Narrative of a journey from Heraut to Khiva, Moscow and St. Petersburgh, during the late Russian invasion of Khiva. With some account of the court of Khiva and the kingdom of Khaurism

Front matter

NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY, etc SUMMUD KHAUN NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY PROM HERAUT TO KHIVA, MOSCOW, AND ST. PETERSBURGH, DURING. THE LATE RUSSIAN INVASION OF KHIVA; WITH SOME ACCOUNT OF THE COURT OF KHIVA AND THE KINGDOM OF KHAURISM. Bt CAPTAIN JAMES ABBOTT, BENGAL ABTILLEKY, LATELY ON A DIPLOMATIC MISSION TO KfilVA. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. I. E^ixtf lEMtton. LONDON: W. H. ALLEN & CO., 13 WATERLOO PLACE, PALL MALL. S.W. 1884. (All rights reserved.) LONDON : PRINTED BY W. H. ALLEN AND CO., 13 WATERLOO PLACE, S.W. WRITTEN ON THE SHORE OF THE CASPIAN, KHAURISM. April, 1840. Victoria ! — From thy thousand isles, Thy realms beyond the sea, Old Ocean wreathes his brow in smiles, To bless, to welcome thee. — Throughout each palace crystalline, Each far-resounding dome, With ocean-pearls the Naiads twine Their sea-green locks — they come ; They come, light dancing o'er the Deep, As motes in sunny beam; In music o'er the waves they sweep, Victoria still their theme.

Queen of the Isles, Queen of the Deep, Of Freedom, Valour, Beauty, Queen. VI No sceptre needs that lily hand, Bend but thy beauteous brow, Old Ocean's thunders shake the strand, They quell each haughty Foe. Forth the white-pinioned squadrons fly, Those eagles of the wave ; The red-cross Banner streams on high Its beacon to the Brave. And at thy glance to light they leap, The warblades bright and keen : Red roll the Floods, wild curl, and sweep, Hoarse voices chime between — " Queen of the Isles ! " Queen of the Deep ! " Of Freedom, Valour, Beauty, Queen." Blessings ou Her, whose very -name Breathed in the Scythian Wild, The Scythian's stony heart could tame, And free* sad Slavery's child Britannia's name, till then unheard, With thine sweet union found : Old Oxus own'd the blest accord, And trembled at a sound. * See page 163, Vol. I. Journal.

Then clanked the riven chain : the Deep Gave up its dead : — and keen Leapt forth the prison'd fires. — They weep, They bless a power unseen, " Queen of the Isles, " Queen of the Deep, " Of Freedom, Valour, Beauty, Queen Victoria ! bid thy standard wave, Fling far each giant fold, Dropp'd with the pearls of Ocean's cave, With India's gems and gold ! On that red cross the circling sun Ne'er sets : — and winds that blow, Shake from each fold a blessing down On some sad child of woe. O'er earth and wave, where'er its deep Dread shade of peace is seen, A Heaven on earth the Eansom'd keep, Starr'd in thy ray serene, " Queen of the Isles, " Queen of the Deep, "Of Freedom, Valour, Beauty, Queen.' But, when its thund'rous folds are freed, When the fork'd fire-bolts glance, 'Mid warrior shouts and tramp of steeds, And gleam of serried lance : VUL When earth and sky its gloom deplore, And Ocean's terrors rise, And, hurl'd upon a hostile shore, Th' Armada shattered lies : Whilst surges roar and tempests sweep, — Each fearful crash between, Justice' dread voice th' accord shall keep, And Mercy hymn serene, " Queen of the Isles, " Queen of the Deep, " Of Freedom, Valour, Beauty, Queen."

Preface

TO THE THIRD EDITION. A fortified enclosure was built, one long march beyond the Russian frontier, in the desert appertain ing to Kokaun.* Wells were sunk within it, supplies and muniments were there stored, and in brief space another and yet another such castle was established, each one long march in advance of the other : until a complete chain of fortified posts had been formed between the Russian frontier and the river Sirr ; a distance of about five hundred miles. To the States of Europe she explained that she was merely rounding off her boundary, having no design whatever of conquest. Thus, as an engineer sinks his zigzag approaches to the fortress he would besiege ; Russia pushed on her approaches, year after year, through the formidable deserts of Kokaun, by a process equally secure of success.

The Kokaunians, at length aroused to a sense of their peril, attacked the fore most enclosure ; but, being profoundly inexperienced in siege operations, were easily repulsed : and Russia, indignantly denouncing the King of Kokaun as the aggressor, in due time possessed herself of his kingdom. Kokaun subdued, and Russian steamers afloat upon the Sea of Aral, a plea for the conquest of Bokhara was not hard to find. Khiva it was necessary to approach with more ceremony : for not only were the deserts girding that State formidable : but England, having once interfered to save it from destruction, * I write it, as it was spelt and pronounced at Khiva when I was there. was in honour pledged to preserve from overthrow so important a safeguard to her Eastern Empire. But the Russian Cabinet has a solvent for every difficulty, and the event is too recent to need that I should say how this difficulty was solved; how august the agent employed in its solution.

The slaughter by Kauffman of the gallant Yahmoot* Toorcumuns followed ; and they being the only fighting men of Khaurism, that principality became part of the Russian Empire. The Tukka Toorcumuns, warned by the fate of their fellow tribe, stood on their guard against all cajolