Sali
about
Village of Aktche vas oes
Town of Milik...
»  Balkh
39 Hoolm Pac eae
Ss Koondooz .,. aes oes oes ane
Total
from Bokhara to Cabul.
Bokhara.,. wee ea se sal ais aay
Town of Balkh eo ni a Bei eee
- Hoolm ee ses oes oes eos
Valley Segana...
Town of Bae :
Cabul ... aia es beg
Total

Versts.

136

180
65
30
50
70
80

611

300

150

981

* Published at St. Petersburg, 1870.—7vranslator.

 
MR. BEKTCHOURINS ROUTES. 447

from Bokhara to Maimene and Herat.

Versts. Days.

Bokhara ee ‘iis si sini aaa its = 3 _
Town of Karshi alee sat say ar 136 4
»  Kerki on the Amou Darya wee ane TBO 4

»  Aktche ants sits os a wee 65 2

9 Andhoui_... ss oe zie 50 2

33 Hirabad_.., ing eis Sh nag 30 I

9 Kadgyif-Kala ive ons ae ees 35 " I

9 Maimene ... tee aa van er 35 I
Total 531 15

Kaisar ... ‘ . . 2
Kale-veli ... 2
Kale-no ia ay ‘ iat sis ate ‘ihe 4
Town of Herat ... aes ‘nie ia tas ue eas 2
x 25

 

APPENDIX S.

MARCH ROUTES IN CACHEMIRE AND AFGHANISTAN, COMPILED
BY MR, BEKTCHOURIN.*
Road from Koondooz to Cachemire.
. Koondooz (three days’ march ; there are villages on the road).
. Gooliab (four days’ march).
. Badakshak (five days’ march).
. Chitral (three days’ march).
. Village N (eight days’ march).
. Town of Tebiat (five days’ march),
. Gilget (seven days’ march. You meet with villages).
. Cachemire.
This road runs through a mountainous district, and there are
difficult passes over four high mountains.

Road from Cabul to Peshawar.

On An ARW N

Cabul.
. Boothak.
. Tchinari
. Barikau.
. Haidimak.
. Djalzal-Abad.
Dake.
. Peshawar.
This road leads through mountains and defiles. Horses and mules
can pass along it.
* See Bektchourin’s ‘‘Remarks on Turkistan,” published in Kazan in 1872,—
Translator,

SN AN RY PH
I,

On

Oo mn

It.

12.

14.
153
16,

APPENDIX T.

COLONEL VENUKOFF’S ROUTES IN CHINA
AND IN CENTRAL ASIA*

From the eastern boundaries of Manjuria to Guceerin.
(a.) From the Gulf Possette through Houn-tchun and Ningootoo.

Expedition Bay vs.

The town Houn-Tchun

. The river Mitchen ...

»  Kachan...

5 Fourcha ...
Hata Pe és

. The river Malchouri

Pr Hourcha

. The town Ningootoo

, Village, Koulou-lamouhoo

i Scharan ww.

»  Dirha vies

»  Talan eee

3  Omoho-soro
The village Ikessou
53 Touyitoune

20

21

4t

21

41

Versts. t

ee. — At the mouth of the river Tchurha,
viz., 10 versts by the sea from
the Novgorod Post. :

.» 30 Bythe valley of the river Tchurha,
across the frontier (20 versts),
and then into another valley.

«. 25 By the left bank of the river
Toomen-Ouli.

«» 35 Do. Some Chinese huts in the
the valley.

.. 25 Through the valley Kachari. Chi-

nese huts.

ws 25 Do.

«+ 30 Through a hilly country.

30 ©Over well-wooded hills.
40 Hills along the river Malchouri.
20 Here you cross the river Hourcha,

260 versts.

Hilly country on the left bank of
the river Hourcha.

Do. A postal station (first from
Ningootoo).

Hilly country to the north of the
lake Birtine ; cross the river
Aicha,

Hilly country, covered with pine
woods to the north of the river
Fouldsehai.

Over the hills,

Over the hills.

Over the ridge of Fosschan.

* The names given in this list of routes are spelt phonetically. I strictly follow
Colonel Venukoff's rendering of the Chinese words, &c. This officer remarks that any
mistakes found in his work will be readily seen and corrected by the reader.—F. B,

+ Three versts are about equal to two-miles,
17. The village Lafa_...

18.
19.

20.

heavy rains.

COLONEL

Versts.

ee 31
9 Eguemoo

” Nishicha

The town Gueerin ...

VENUKOFFS ROUTES.

449

Through the mountains,
40 The same.
+. 38 Hilly country along the river

Echane-biri.

8 Through the valley of the Soungari,

which is crossed near the town,

302 versts,

Total ... 562.

The general aspect of the route is hilly and woody.
peopled, and difficult travelling for carriages.
Many small rivers overflow.

20 Stages.

It is thinly
There are frequent and
Snow in winter.

(). From the mouth of the Soungari to Gueertn,

iv
Michael-Semionovsk Station

The town San-Sin(Ilan- nee 310

 

1. Miao-Tzoune one 10
2. Ordo-Moussoune ... 35
3. Tchungourkoo on wee 36
4. Fourchoune ... ove 36
5. Fossichaine ... sa eae 98
6, Salé-Fotekoo sex 20
7. Ficktoo ie ese 52
8. Sakouri ‘ice sas vies il
g. Lalin-Dogone 15
10, Mangou-Karoune ... owe 15
/

11 Tenguel-Tchekoo ... oo 15
12—15. The town Gueerin 114
In all from San-Sin 427

ts,
About fifteen versts below the

junction of the rivers Amour and
Soungari.

By the river Soungari in boats.

Cross the river Hourcha.

The details of this route are not
well-known : Chinese road-books
do not give them. From the maps
it is seen that there are piaces
where you can cross over the
rivers: Majan, Tchabar, Ficktoo,
(Ajechai?), Altchoucka, and La-
lin. The river Altchoucka is
some ten versts from the Sakouri
station. The general aspect of
the country :— Slightly hilly,
covered with wood on its eastern
part, and more open and culti-
vated onthe western. The popu-
lation of the western part is
small. According to Mr,
Brunier and Mr. Williamson,
the vegetation is good every-
where. A great deal of marshy
land.

On the river Soungari.

See route No. II. Stages 33—36.

From Michael-Semionovsk 737 By water by the Soungari, 1,050

ae

versts.
450 APPENDIX T,

(c). Other routes in Eastern Manjuria.

Besides these carriage roads, which are bad, there are others in the
Eastern Manjuria, which, to use a Siberian expression, are known under
the name of /ajejnt, viz., forest. They are as follows:—

(1). From the valley Soutfoun to Ningootoo.—By this route it takes
fifteen days to go from Bladivostak to Ningootoo, probably some 300
versts. In Russian territory this route leads along the left bank of the
river Souifoun ; and in Manjuria, by the sources of the Mouren, and
along the river Kouitoulin,

(2). From the bank of the Ousuri river, by the River Mouren to Nin-
gootoo.—A caravan road. Light vehicles can be used. On the sides of the:
road you see woods and hills. There is hardly any population. Twenty
days’ march (more than 400 versts).

(3). From the banks of the Ousuri, along Dumane, Kirkin, and Voken
to the San-Sin.—This is a bad path for pack animals ; it winds through
woody mountains. Over 360 versts.

(4). From the banks of the Ousurt, by Nour and Voken, a similar
path, about 400 versts.

According to Mr. Williamson, there is no road between the towns
San-Sin and Ningootoo, but the communication is kept up in summer by
boats, and in winter on the ice along the river Hourcha. The explora-
tions made by Barbash in 1872 are not yet published.*

Il—From Blagovestchensk through Tzitsikar to Gueerin :—
Versts.

Principal town Blagovestchensk — On the left bank of the Amour.
Here the river Zeja adds its
waters.

1. The town Aygoun .., «» 31 After having crossed the Amour,
the road leads along its right
bank through a series of villages,

2. Ganza (Homnia) ... ee 15 A plain. On leaving the river
Ganza you find a night stage
at the village.

3. Eldjana die sii +. 20 Hilly; fairly populated country.

4. Sandjana... are - 17 At first you pass through a valley,
afterwards though a hilly country.

5. An idol temple, Tougousa... 20 By the valley of the river Koumour,
after which you ascend some
rising ground,

* Colonel Venukoft’s Routes were published in 1873.— Translator.
COLONEL

. Sindjak ose ove

7. Merchai ‘ine aie
8. Sidigou an one
9. Simadou ... tee
10. The town Merguen..,

Il.
12.

13.

14.
15.

16.

17.

38,
19.

20.
21.
22.

23.

24.
20%

Eelaka ate See

Kamnika ... ee
Boldo... aes wile

Locha ae aes
Nimnen wise bie
Tchachar as
The town Tzitzikar...

Tamdecha «. ate
Ontochon .. wae

Dhuhanay ... as
Talcha
Kouré (Goulou)

Oulan-Nor ... ‘ies
Mosin tes sie
Tchoukaou ... wee

¢
VENUKQFFS ROUTES. 451

Versts,
.. 21 A descent from some wooded

heights. Continue the march
along the river.

«. 21 A-valley, undulating ground, again
a valley.

ww. 15 A-valley,ahill. The country is flat
near the village.

se 24 Over small hills; an open, undu--
lating country.

+» 29 Hilly country, fairly populated,
and cultivated.

 

213 versts.

+ 36 Hilly country.
«. 22 The valley of the river Lolocha,
+. 31 Slightly hilly country. Cross the
river Nemer. On the other side
of the river Nonni to the west
there is a small town, Boutcha,
31 The valley of the river Nonni.

4I ” ” ”
38 ” ” ”
eve SI ”

” ”

The country is peopled and culti-
vated. The river Nonni is
navigable between Merguen and
Tzitzikar.

 

229 versts.

28 The valley of the river Nonni.

38 ” ” ”
A village some distance from the
river.
8 The valley of the river Nonni,
see 38 ” ” ”
owe 3 ” ” ”
ave 28 ” ” ”
There are Mongols in the neigh-
bourhood.
woe 22 ” ” ”
. 15 ”

” ”
Near the village is the junction
of the Nonni and the Soungari.
452 APPENDIX T.

Versts.
26. The town Bedounai ee 25 Cross over the Soungari,
27. Shery ite win see 30
28. Hotzi... sia avs ws 30
29. Soun-tcha-boo ate «. 17| Settlements in the valley of the
30. Talay-tchjao eae 26 SOUNGarie
31. Mongou divi is vex 526
32. Tenguel-tchekou ... wo. 26
33. Faien ee sis ... 26 The road passes by some hillocks,
34. Shouran... ais ... 26 The valley of the Soungari.
35. Town Boutcha ee «. 27 Cross the river Shouran; the

valley of the Soungari.
36. The town Guecrin ... + 35 The valley of the Soungari; cross
the river close to the town. It con-
— tains nearly 60,000 inhabitants,
535 versts,
In all from Blagovestchensk, 977 versts. “36 stages.

Taking into consideration the distance from Gueerin to Moukden and
Pekin, we find that from Blagovestchensk to Moukden is 1,381 versts,
and to Pekin, 2,130 versts.

The road between Blagovestchensk and Gueerin is a good one for
carriages—at least for China. There are postal stations. The country
is rich in corn, Parallel with this road there is a water-way ; it extends
for more than 750 versts. It is practicable for steam navigation, The
whole of this road was mapped out in the year 1870, by the topographer,
Mr. Nachvalni, whose route much resembles the one given above. It was
published in 1871 by the West Russian Geographical Society,

Ill.—From Gueertn to Pekin.

Versts,

The principal town Gueerin... — On the left bank of the Soungari,
in a valley bounded on the west
by steep mountain slopes.

1. Seoudai eee nea «» 36 Upthe mountain. Hilly country.

2. Eelmin me toe .. 36 Hilly.

3. Saijan a Aa .. 28 Cross the river Eelmin. Hilly,

4. Eebadan se ie ve 31 Cross the river Saijan, Hilly.

5. Allin-émel ... ene ee 30 Cross the rivers Eebadan and

Itoun. To the north of the road
lies the town Kouan-tchen-tzsée,
with 35,000 inhabitants. It is
important on account ofits trade.
10.
Il.
12.

. Maingou-hay
. Town Khay-Youan-Sian

28
28

Kaoli (near the town Té-lin) 43
Eelou 35

The principal town ‘Moukden 36

COLONEL VENUKOFFS ROUTES. 453
Versts.

. Hairsou aie cae 33 Hilly. The valley of the Hairsou.

. Aigué-Hauton aes 40 Cross the river Hairsou; after

wards the valley. There are

hillocks.

The valley of the river Aigué.

Cross the frontier through the
gate Ou-youan-boo.

Hilly.

Cross the rivers Fan-hayand Eelou.

A plain. The town is situated on
the right ; northern bank of the
river Hounouhou.

404 versts.
13. Zou-bian we eile ve §=32 =A plain.
14. Zuy-lou-hay ... ave «. 21 Cross over the large river Laohay
on rafts.
15. Bo-tzee-boo ... 36 A plain.
16, Earl-dao-tzeen ees 25 A plain.
17. Siao-hay-sian ane . 25 Slightly hilly.
18. Town Kouan-neen- icuiepul 37. Aplain; slightly hilly.
ig Sin-tian 40 Very hilly ; then a plain.
20. Dou-loou-bo-tian 13 Crossariver. Hilly.
21. Town Zseen-tchjeou-foo 26 Cross the river Daleen-hay.
22. Soun-shan «+. 23 Cross the river Siao-leen-hay.
Mountains.
23. Da-chan-tian . 20 Hilly.
24. Town Neen-Youan-tchjeou 25 Hilly. Lan-Shanand Gan-tsao-leen
ridge.
25. Shah-hay-sé 20 Hilly. Not far from the sea.
There is a bridge over the river
Necn-Youan-hay.
26. Tchjun-hia-shé 20 Hilly.
27. Tsian-vey ... 36 Hilly. Cross two small mountain
streams.
28, Town Neen-hzy-Sian 27 Cross two small rivers, and pass
through the gate of the Great
Wall Shan-hay-gouan.
423 versts.
29. Town Foo-Neen-Sian «- 55 Hilly, and often steep mountains.
30. Loo-loo-Sian one + 25 Mountains. Cross the river Yan-

hay.
454 APPENDIX T.

Versts.

31. Town Youn-neen-tchjeou ... 18 Mountains. A tolerably large town.
It is situated in the valley of
the Lan-hay (Shandoo-hola).

32. Soo-hay ci oes «. 27 Cross the Lan-hay, near the town.

Mountains.

33. Fin-youan-Sian ww. = 35 = Hilly.

34. You-Sian soe +. 40 Cross the river Shah-loo-hay.
A plain.

35. Town Tsce-tchjeou ee 34 Cross the river Inn-mo-hay. A
plain.

36. San-hay-Sian se e 36 Cross the river San-hay. A plain.

37. Town Toun-tchjeou w. 36 Cross the river Bay-hay (Pay-

ho). This town is the corn port
of Pekin. The great stone wall
in ruins.

38. Pekin te te we -20)—=S There are two roads ; the northern,
paved with flagstones, is badly
kept, and is a bad one for car-
riages, At Palee-tchao there is
a canal; the southern road is
not paved. There are many
branch roads. The first brings
you to a Manjurian town, the

— second to a Chinese town.
326 versts.

In all from Gueerin ... 1,153 yy 38 stages.

This is a post road; but the stages are not always found as indicated
in the post books. The slopes in ascending and descending the Lao-doun
mountains are very steep. They are often washed away by heavy rains.
Crossing over the mountain streams is also difficult. On this road the
distances from Pekin are as follows :—

From Zourouhaytoo, 2,227 versts ; from Blagovestchensk, 2,130 versts ;
from the mouth of the Soungari, 1,890 versts ; from the Gulf of Possette,
1,715 versts. Look for details in routes Nos. I, II., VII.

IV.— The shortest route from Blagovestchensk to Pekin,

; Versts
1—17. The principal town Tzit-
zikar ... sa «-- 443 See the route in Manjuria, No. IT.
18. Village Barchirhay.., +. 9 Cross the river Nunni on rafts

and boats.
19. Village Gamiatay « es 24 The valley of the Nonni; well popu-
lated,
COLONEL VENUKOFF’S ROUTES.

Versts.
20. Village Hatayhay ... oo 24
21. Small town Tchaul-hauto... 46
22. Kara-chersoutay ve. 40
23. Datcheman-houdouk we 35
24. Hatchjatoo .., ene ee 30
25. Mahay ove ove vee 25
26. Nomouchin ... se eo 47
27. Hashatoo aes 20
28. Village Boroairgueen war 30
29. Tchjangoutoo ane oo = 22
30. Kaysou-Boulak 33
31. Dalay-hack .., tes 22
32. Sheenegol ... ous 30
33. Sain-hak ... ous 36
34. Kaysou-hodour 24
35. Kookootchol 26
36. Tchjourgatay oes 33
37. Shara-Nor ... sue we QT
38. Honhotoo oe 30
39. Kouren-bouha eee ee. 20
40. Halmay-Oulan one 22
41. Hareen-Ousoo aoe vee 30
42. Hohotouy ... aes wee, BO
43. Town Tchagan-So-Borchan 28
44. Hara-hoto ... aes ace 35
45. Sorabo wee Ses 38
46. Sousaybo aa os TS
47. Village Dan-ban 20
48. Small town Kuan-tchen 16

49. The gate See-fin-Kheou ... 31
50—56. Pekin ... 5 21k

455

A plain. Cross the branches of
the river Yal twice on rafts and
boats.

Slightly hilly. Cross the Tchaul
in boats

A steppe ; good pasture,

A steppe.

A steppe.

Asteppe. Cross the river Toro
twice. Two fords.

A steppe. Pastures not so good.

A steppe.

A steppe.

A steppe.

A steppe.

A steppe.

A steppe.

A steppe and hills.

A steppe.

Cross over Hara-Mourcn ; a plain.

The valley of the river Locha;
cross the same.

Hills; a stage.

A valley.

The valley of the river Honhotoo.

Hilly country.

Hillocks on the right bank of the
Locha. ;

The valley of the river Locha.

Cross the river Holo.

Small lake at the stage.

» ”? ”

” ” ”
Over the mountains.

The valley of the river Bao-hay,
”» ” ”

” ” ”
Mountains.

See the route in Mongolia, No.
VII.

In all... 1,576 versts. 56 stages, of which 28 (equal

to 784 versts) are in Mongolia.

This road serves as a postal route in Eastern Mongolia, which is at

present principally inhabited by a settled population.

This road is also

used by the couriers between Tzitzikar and Pekin. For the greater part
456 APPENDIX 1

of its extent it is a caravan road. It passes through a steppe with rich
pastures. Near the village Boroairgueen it forks south-west, passing
Heshouy, Boro-hoto, Tchjao-hoto, and the sources of Shara-Mouren to
Dolon-Nor. From this place to Boroairgueen it is more than 450 versts,

In former times the road from Tzitzikar to See-fin-Kheou was used by
the Russian caravans and embassies to Pekin. It is very convenient for
small detachments of troops, especially for cavalry.

V.— The shortest route from Bedounai to Pekin and Moukden.
Versts,
The town Bedounai ... «. co From Tzitzikar, 276 versts; from
the mouth of the Soungari by
the river, 700 versts.

1. Hilly-Mangua sie -» 42 A steppe.

2. Beckheeri-Bayshan ere 30 a

3. Tchagastoo-Bayshan «» 20 -

4. Bataranhoui... ea eee 35 5

5. Arou-Baucso (mount) ae 35 i

6. Narhan-shanga... tee 40 9

7. Village Borotoo ... «». 27 Mountains.

8. Hosho-mangua_... +». 35 Steppe, with mountains,
9. Shara-Mangua cas +. 50 Cross over Lcho-hay. Hilly.
10. Tapir-dala ... “30 .. 20 Steppe.

11, Eeké-Bayshan ued .. 45 Hilly steppe.

12, Bayshan... oh « 25 Along the river Neerkouy.

13. Kookoo-guerai... ve 28 " s 3

14. Hara-Bayshan ene eee 19 = 93 -

15. Tchagan-Hall sea wie O25 si 3 3

16, Baynoock ... ‘ia +». 20 Mountains,

17. Newtchugal-hoto .., eee 20 95

18, Village Kalka or soe 27 5

19. Harelin-Hall nei ewe 24 =

20, Abita-Dabagan_... se 26 ”

21. Kamchou-Soborchan vee 15 5

22. Koojin-Boé ... aie + 35 Mountains. Cross to the sources

of the Heen-Lo-hay.
23. Olo-hoshou ... aa .. 23 On the same river,

24. Sousay-Bo .., sae ... 26 Mountains.

25. Dan-Ban ... aa +. 20 The valley of the river Bao-hay,
27. Kouan-Tchen eee vee 16 * 35 8

28. The gate See-Fin-Kheou ... 31 Mountains.

29—35. Pekin ... ee . 211 See the route No, VIII.

In all...970 versts. 35 stages; of these 23 are
in Mongolia.
COLONEL VENUKOFF’S ROUTES. 457

From the town of Bedounai through the valleys of the Soungari and
Eetoun-Beerri there is a road to the Altin-Emel station, which is situated
on the main post road from Gueerin to Moukden. This road, which leads
through a populous country, was travelled on by Williamson, the mis-
sionary. It is 250 verstsin length. As the distance from the Altin-Emel
station to Moukden (the route No. III.) is 243 versts, the total amount
of versts between Bedounai and Moukden will be 493 versts, which is
170 versts shorter than the road through Gueerin,

VI.— The By-road from Tsitzikar to Houlan-tchen,
Versts.

The town Tzitzikar ... as HSS

1—7. Moseen station ... ses, 226 és ae
&. Bathiee-hatay See the route in Manjuria, No. IT.

+t wae : :
: Through a plain, then a slightly
oe Shabehily x a a ee hilly country on the left bank

R 1 sis aaa ie :
ee ae ie a of Soungari; a well-populated
12. Tchjoho-hoshotay ... 30 CiSRGH 8
13. Town Houlan-tchen .. 40 Cross the river Houlan,

In all ... 431 versts. 13 stages.
This is a post road,

ROUTES FROM ARGOUNI INTO THE BASIN OF THE
RIVER NONNI.

VIL—From Zourouhaytoo to Merguen.
Versts.

Old Zourouhaytoo station ... — On the left bank of the Argouni 9
versts higher up than where it
meets its tributary the Gan.

1. Netouga a eee «. 40 After having crossed the river
Argounithe road runs parallel to
the river Gan, through a hilly
country, and by the remains of
a wall.

2. A meadow by the river Gan 32 Through the valley of the river
Gan, and by hillocks, which
border it towards the south. In
some parts the road is difficult
to pass, on account of a great
quantity of burrows made by
marmots.

3. The river Aesken ... .- 35 Tartly in valleys burrowed by
marmots, and partly over woody
and grassy hillocks.
453 APPENDIX T.

Versts.
4. The river Tchonga... a 33 Through the valley of the rivers of
Aesken and Tchonga, amongst
the mountains.
5. The river Kouldour w. 36 Over the Hingan; flat, marshy,
covered with beech-trees.
6. The source of the Nomin... 26 <A steep ascent from the marshy
valley of Dzergeloun, to the
Hingan ridge. It is covered
with woods. A steep descent to
the Nomin.
. The river Nomin .., e 21 Through a woody and grassy
valley, sloping to the east.
8. 35 ates ws 39 The same valley, mostly prairies.
Four fords over the river.
S. ” on ex 40 Over the mountains near the river,
then again through the valley
, which is covered with woods.
Here the river begins to be navi-
gable for rafts.

“N

to. The road forks to Merguen

and Tzitzikar ba .. 38 The valley on the left bank of the
Nomin.
11, Theriver Houy-Lee) «ss» 37 Over wooded mountains into the

valley of Houy-Lee.
12. The river Houy-Lee, above its

‘junction with the river Gan 41 Through the valley Houy-Lee, and
over surrounding hillocks. The
fords are dangerous at flood-time.

13. The Toungouse village ... 17 By some hillocks, along the river
Gan. The first place where you
meet inhabitants.

14. Leedzou, a Chinese village 24 Cross the river Gan in boats at

the village.

The town Merguen... e 15 <A valley. Cross the river Nonni
in boats, at the town. Here the
river is seventy sajen* wide, and
from two to three versts at flood-

—— times.
In all ... 477 versts. 15 stages.

15

It is not an easy road totravel on. The country is woody and marshy
in the mountains. Carriages are used with difficulty. Itisa good road for
Caravans ; pastures are plentiful. In summer the road is infested by insects;
and in winter the overflow of the rivers is against the traveller. The dis-
tance from Zourouhaytoo to Blagovestchensk through Merguen is 661 versts.

* A sajen is seven feet.—-Trans/ator,
COLONEL VENUKOFF'S ROUTES. 459

VilA—From Zourouhaytoo to Tzitzikar.
Versts.
The old Zourouhaytoo station — On the left bank of the Argouni.

1. Thespring Shigeldchee ... 20 Cross the Argouni, then through
the steppe. Plenty of water at
the stage.

2. The spring Shindunay ,,, 20 Three times over mountains.

. The spring Yargoutay «. 12 A high ridge of mountains.

4. The river Mirguell ... +» 25 Indry weather, scarcely any water,
in wet weather impassable,

w

5. The town Kouloun-Boyr.

(Haylar)  .. sts .» 29 No woods; a steppe, and over
sloping heights. Four versts.
from the town you cross the
river Haylar,

 

106 versts.

6. Hak ... abe ese w. 20 A plain.

7. Djarmanay .. nae + 2°) The road is very hilly, the ground

8. Hara-Hoshou ee we SI is first wooded, then there is

9. Aeki-Earl  ... ete s+ 20 7 orass,andmarsb. At the stations.

10. Mendoukey ... on ves 20 Horsecuateto be had:

11. Harhey ae be ws 20)

12. Irektai eae a es 25 Over a wooded ridge of the Hin-

gan,

13. Boohatoo ... oo wes: (20

14. Eelan-Obo ... as ... 20] Descend the Hingan, afterwards.

15. Baree 20 through a well-watered and well-

16. Shavar aie se 20 wooded country, near the river:

17, Aja... Bas vis dime 26 Yalou. Many valleys and hills,

18. Saraktee ... te aa 26: No Jarge settlements or culti-.

19. Hara-Hatoy... iia ay 31 vated grounds.

20. Koukour ... wis ae 264 -

21. Hanjee sik oo ... 20) A populous and cultivated vallcy;.

22. Sheetai ig es ve 31S hills.

23. The town Tzitzikar «. 31 Cross the river Nonni; navigable.
433 versts

In all ... 539 versts, or 23 stages from
Zourouhaytoo.

This is the Chinese post road to Haylar, at one time passed by Langé,.
but probably much changed since then (1736) in details, so that it is diffi--
cult to compare it with the Chinese table of present stages, as shown here..
460

APPENDIX T

VIII.—From the banks of the Argount to Pekin.

Abagaytouy ... a

I.

wm

=o OND

=

13.
14.
15.
16,

17.

18,

19.

The river Haylar ...

. The lake Dalai-Nor

. The river Oursoun ...

. The river Oursoun...
. Oulan-Boulak eae

. The river Oursoun
. Bouir-Ee-Oulan-Aergee
. The lake Bouir-Nor
. The lake Tchaptou-Nor ...
. Thelake Hoytoo-Tossihonor
. Ibtartay-Nor aes

. Angueertoo-Nor ...

Boroldgeetoo-Nor ...
Habeergan

Hara-oussou $58
Horhon-Hall cen
Patchay-Koubour ...
Honker re ove
Kould ou eee foe

tce

Versts

— 120 versts from the old Zourou-
haytoo station.

zo After having crossed the river
Argouni, along the hillocks
Sheevee-Guntey.

“25 Cross the river Haylar, through
a hilly steppe; good pasture.

30 By the valley of this river; its
right bank is higher than the
left. Both banks are marshy.

30 ” ”

30 Cross over on the left bank of
Oursoun, in order to avoid
crossing at the mouth of the river
Kalka, by lake Bouir-Nor,

. \ Along the river Oursoun,

29 On the flat bank of the lake.

40 Aplain. Bad water at the stage.

33. A plain.

23 Aplain—dry at first, marshy after-

wards. *

Through grass-covered hills, then

a marshy plain.

33 Sandy, sometimes a hilly steppe.

26 A sterile plain, and mountains.

38

37 ” ”
40 Cross the rivers Hara-Oussou and
Intchagan. A plain.

31 A plain, partly marshy, and sandy
hills. Cross the rivulets Horhon-
Hall and Ten-Birra.

By a high steppe; past the bitter
waters of the lakes Keremtoo,
Koudoun, and others; and
afterwards by the valley of the
river Balougoura.

30. By the valley of Balougoura. Hills

in the neighbourhood. Sands to
the west of the river,

46
COLONEL VENUKOFFS ROUTES. 461

Versts.
*21, Koutourihou-Boulak ee 31 By the slopes of the Hingan ;
good pasture.
oe 38 A hilly steppe, afterwards by the
valley of Hara-Mouren.
es 32 The valley of Hara-Mouren; |
plenty of grass.
Cross over Sira-Mouren; after-
wards sands and mountain.
ee 15 Through a well-populated valley.
Good wells at the stage.
ee 24 Hilly; no timber ; a grass-covered
steppe.
27. a Seercha ... ses 33 On the road some deep ravines are
met with.
28. The spring Boulangar ... 32 Cross the river Seebai.
29. The town Kouan-Chen  ... 25 The roadisinahilly but cultivated
and well-populated country.
30. The gate See-Fin-Kheou .... 31 The road winds up amongst the
mountains. The Great Wall—
end of Mongolia.

22. Hara-Hoto (village)

23. Kourkai (village) ..
24. At the foot of mountains... 39
25. Hotosseen-Houdouk

26. The river Perkai ...

—_—

880 versts.
31. San-Doun-In sve es 31 Cross Lan-Hai over a bad bridge ;
mountains.
32. Tzun-Houa-tchjeou .. 26 Descend the mountains; then

through a well-populated valley.

- Bue eon sd 3 - Bya valley amongst the mountains.
35. Sang-Hay ... a .. 36 Aslightly undulating vale.

36. Toun-Tchjeou ise .. 36 Apopulated and cultivated plain.
37. Pekin aes aw «ss 20 There are several roads : for foot-

passengers it is better to follow
the one leading to the eastern
gate, and which is paved; for
carriages, one more to the south,
through a thinly-populated val-
ley—it leads to the south-eastern

_— gate.
211 versts.

In all .,. 1,091 versts. 37 stages.

Of all the roads from the Russian frontier, through Mongolia to
China, this is the shortest, the best provided with pastures, and the
best adapted for locomotion. Besides, this road is the most important

No. 20 stage has been omitted by Colonel Venukoff.— Translator.
462

APPENDIX T.

from a strategic point of view, because at first it leads into the most popu-
lated parts of Mongolia, and then into a country near the Yellow Sca,
where all kind of stores can be shipped. For carriages, in its southern,
mountainous half, it is as convenient as every other Chinese road.

36 stages—1,159 versts.
carts, the more especially for two-wheeled carts.

1X.—From the Nertchintsk boundary, past Lake Dal-Nor,

to Pekin.

From the frontier, near the Koubeldjin Lighthouse to Pekin, there are
It is a caravan road, but it is practicable for

Versts.

The spring Halsoutchee-Boulak — Some 35 versts from Tchindant,

x. Olon-Nor .. eee
2. Obodou-Not ig
3. Houtoo-Baydoo ...
4. Tcheerokee ... eee
5. The river Keroulane
6. Kondou wea ue
7. Airdenee-Tologoy ...
8. Hubto ie ain
9. Holostay-Boulak ...
1o, Tchortchee-Kebour
11. Tchono i
12. Ouguestchin.., ove
13. Houlassouty eee
14. Stourhoutoo-Boulak
15. Tezee-Boulak

16, Ounegate

17. Sharaee-Bouritoo ..

and ‘Kluchevsky.

36 A hilly steppe; many lakes.
Southerly direction.

28 ” ” ”

47 A hilly steppe. Direction south-
west.

40 Slightly hilly steppe; here and
there lakes; good pastures.

45 Steppe mostly level; good pastures.
A stage on the northern bank of

the Keroulane.
196 versts.

«. 25 A ford over the Keroulane, and

then a hilly steppe.
32 Ahilly steppe ; good pasture.
53 Very unlevel steppe ; good grass.
17
40
26
‘22

” ” ”
A plain: partly sand, partly hilly.
A plain ; pasture becomes worse.
First a plain, afterwards by some
hills.

15 Partly by the valley of Ouguest-
chin; partly by the hills, Central
Mongolia commences. Pastures
are poor.

+ 44 Steppe; in some places hilly.
+ 35 Sterile steppe.
+ 40 Sterile steppe, then small hills and
the valley of Tchikir-Ousou.
+ 32 Unbroken, slightly sandy steppe ;

turning to the S.S.E,
COLONEL VENUKOFFS ROUTES. 463

 

Versts,

18. Argai-Tchikir sigs w. 36 A plain

19. Habtchellee-Boulon wee 95 y

20. The sources of the Tchikir 34 Along the river, which is crossed
several times. The road turns
again to the south.

21. Obotlon Se es 31 Over the hills, past many springs.

22, Tagan-Nor ... oe « 27 A flat plain. The ruins of a temple
are seen to the west of Tagan-
Nor; and still further to the
west is the lake Dal-Nor.

526 versts.

23. In the steppe see « 31 Partly over hills, partly sands.
At the stage it is necessary to
dig wells. The water does not
lie deep.

24. Small lake Horay-Kourai ... 19 Hilly and sandy steppe. A difficult

2s. The lake Oustou-Kourai ... 38) road.

26. Small river Tourguen-Iskiar 36 A slightly hilly plain.

27, Small river Kourkir .. 3 A height to the west from the
mountain Pé-tcha or Hamar-
Dabagana.

28. The village San-Dain ... 31 Through the valley Kourkir.

29. ” You-djao-In iy “ST ” ” »

30. 55 Tzé-Tzian-In .... 26 Through the valley Shandou-hola.

31. 7 Nan-Ya «. 35 Some fords over the Shandou-hola
(Lian-ho) ; rather difficult in
rainy weather.

32, Hou-Bay-Kheou ... « 38 The road winds up amongst the
mountains. At Hou-Bay-Kheou
is the Great Wall, consequently,
the end of Mongolia, which,
for the last four stages, is mostly
populated by Chinese. You begin
to see trees after the 26th stage.

316 versts.
Through a deep valley of the river

33. aie aia - 50 Hakir, and over the surrounding

5 pat Se hillocks.

ne ave KS

: vee 30 { The same valley.
Mi-Youn-Sian 15
40.4 APPENDIX T,

Versts.
35. Niaou-Lian-Sian ... «. 31 Cross the river Pey-Ho; the com:
mencement of a plain.
36. Pekin tee oe + 41  Thickly populated plain,

131 versts

In all... 1,159 versts. 36 stages,

In the year 1689 a large caravan, accompanying the Chinese Mission
to Nertchinsk, passed this road twice. See Gerbillon, “Second Voyage
in Tartary,” and Du Halde, vol. IV., page 163, &c.

X.—From Tchindant through Dolon-Nor to Pekin.

This road, which really begins, not at Tchindant, but from the
Houlossoutay military station, was passed in carts by the merchants
Boutin in the year 1870. On their return from Kalgan, through Dolon-
Nor, they followed the same road.

Versts.
1. Military station Houlous-
soutay  .. eae «. 40 From Tchindant southwards
through the steppe.
2. Oussoun-Kilce aes «. 48 Between the lakes Dsun and

Baroun-Torey, and then to the
river Ouldsa.
3. Holotey-Nor aes se 32 Over some hillocks near Ouldsa.
4. The river Ouldsa ... .. 7 By the Mongolian Bousséeff mili-
tary station,
5. Horbouney-Boulak... . 48 A firm road ; hillocks.
6. Soumin-Boulak ... .. 303 A firm road; hillocks. The ruins
of a temple at the stage.
7. Koundouloun-Boulak (Ba-
yan- Doun) is + 52 A stony road; cross over the
Bayan-Doun mountains,
8. The lake Shara-Bourdou .... 49 Good, hard road.
g. Kairoulun, the reservoir of
Tzé-Baess es + 14 Descent into the valley. At the
station there are shops, a
monastery, &c,

3204 versts.

to, Tzagan-Tologoy 4. ww. 25 Hillocks.
11. Hashlar-Torogo ... «» 19 Large hillocks in a deep valley,
12. Tzagan-When-Houdouk ... 25 Hillocks.
COLONEL VENUKOFF'S ROUTES, 465

. Boro-Torom... ors
4. Tossoun-Houdouk ...
. Batouhan (Dzoun-Boulak)...

. Amoney-Oussou-Hoshun ...

. Hodjou-Boulak
. Atzanou-Oulan-Hoshun

19. Noukoutey-Hall ...

20. Baeen-Haylassan ... as

24.

7

26.

5

28.
29.

30.

31,
32:

33.

34.
35.
. Shourganta-Nor
37.
38.
39-
4O.

4I.

. Zashay-Houdouk .., one
. Ara-Houbou... ‘ge ose

. The river Dzoulga ...

Baeen-Dalay aes
. Sayhan-Oussou ... wee
Ouyout-Hall

Taboun-Houdouk ... sae
Ara-Hall ... BHR ae Cast

Bandida-Datzan  .., be
Takal-gatai .., a one
Balgueehay-Houdouk

Amalon (Chinese hut) ci

Sirouhan-Hall

Eehai-Tala ...
Tzagan-Nor...

ere

Tariatey-Houdouk ..,
Kirimtoo-Nor a
Saeetoo-Nor
Shandouhall

Dolon-Nor ..

Versts.

23
22

273
37

273
23

22
18

28
20

16

283

a

34
26

=

38
Io

30
30°

12

7

14
21
21
2I
Io

32
20

7654

Hillocks.

A spring at the Batouhan range of
mountains.

Through the valley of Shara-
Sharatey. Poor pasture.

Hillocks.

Good road. The stage at the
river Shonoin-Hall.

Cross the mountains.

By some hillocks to a dry river bed ;
wells surrounded by elm-trees.

Stony road, then a vast plain.

Over the mountains into a deep
valley.

Hillocks ; the river flows from W.
to E.

Over hillocks into a valley.

Over hillocks, past nomad camps.

Over mountains.

Over the Babeenai-Shéelai mount.

Hillocks, and a vast plain.

Two fords on the river Shileein-
Hall.

A ford on the same river. A
road over a mountain.

Hillocks, past rocks and volcanoes,

Cross over the Kouitoun-Shileein
crest.

A river on the north boundary of
the Great Sands.

Sand hills.

”

Sand hills then a hard road.

Partly sands.

A vast deep valley.

A deep valley. Lakes,

Near the ruins of the town Tchjao-
Nayman-Soumai.

Cross the river Shandou Hola (8
sajen 1} arshin *), then over hil-
locks.

versts.

* An arshin is 0'778 of a yard.— Translator,

DD
466

APPENDIX T.

Mountains.

Cross over Lian-hay, and moun-
tains,

Birch woods in some places of the
road. Mountains high.

Through the valley of Shelanhee.
The road to Geyhai.

Ascent and descent.

By the valley of the river Founin-
Tzan,

Versts.
42. Houminz .. aes we 35
43. Ounzhoumil ... ove ove 32
44. Niansa-Houmil  ... we «28
45. Hodgee-Houn (smalltown) 27
46. Dawa-Houmil ‘as scx 20
47. Shara-Hoto (mount) se 30
48. Boro-Nor (small town) 24
49. Seen-Dja ove vcs 20
50. Shopian-Lan ean coe 22
51. Houbay-Kheou eee 35

The Great Wall

273 versts.

52—57. Pekin ... woe eee: 132

In all ise

From Dolon-Nor
versts long.

1,491 versts.

to Kalgan there is a cart road.

Through a populated country.

This distance is probably
overstated.

It is some 240

XL—From the sources of the Onon to Pekin.

Versts.

The Asheenguee quarantine
. The Chinese quarantine on
the river Onon

-

32

2. The river Baeen-Hall 29
3. The brook Sadagueen-Hall 27
4. The river Hourhou 26

. The Tarkiltchee ... ose
. Keroulun si eee 40
7. The lake Darhan-Tzaydam 45

36

Aw

Through the valley of Onon.
Mountains.

The Doutoulur range and valley.
Through the valley of the river
Dgergalantoui and mountains.

Mountains.
Hilly steppe.
Valley and hills.

215 versts.*

* The following road from Kiachta runs to Darhan-Tzaydam :—

es «- 2794 See the route No. XII

” ”

On the river Keroulun,

Through a valley.

Versts.
Kiachta ma one =

1—12. Ourga ... wee

13—17. Mokotoo tee an ow 175
18. Baeen-Airguetoo .., oe aoe = 22
1g. Tono-Ola ... sk wa tm = 332
20. The river Keroulun aon wwe = 35
ar. The lake Darhan-Tzaydan. 32

Kiachta ...

576 versts,
COLONEL VENUKOFF’S ROUTES. 467
Versts.
8. Kontoul-Boulak ... es. 35 Mountains. Steppe; pasture
ground.
9. Tayreem (Tourin) ... vee 38 :
to. Tchagan-Boulak ... owe §=46 } Steppe, in places salt marshes.

11. Sheebartay ... ive

12. Onouin-Tcholock

ove

13. Ongon-Ailesou wee eee

14,
15.
16.

Kara-Manhounee-Habirgan
Houlousoutay-Tchagan-Nor
Soudetoo

Kodo-Koutchin
Scenzai-Shery

17.
18,

Tarhir as sa
Keterhou (Hederhon)
Horho

Habeergan ...
Seera-Souritoo

19.
20.
21.
22.
23. one tee
. Houloustay ... aes ane
25. Kour-Tchagan-Nor vee
. Kouen-Nor ...

. Koultouk

. Houjimouk (small lake)

29. The lake Angueertoo-Notr...
Holbo

30. ie ae
Kouysou-Boulak ... 7 w.

31.

51

32

30

35
25
36

36
25

21
15
15
26

19

28
17

25
23
21

19

e

15
20

Hilly steppe, firm ground, and
good pastures.

A plain with small hills. To the
east Onouin-Tcholock moun-
tains,

Steppe, in some parts stone, in
some grasSe

A plain—in some parts grass.

A plain.

Partly deep sands.
at the stage.

Sandy hills. Three wells.

A level steppe. Good water and
grass found at the stage.

Level steppe ; sand.

Hilly.

Hilly, sterile steppe.

Slightly hilly, the ground firm.

Steppe very flat, with small
quantities of deep sand.

Deepsandsuponanunlevel country.

Deep sands upon an unlevel coun-
try. The stage by a lake.

Along a river with high banks
over very broken country.

Unbroken steppe, afterwards sandy
hills,

A plain—in parts hard ground, in
parts deep sands.

Sand hills. Good water at the
stage.

Sands ; many hillocks.

Sands ; many hillocks (the forty-
fifth stage from Kiachta).*

Good water

* From here the road to Dolon-Nor passes the following stages :—

49. The village Airel
47. Nortoo-Boulak
48. Dolon-Nor ...

From Asheenguee quarantine
(From Kiachta ies ie

Versts.

30

35 Mountains and valley.

993 versts.
»». I,219 versts,

.. 30 A flat steppe.

34 stages.
48 stages.
468 APPENDIX T.

Versts.
32. Kon-Nor ... + . 41 Very hilly country.
33. Boro-Hauton (town) + Io Steppe, marshy during rains. The
town is on the river Shandougol.
34. Nogay-Hosho wa ... 27 <A level steppe, the village on the
same river.
35. Tchelon-Balgasou ... + 31 Hilly country, rich in grass.

36. The gate Doo-Shee- Katou 1s Hilly country.

786 versts.
37. Youn-Tchjeou-Sian ... 20 Mountains, afterwards by the val-
ley of the river Pey-Ho.
38. Tche-Tchen-Sian ... ess 25 Thesame valley, which in one place

is enclosed by mountains.
39. Tia-Ou-Boo... ee eo. «20

” ”

 

40. Koheen sia ies we «18 Wide elle
41. Toumoo ‘isis eats eee 2SE*
42. Houay-Lay-Sian ... + 18 [|The country is mountainous, but
43. You-Lin cle ons ee 15 well peopled, and cultivated.
44. Nan-Kheou ... oes we 3d
45. Sha-Hay .. ies see OT A well cultivated plain, with a
40. Pekin... 24 numerous population.
220 versts.
In allfrom Asheenguee quar. 1,221 versts. 46 stages.
In all from Kiachta ees 1,582 versts, 60 stages,

This road is important in this respect, that on it military detachments
can be moved conjointly from Selenga and Onon, which are divided in
Zabaykal by the Yablonoff range. For the movement of troops, this road
is the most convenient of all those which lead to the west. The Emperor
Khan-See led his large armies by it. The best season for marches is
in the months of April, May, August, and September,

XIL.—From Kiachta over Ourgoo and Kalgan to Pekin.
A Caravan Road.

Versts.
Kiachta te “ a5 ==
1, The lake Hilan- Nor v= = 9 Aplain.
2. Ibitzich ste ee + 24 Aplain. Mostly woody.
3. The river Iro eee «. 224 Cross the river Iro; a rocky
defile.
4. Kouitoun vee + 28 Ascent from the valley of the Iro

to the mountains,
COLONEL

5. Ourmouchtoui aie
6. Baeenhall ... axe
7. Harahall ... eee
8. Horimtoo .., oe
9. Hountzal ... ore
10. Bourgaltay ... ove
11, Arshanti... ove
12. The town Ourga ...

13.

14.
15.
16.

17.

18,
19.

20.
2!.
22.

23.
24.

25,
26.
27.

28.

29.
30.
31s
32.

33:

Nalayha =. ove

Haktza-Houdouk

Tchjargalantoui

Giltegentey ... oe
Moukotoo  .. eee
Bombotoo ... Pry

Boro-Houtchjeer ...

Sheebetoo ... eee
Shara-Sharotoo ...
Boussein-Tcheloo ..,
Koutoul we wee
Saeen-Koutoul is

Moubouloun... vee
Tzagan-Tougourik ...
Oudai
Gueezeergaeen-Hashun
Haylastoui ... eis
Tchoulouk-Tougouri
Koutoul-Ousou ve

Iren-Holoss .. eae

Tzagan-Houdouk ,.,

VENUKOFF S ROUTES. 469

Versts.
27. Descent.
seu 22 ay
+» 34 Mostly in mountains,
+» 20 Slopes.
+s 30 Onslopes and on crests.
«ss IQ Cross over the mountain Tche-
nagou ; slopes.
ee 22 Slopes.
+ 23 Ascend to the Gountoui crest, and
descend into the valley of the
_—— river Tola.
279% versts.

es 33 Cross over the Tola, then through
its valley, and on slopes.

+s 41 Mountainous ; a stony steppe.

es 40 45 .

+ 33 Steppe, partly on the slopes.

25% Hilly steppe; seventeen to cightcen
versts to the east are the sources
of the river Keroulun.

« 183 Unbroken steppe.

ee 324 Hilly steppe. The stage at the
foot of Darchan mountain.

.. 27 Hilly, and partly stony steppe.

vee IQ ” ”»

«. 22 Slightly hilly steppe.

+ 35 Hilly, and partly stony steppe.

ee 33 Level steppe. Hills from time to
time.

ee 38 ” ”

« 38 Level steppe. Wells at the stage.

454 Hilly steppe. The stage is in a
ravine near the well.

« 25 Tolerably even ground; partly
sands,

-. 22 Hilly steppe.

one 19 ”

-. 18 Hilly steppe. The stage enclosed
by mountains near the well.

+. 23 Hilly steppe. By the stage some
wells, and the lake Iren.

ee 24 Steppe, partly sands. A well at
the stage.
470 ‘ APPENDIX T.

Versts.
34. Boroldgee ... ose e. 24 Steppe, partly sands. A well at
the stage.
35. Meengan ..  e«  «. 36 Levelsteppe. A well at the foot of
the mountain,
36. Tsamin-Houdouk ... -. 27 Hilly steppe. A well.
37. Kobour we ais .. 32 Hilly steppe. A lake at the stage.

38. Soutchjee ... ois .. 29 Hilly steppe. A well.

39. Hashiata ... ose ... 283 Hilly steppe. Lakes at the stage.

40. Shabartoui ... ave --. 284 Mostly in a defile in a mountain-
ous steppe

41. Tzsamin-Ousou ... «. 47% Mountainous steppe.

42 Hourbun-Toulga .., +. 41 Steppe and hills; a mud wall
across the road; lakes at the
foot of hills at the stage.

43. Tzagan-Balgasou ... - 25 Steppe; good pasture.

44. Nordian (village) ... +. 35 Steppe. At the spring Bourgasou-
tay the post road from Ourguee
and Ouliasoutij joins the road
from the west.

45. Kalgan tos tee w. 22 Defile. Descent from the high-
lands into the valley. The Great
Wall.

9873 versts.

46. Suan-Houa-Foo ... .- 36 A plain; in one place a small
mountain,

47. Tzee-Min-Ee ove e 33 Partly by the river Yan-hay, partly
in the plains,

48. Sha-Tchen ... one es 27 Inthe plain ; on the road lies the
town Seen-Bao-An.

ag. Houay-Lay-Sian ... + 30 Slopes of the mountains.

50. Fortifications of Tchiadao... 23 Crossthe river Houlay. The inner

Great Wall.
51. Nan-Kou ... ase + 23 Bya defile, at the end of ita stage,
52. Tzeen-hay ... ove «. 35 A thickly-populated plain.
53. Pekin ae aus vw. 10 ay a

217 versts.
Inall ... 1,484 versts. 52 stages,
COLONEL VENUKOFF’S ROUTES. 471

XITI.— Branches of the Caravan Road from Ourga to

Kalgan.
(a.) Houndjoui Road.
Versts,
Ourga ae tee « — 279versts from Kiachta ; 12 stages,
1. Soutchjee ... toe «+ 35 By the valley of the Tola, then by
mountains.

2. Hashatoo w. ee ws. 30 A very mountainous road.

3. Haptzal wee se +. 26 Mountains. Good well at the stage,
4. Oulan-Nor ... ses +» 40 Grass and water become worse,

5. Olon-Obo ... ae + 30 Good well.

6. Tzsamin-Oulan- Houdouke.. 25

7. Hakpaktoo ... es +» 23 Very little water.

8. Hododo es ne + 25 Good water.

g. Mogoy aes aie «. 23 Stony road.
10. Bouhsayn-Oussou ... -. 20 Mountains. No grass,
II, Ouisin - oe .. 24 Ditto. Good well at the stage.
12. Oulan-Tolosey abe «. 22 Very little water.
13. Kookoo-Daresou ... ava, 35

14. Oulan-Houdouk ... «ss 35 Plain, partly marshy, partly sands;

very little grass.

15. Sentchjee ... ane «» 30 Good well at the stage.

16. Oudai as 30 «Difficult road.

17—32. From Oudai to Tsai Oussou the same stages as Nos. 28—41
of the route No. XII.; but from 38, Soutchjee, the following road
can be taken :—

Ougoundouin-Hoshotoo ... 30 From this point the pastures im-

prove.
Hadain-Oussou wie: eee 30
Oulan-Hoshou oe ee 12
Tzsamin-Oussou see «ss 29

33—37- To Kalgan... + 123 The route No. XII.

 

In all, from Ourga to Kalan, 950 versts. 37 stages, that is to say, 6
more than in the route No. XII.
The road is somewhat shorter,
_ but more difficult.

'(6.) Argalinsk Road.

Versts.
o—g. Ourga-Shara-Sheerotoo 269 According to the route No. XII.
Io, Olon-Bayseen oa +. 23 A-range of stony mountains.
11, Soutchjeen-Oussou » 32 Steppe, covered with many-

coloured stones of a flinty nature,
472 APPENDIX T,

Versts.

12, Houlougour ... sa we «18 ;

13. Abourgaeen-Soumai +» 33 Ahandsome idol-temple. A great
number of camels in the neigh-
bourhood.

14. Dourban-Daretoo ... +. 20 Sandy ground. There are pasture-
lands for camels in the neigh-
bourhood.

15. Airguee soe ves es 32 Through the Oudai defile, and into
the valley.

16, Oubourr-Oudai_ ss. ... 35 Bad grass, and salt water.
17, Hashun sige jue six 26

These two last-named stages are some distance from the stages of
the same name, shown in the route No. XII,

18. Haratoueen-Soutchjee .... 20 Good well.

19 Tzsoun-Soutchjee ... vee 30

20. Batchay ae ‘ia « 25 By stony slopes.

21. Olon-Houndouk ... we 40

22. Saeen-Oussou aa «. 23 Bad water ; asalt lake.

23. Houtchjeertoo vee «. 23 Sand, grass, soz/ee, injurious for
horses.

24. Koul-Houdak age .. 20 Difficult road. Sands.

25. Shara-Boudourguna on §=-22

26. Dourma ais sue +. 25 Over sandy mountain. A very
difficult stage.

27. Tzakildak ... oe .. 20 Mountains and sand.

28. Alai-Soutoo... ose o« 22 Mountains and sand. Grass better;
water good.

Sheep graze in the neighbourhood.

29. Hara-Tologoy one vee 30

3o. Kouitoun... se seer 35

31. Tzsamin-Oussou... ... 20 Good pasture-grounds,

32—36. Kalgan ... wee «« 123 According to the route No, XII.

In all, from Ourga ... 987 versts. 36 stages.

Although these three roads, viz., Argalinsk, Houndjoui, and Darhan,
leading direct from Ourga to Kalgan, are frequented by numerous cara-
vans, they are not suitable for troops, on account of the deficiency of
pasture-grounds and scarcity of water. Our Cossacks carry a light mail
to Pekin by one of these roads.
COLONEL VENUKOFF’S ROUTES. 473

XIV.—The Postal Road from Kiachta to Pekin,

Versts.

I—12. Kiachta to Ourga . 279 See route No. XII.

13. Sono-Sholantoo es IQ Through the valley of the river
Tola, which is crossed at about
II versts from the town.

14. Boukouk ane « 27 Ont of the valley and into a hilly
steppe. Good grass.

15. Dologon .... whe « 20 Ahilly steppe.

16. Tchjargalantco... war 28 vs 5

17. Ondourdaba... és vex 28 5 9

18. Tala-Balik ... st ... 33 Ahilly steppe. Grass less thick.

19. Naroun aid aia «. 30 Ahilly steppe.

20. Modon Sen sins ve 83 55 3

21. Tayroom ... ass ... 33 Steppe. Grass grows very thin.

22. Boro-Daga ... sis we 23 5 ei es

23. Baeen-Bilkich aos .. 28 Poor vegetation at the stage.

24. Baeen-Hosheegou ... ... 24 A small lake at the stage; grass
very scarce.

25. Salgoy eee me .. 28 Nearly a sterile steppe.

26. Soutchjee ... ais goa, 30 5 *)

27. Saeer-Oussou aii « 30 Undulating. A hilly steppe. At.
the stage a house and an idol-
temple. At this point the road
from Oulasoutay joins on the
west.

415 versts,

28. Koutoul MGs as .. 30 Hilly steppe.

29. Baro-Obo ... ais we = 36 -

30. Dsobor er ‘ist ven 25 3

31. Salatoo ar aan dase 22) Fe

32. Horban-Naysha... ... 28 Hilly steppe. Poor vegetation.

33. Naroun rs awe ave 42 *

34. Hontchai_... si ia 28 os

35. Hashai vee aa se 36 3

36. Tougourik ... ae «. 28 Clean sand.

37. Tolee-Boulak es +» 25 Hilly steppe. An idol-temple at
the station.

38. Soudgee ce ane «. 20 Hilly steppe. Some trees at the

stage.
474 APPENDIX 7%

Versts,
39. Biloun eee eee «. 25 Steppe; a little grass,
40. Kormachar ... vee eo 33
41. Tzessi-Hongor avs «. =20 5 9
42, Oulan-Houdouk ... ws. 29 Slightly hilly steppe.
43. Shara-Mouren ov «. 27 Sandy steppe; dried-up rivulet ;

” ”

44. Tzagan-Houdouk ... ie 2G os Pr
45. Olon-Houdouk sa ae 4 os 58
46. Boltay avs a) a 22 5 9
47. Shara-Hada ae vee «18 a3 Ps
48. Bombotoo ... aus tee 22 $5 5
49. Oulaha sas ee we 24 5 3
50. Tchjin-tay ... ou .. 36 Hills.

51. Tchetchertay vee we 36

52. Minhall we ves .. 26 Grassy steppe.
53. Tchjagoustay oes we AS 35

54. Koui-Soutay das ave 22

”

55. Oro-Houdouk aie ... 24 Grassy steppe. The stage at the
lake near Angulee-Nor.

56. Halutay eis «. 24 Grassy steppe. The stage at the
brook Halutay, which flows into
the Angulee-Nor,

57. Bourgasoutay ose ... 28 Rich pasture-grounds. The stage is
near a brook, at the foot of hills.

58. Tchagan-Tologay ... + 25 Mountainous country; the road
leads over a plain.

59. Kalgan vee eee e. 30 Descentfrom thehighlands through
a ravine to the east of Nordiansk.

858 versts."
*60—67. Pckin ... aa + 217 See the route No. XII.
In all ... 1,760 versts. 67 stages.

This road is for pack animals, but carts can be used. Horses and
‘camels are found at the stages. The pasture grounds are very poor from
stages 20—55. In some places there is nothing but sand ; in addition to
‘this, it is 276 versts longer than that of No. XII., so it is only used by
the Chinese mail. The real route differs a little in names, as well as in
distances, from that published in the “ Military Statistic Magazine,” but
ds in accordance with the “ Chinese Road-book.”
COLONEL VENUKOFF’S ROUTES. 475

XV.—From Yousteed through Dzindzilik to Irkoutsk.

The greatest part of this road runs through Chinese military stations
which may be considered as frontier stations to the Governments of
Tomsk, Eniseysk, and Irkoutsk, although they lie far to the south of the
frontier, and on the other side of the Tannou-Ola ridge. The eastern part
of the route, from Dzindzilik to Kossogol, was traversed in 1872 by’ the
Minoussin merchant Veselkoff with a herd of cattle.

Youstid, was formerly a Chinese military station. It is at the sources
of the river Chu, in Russian territory.

Versts,

1, The lake Dayshour... + 30 Over the frontier ridge Sayluguem.
2. Military Station Oulasou-

touaman ...
3. Ouroun-Nor...
4. Bodogonee-Holay ...
5. Borgitchaytee ose
6, Handagaytee atk Some 500 versts.
7. Tzitzirgan ... ose
8. The river Holay

. Military Station Airgatee ...

to. Alack-Obo

iI. Village Samgatay ...

13. Military Station Deindailite

14. A brook, flowing into Dzind-

zilik ose ane «. 20 By the river Dzindzilik, past an
idol temple. Plenty of food and
water. The inhabitants are

Ourianhee.

15. Hargana = eos eae co 20 Over the ridge of Hargana; very
little water. The road leads
along the frontier of Mongolia
and Ourianhee.

16. The river Touskoul... es 25(?) Cross two ridges, to the north of
the frontier.

17. The river Sheerik ... + 16 Cross twice more, and over the

river Soudute.

\o

18. A brook near the river
Sheerik ... ao ss 25 Tworidges ; good road; plenty of

grass and water.
19. The river Koss (flows to the

west) si or .. 15 High, woody, bad road,
476 APPENDIX T.

Versts.
20, The river Koss wee ... 25 Up the river ; good grass.
21. Theriver Tariss... +. 23 Cross over a large naked ridze.

The river flows to the N.E.

22. The mount Takeel... + 20 At first to the N.E. by Tariss, then
to the S.E. by a plain.

23. The river Soouk ss. «. 24 By the river Soouk. Good grass;
great many stones on the moun-
tains.

24, Military Station Agar .. 7 A pass over the mountains, and
then on the river Agar.

25. The river Mourue ... .. 35(?) Alarge river, flows to the S.W.

26, sy os sah .. I§ Steppe, with good grass. Trees in
the hollows.

27. Steppe coe ars .»» 30 Many Mongolian nomad camps ;

good pastures.
28. Pass the night in steppe .... 20 Notimber; hilly country.

29. 9 9 .. 25 Notimber; hilly country. Good
grass.
30. The river Aigai, 6 versts
from Kossogol ... see 30
From Dzindzilik ... 345 versts, traversed by the merchant
Veselkoff.

For five days along the eastern bank of Kossogol to the idol temple
Ourianhow on the north bank of the lake (120 versts), and from there to
Irkoutsk-trough :—

36. Tounkoo_... nt «» 132 Caravan road.

39. Koultouk say “75
41. Irkoutsk ... si Ss a On wheels,

281 versts.

Inall_.., 1,156 versts.

XVI—From Youstecd to Ouliasoutay.

This is the so-called road of the Beeysk merchants, It was travelled
on by them in the year 1870. The lengih of the road is 555 versts;
the stages were as follows :—

Versts, Versts.
1. Hatoo-Boulak .. vs 30] 9Q. Zerin-Nor ward ws 42
2. Kara-Mangay .. e. 28 {| 10. Shabir-Holl aie sie TS
3. Ateheet-Nor eos ee 40 |] 11, On theriver Kounhoui ... 38
4. Oussoun- Hall ea ae 5 | 12. 35 35 eee 34
5. The river Sheeberee wee. 92. | ES. ‘4 on ie BB
6. Hotuel-Boulak... oe 28 | 14. ‘5 9 wn 38
7. Chinese farm dive es §=38 | 15. Ouzoun-Djoul... ee 40
8. Sheeneouss oes a 38 1 16, Ouliasoutay bes we 48
COLONEL VENUKOFF'S ROUTES.

477

XVII—From the Souok Station through Kobdo to
Oultasoutay and Kalgan.

The Chinese military station Souok is 514 versts from Oust-Kameno-

Ascent of the mountain, and then
through a hilly country.

At first in ‘mountains, descent into
the valley of the river Kobdo.

Cross the river Kobdo, and through
the valley of the river Koto.

In a mountainous country, over
Eegees-Daba.

Past the lake Alten-Tchetchey, and
over some hills.

In mountains, and in the valley of
Hongomeruck.

In mountains, across the rivers
Aidgeegalia, Tarhin, and Tcha-
gan-Bourgassou.

gorsk, There are 284 versts of carriage road.
Versts.
1. The Boro-Bourgasou station 25 Highlands.
2. The Belou station ... 35
3. The Elldegai station es 35
4. The Koto station ... see) 20)
5. Ouhasherote sce 20
6. Honguerloo... eos 20
7. Hongo wae ove 25
8. Shara-Balik ... as wee 35
9. The town of Kobdo eve 35

10,

II.
12.
13.
14.

IS.
16.

17.
18.

19.

2c

Mountains first, then steppe. The
town of Kobdo lies on the river
Boujantoo ; a fortress is on the
north, and the market is on the
south.

"250 versts.

Kara-Oussou ees see

32

Sahee-Boulak

Over mountains, and steppe to the
south end of the lake Ikai-Aral-
Nor.

56
Djeergalantee sa} A stony steppe.
Karganin one 17
Dourga-Nor sis 33 At the south-east end of the lake
Dourga,
Baga-Nor .. jo
Argalantee ... ws» 39 On the river Djabgan.
Bpahod ik oe + 26) In the steppe along the river
peeee ay se 20 Djabgan ; a ford cannot be al-
Baga-Dzeess ar 24

Thee Dzeess ei we BT

ways found.
478 APPENDIX T,

Versts,

21. Houdouk-Oulack ... exe 20:
22. Borho wie eee ose 28
23. Aldeer wwe vee sae 27

24. The town Ouliassoutay .. 18

By the right bank of the river
Djabgan, cross the river Yaroo-
Hall, and others tributaries of
the Djabgan.

The town has a fortress, and a
market. It is situated in a valley
between the mountains.

419 versts.

25. Shouran ws eee ewe 29
26. Dagan-Dehlai sa oe 24
27, Boueentoo-Holl ... doe 20

Steppe; good grass.
By the river Boueentoo-Holl,

” a” ”

By the river Hobol.

28. Ara-Djirgalantoo ... P at Steppe.
29. Oubour- Djirgalantoo 19
30. Oulan-Boumba_.... we 19
31. Hobol ae eo soe 25

32. Dzack-Holl ... eee eos 22
33. Baydarik-Holl ee ee 18

34. Outaeen-Holl aes eve 30

” ”
By the river Dzack-Holl. Level
steppe, bad pasturage.
By the river Baydarik, Level
steppe, bad pastures,
Over a ridge. Sands.

35. Ologay is oes vex. “13 5 5
36. Hara-Tologoy oui owe §=26
7. Toui ... Bits ove eve §=18 gees

ae Shargaldshout ses 23 AEE ee

39. Hobol-Hortee ove o. «22

40. Horida “as ore +» 28 Sands and rocks. Mountains to
the north.

41. Haraneedoun eee es 18 Sands.

42, Hadatoo ... soe eo. 20 Sands. The frontier between
Ourga and Ouliasoutay.

43. Ouneegatoo... ii 23 Sands.

44. Ongueinn-Holl a .. 25 Sands. Stage at the river.

45. Dzeran a ia eo. 33 Sands,

46. Tougourik .. ace 25 Sands. Stage near a lake.

47. Tzaptcheer ... re +. I9 Bythesame lake. Theroad from
Ourga to Thibet.

48. Haraeem-Djeerim ... ew 29 Hilly, sandy steppe.

49. Dzirgalantoo eee ee I9 By a defile.

50. Loss ... cate ee ev. 30 Stony hills; steppe.

51. Shoboutay ... eee «+. 23 Steppe; not much grass,

52.

Baroun-Soutchjee ...

17 Steppe.
53:

Russia and Pekin.

COLONEL VENUKOFF’S ROUTES. 479

Saeer-Oussou wes

Tn all toe eae
To Kalgan oes
To Pekin ...

This is the longest of all

Versts.

4o Steppe. Here on the north the

—- post road from Ourga.

673 versts.

1,342»
2,200 ,, See the route No. XIV.
2,417

the steppe roads between the frontiers of

There is little water and grass; and although it is a

postal road, it is exclusively for pack animals.

13.

14.

15.

16.
17.
18,

19.
20.

WON ANEYWDNH

XVIIIl.—Roads across Djungaria.
(a.) From Zaysiansk to Kobdo.

The Zaysiansk post is 511 versts from Semipalatinsk by the mail road.

. Terektee

. Saree-Boulak

. Oulastee ae
. Another Oulastee ...
. Toumandee...

Kok-Boukai...

. Moukourtoui
. The lake Oulungour
. Bouloun-Tochoy

The river Ouroungoo
The river Tchingueel

The river Tchagan..
The river Bouloung
The Tchajgan picket

The Nareen
The Dabseentoo
The Bathock
The Soudjin
The town Kobdo

. Tangergai on Ouroungoo...
II.
12.

aoe

Versts.
18

20
25
25
4o
35
25
30
25

243 versts.

45

70

75 mountains. Inhabited by Ourian-
hays.

60 Mountains. Inhabited by Tar-
goout-Kalmouks.

50 Mountains covered with wood.
Kalmouks-Koshots,

60 Mountains. The road joins the
Ouroumzosk-Kobdo road.

Over the north slopes of Mouss-
Taga and Saour. Plenty of
water and grass at the first
three stages,

0
os The road leads by Ouroungou,

then through mountains; you

s cross over them, and descend to
30
25 Kobdo,

550 versts.

In all ... 793 A road for pack animals.
480

in the year 1871, it was found practicable for carriages.

APPENDIX Ts

(b.) From Tchougoutchak and the Zaysiansh Post to Kouitoun.
The first of these roads was a Chinese postal road. When surveyed

is a difficult one for carriages, but only for the first three stations.

moe

HOD ON AWNAWN

Tchougoutchak ...

. Setair-Modo aes
. Shara-Houloussou ...
. The picket Tolee

The picket Yamatee

. The picket Kouldenen
. The picket Outoo ...

The picket Bouktchour

. Village Olon-Boulak
. Village Shar-Oussou
. Station Kour

. Kouitoun Site

45
60
20
18
20
15
18
20
30
36
32

314

 

The second

4 versts from Baktoff. The Zaysiansk Post.

Versts.

Versts.
I, Ken-Say ... a 31
2. Tchagan-Obo 34
3. Dann-Sou ... 30
4. The mouth of the Desbik... 27
5. Kara village and Saree-
Aimeela .., 26
6. Ak-Sou 22
7. Kouroom-Sou 13
8 Shara-Houloussou 22
9—17. Kouitoun 209
414

The road passes through Kouitoun, from Ouroumtzee to Kuldja.

XIX.—From Kuldja to Hamee by the north Tian-shan line,
Old Kuldja, that is to say, Tarancha,

1. Bayanday

2. Souidoun... a8

3. Tchin-Tcha-Hoday

4. Ee-Tay eee

5. Lian-ta A eos cee

6. Ba-Mo ovo cee oe

7. Houstay awe ove soe

8. Takoumtoo ... oer

g. Village Dahianza ... teh

10. Military station Tzsin-Ho...

tr, Koum-Tam ... see

12, Military station Totohoy

13. Military station Kourtoo-
Kounga a

14. Military station Doruboda

15. Military station Boulhatzsee

16, The ruins of Kour-Kara-

Oussou ose ioe

Versts.

Ir
32
17
21
15

25

28
30
14
47
39
15

10
19
25

22.

A plain,
”

”

To the south of the pass through
the Iren-Habirgan mountain.

A pass; descent to the
Sayramoo,

A plain,

A plain.

A plain,

379 versts,

lake

Sand in some places,

Sand in some places,
17.

18.

19.
20.

21.

22.

23.
24.
25.
26,
27.

COLONEL VENUKGOFF’S ROUTES.

Military station Kouitoun

Military
Haya aes a
Military station Horgoss ...
Military station Oulan-
Oussou wee as
Village Manass, or Kanguee

station Antzsee-

Military station Yan-Balga-
Soun oa one

Military station Tougourik

Village Houtoukbay

Military station Loklon

Village Houn-Neen

The town Ouroumzee

481
Versts,

22 Aplain. A road passes through
Kouitoun, from Tchougoutchack
(314 versts).

20 Steppe. Good grass.

25 Level steppe.

22 Level steppe.

40 Level steppe. Cross the river
Manass.

21 Steppe.

26 3

38 ”

33 Steppe. Good grass.

40 Slightly hilly. Villages,

22 Slightly hilly ; well watered. The
town Ouroumzee was the prin-
cipal town of the north Tian-
shan line.

309 versts.

From here to Hamee there are two roads: the one through Tourfun is the

shortest, the other through Barkoul is more convenient.

28.
29.
30.
31.
32.

33-
34-

35-
36.
37.
38.

39-
40.

Military station Hay-Hoou
Village Fou-Khan ...
Military station Dee-Tzuan
Military station Tzeen-Soui
Military station San-Tay ...

Village Tzseemsa ...
The town Hou-Tchen
Small town Keetay...

Military station Mouroui ...

Military station Ak-Tash ...
Military station Oulan-
Oussou

Military station Sabee
Village Hashoun
EE

We take the last.

Versts,

26
24
20
27
33

34

29

39

25
22

22
30
29

A plain ; well watered.

Slightly hilly.

By the foot of the mountains.

By the foot of the mountains.

By the foot of the mountains. The
country is well watered by
some streams from Bogdo-Olee.

By the foot of the mountains ; steppe.

By the foot of the mountains. Acita-
del on the north side of the town,

A well watered and populated
country.

Steppe; by the foot of themountains,

Steppe. :

”
oo

5”
482 APPENDIX T.

Versts,
41. Military station Ourtoo ... 35 Steppe.
42. Tchjooba-Tzuan_... .. 29 By the side of a river.

From here to Barkoul there are two roads. You can go either direct
through Hou-Houay (60 versts), or by the mail road, viz.:—

43. Military station Sae-Outzsee 30 On the slopes of the Tian-Shan,

From here there is a road through the military station, Lae-Ba-Tzuan,
to Hamee and Peetchan,

44. The town Barkoul ... .» 35 On the slopes of the Tian-Shan.
499 versts.

45. Military station Koysou ... 36 By the foot of the mountains,
46. Military station Soun-Shou-

Tan sis ia .. 41 By the foot of the mountains,
47. Military station Nan-Shan-

Kheou_... se ... 36 Over the mountains.
48. Military station Hay-Tch-

joo-Fan ... ats 27. Descent along the river.

49. Mount Hameeor Komoul... 30 A plain.

170 versts.
In all ... 1,378 versts. At the time of the Chinese

dominion this road was a postal
road.

From Hamee, through the steppe to the town of An-See, on the river
Boulougeer, it is 470 versts. The road is a bad one; it runs through a
sandy steppe. At An-See the road turns to the gate Tzsia-Youi-Houan,
and then goes over the mountain Sou-Djeou, and continues to Pekin.
Pekin is 3,541 versts from Hamee, and 4,889 from Kuldja.

XX.—From Kashgar to Hamee, and further to Pekin.

Versts.
The town Kashgar ... =

1. Village Shaptoul ... + 40 Populated and cultivated plain.

3 Baston-Toguaack 2, Go (Along the Keeseel-Darya; in a

4. Keeseel-Darya Sis ws 30 f SlEDP a, Wary’ Sandy

5- Maral-Bashee. ... .. 20 By the river Tarim.

6. Village Bartchouk ... -» 20 By the river Tarim. Here we
meet the road from Yarkund,
which is 325 versts distant.

7. Kook-Tchoul wae ss 20

8.

. Citadel Tchay-Sheerin ... =f Steppe, along the Tarim,
g. Airendae  ... oie ave 20
10.

1,
12.
13.
14.
15.

20.

21.
22.

23.

24.
. Arbat

26.

27.
28.

29.
30.
3i.

32.

COLONEL VENUKOFFS ROUTES.

Otouss-Kamae
Kemanee)
Bish-Koudouk
Village Yangarick ...
Fortification Ayhour
Kalender-Han ee
The town Aksou ...

. Village Tchjamm ...
17.
18.
19.

Kara-Youlgoun
Tchartcheek
Ousteem-Keetchak...

The mountain Bay...
The mountain Sayram

Keeseel ne
The town Koutcha...

Togounay

Village Bugour
Yanguee-Shar
Tchateer
Thertchou
Kara-Boulak

Kourounlai ...

Kalgo-Aman

483

Versts.

(Ourtoul-:

20
20

. ,20

20
20
20

400

4I
42
57

30

42

21

83

354

31
82

52
52
31
82
52

35

31

\ Steppe, in some parts hilly,

Steppe near the river Koumarik.
Cross it.

A plain, cross the river Aksou,
nearly 30,000 inhabitants in the
town. Roads. from Ousha, 120
versts ; from Kuldja, 480 versts.

versts.

Steppe ; mountains to be seen.
” ” ” ”

By mountains.

Valley between the mountains.
Copper works in the neighbour-
hood.

Cross the river Mucart.
watered plain.

Mountains and plain.

Plain to the left of the mountains.

Over the Bayshan, and by the
river Shardalan ; the town is
on the mountain slopes, it is
fortified, and has 6,000 in-
habitants.

A well-

versts.

A well-watered low country.
A well-watered low country, and
slightly hilly steppe.

” ”
Along the slopes.

”
Along the slopes and steppe.
Along the slopes. The road nears
the river Haydou-Holl.
Hillocks along the right bank of
Haydou-Holl.
Hillocks. Coal mines not far cff,
484 APPENDIX 7.

33-

34.
35-
37s

38.
39.
40.
4I.

42.
43.

45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
SI.
52.
53-
54.
55+

Versts,
Karashar ... aes «+ 47 Hilly; cross the river Haydou-Holl
before you reach the town.
Turkistanians and Kalmouks
_ live in the town.

495 versts.

Village Tobolgou ... +» 47 A plain, partly cultivated, partly

marshy.

Village Tchouhoui ... ase 27 5 8 6

. Village Oushaktal ... see 25 5 se 7

Aitcherchee ... ae + 50 Steppe and hillocks ; a village in
the hollow.

Kara-Keeseel aes ... 44 Hilly steppe.

Koumeesh-Akma ... +. 30 By mountains.

Ahar-Boulack wae ... 93 The mountains Koumeesh-Akma.

Soubashee 308 -- — Mountains. From here there is

a shorter but more difficult
road to Oushaktal.

Village Tokson.... ... 47 Over the mountains.

Village Bougoun ... «» 31 Hilly; over the river Elan-Boulak,

The town Tourfun ... .. 36 Hilly steppe. The town is small
and poor. From the west comes
the main road from Ouroumtzee,
160 versts by mountains. It is
seven stages distant.

461 versts.
Kara-Hotchja ea ... 36 Hills and steppe.
Village Louktchack ... 25 Hills; across the river Yanguce.
Village Tchouhoui ... .. 35 Over the mountains Geen-Leen.
The mountain Pitchjann ... 27 Along the river.
Souroutoo .. aus --. 20 Steppe ; hills on the right.
Tchjeek-Tash eos ss 20 53 5
Nahou is er + 93 Steppe ; by hills to the lake Nahou.

Toho... wi eae . 62 Along the slopes to the lake Toho.

Houtoun-Vo... ase + 36 Along the slopes.

Taolay-Boulak os ee 36 In the mountains,

Lae-Ba-Tzuan $e «. 31 <A Military station on the north
side of the mountains. From
here the road goes to Barkoul
and Hamee.
56—62. Hamce or Komoul

I.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8

9.

10.

Il.

12.
13.
14.
15.
16,
17.

18,
19.
20.
2.

22.

An PWN

COLONEL VENUKOFF’S ROUTES. 485

In all, from Kashgar to

Hamee
To Pekin

Versts,

. 159 The road runs along the south side

— of the Tian-Shan,
580 versts.

2,290 ”
5,831 45

XXI1.—From Kokan to Koulab.

The details of this road were obtained by questioning the natives,*
Mountainous, a road for pack animals.

Kokan
Saree-Kurgan
Rishtan
Feysabad
‘Yarmasar
Aval ... es
Outch-Kurgan

. Langar

Kok-Sou
Karamouk ...
Sheergatan ...
Peeldan
Sockaou
Langar-Sha ...
Peré-Sha-Kend
Tchivaldar ...
Talbar
Zibback
Ak-Sou
Hvalin
Hanabad
Koulab

In Kokan territory.

+ Karategucen,

} Darvas (?)

 

\ Koulab.

XXII.— From Djizzak to Khiva.

. Klee ...
. Village Nouska
. Village Outch-Ma ...

Village Farish

. Village Selibash
. Village Temir-Kabouk

Versts.
12 i A carriage road. Mountains on
33 the left.

35 Good road. Four small rivers,

« 16 Stony road.

18 Very stony.
24 Not suitable for carriages.

* It must be remembered that these march routes were first published in 1873. The
Russians know more about Kokan now.—T7vazslator,
486

12.

13.
14.

15.

16.

17.
18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.
24.
aS:

26.

27.

. The well Balta-Saldeer
. The well Bish-Bayguee
. Bay-Man-Taptee

. The well Mastchee...

. The well Ayak sits ae

The well Aristan-Bell-Kou-
douk

The well Manat-Djamm ...
The well Kinderlee ...

The well Karak-Ata

The well Tchourk-Koudouk
Soultan-Bibee
Outch-Koudouk
Djangueelda

Hala-Ata eet

The well Adam-Krilgan
Outch-Tchoutchak...
Ishkai-Yar ...

Maneklee

Shourahan ... a

The town Hankec ...

The town Khiva

In all

APPENDIX T.

26 Very little grass; plenty of fire-
wood.

32 Heavy sands ; plenty of water and
firewood.

26 Aplain;some sand; plenty of good
water; pasture for three versts.

19} An even road, a little sandy ; water
pretty good; food and firewood
can be obtained.

1§ Hilly, hard road. Fresh water;
plenty of food and fuel.

25 Sterile, hilly, and sandy country ;
good water.
23 Over the ridge Arslan,
14}
8 Much water.
305
40
178
26
153
28 The sands An-Koum.
48 By the Amou Darya.
20
=| Along the Amou Darya.
76
30
50

... 708 versts.

The troops can do this distance in seventy days. This is the road over

which the Turkistan detachment marched in the year 1873.

XXIV.—From Perovsky to Irkibat,

A bad, sandy road, without pastures, along Jana-Darya.

350 versts in length.

I.
. Boukai.
. Moulkai.

NANA ODN

Areek-Kok-Ousiak.

Irgoul.
Kok-Tchoungoul.

. Tchayouk.
. Koum-Tchoungoul.

It is nearly

8. Tass-Noura.

g. Saree-Tcheganak,
1o. Kok-Tchoungoui.
11. Akeer.

12. Kara-Outkoul.
13. Irkibay.
COLONEL VENUKOFF’S ROUTES, 487

XXV.—-From Kasalinsk to Bokhara.

 

Versts.
I. The lake Alimbay .. 15 | 13. At the foot of Boukan.
2. The well Outabass .. 18 | 14. Yous-Koudouk.
3. The well Irbay .., .. 30] 15. Kokpantash.
4. Djanbaga ... tae .. 18 | 16. Tanjareek,
5. Saree-Boulak she ... 18] 17. Tumenbay.
6. The well Manass ... ... 25 | 18. Kinderlee.
7. Dtchaman-Tchaganok ... 14 { 19. Djousalee-Say.
8. The well Kjara-Moui ... 23 | 20. Keeseel-Kak,
9. The well gee 46 | 21. Nasar-Bay.
10. Irkibay__.... .. 26] 22. Kassatal.
11. Mountaiu, Zangar- Tubai . 10 | 23. Bazaar Saree-Boul.
12. Keeseel-Kak sie ... 45 | 24. The town Bokhara.

This road was traversed by Ignatieff in the year 1858. There is not
much fodder or fuel. It is about 700 versts in length.

CASSELL PETTRR & GALVIN, BRILLE SAUVAGE WORKS, LONDON, £.C.
1276
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
 
  
   
   
   
     
      
    
    

 

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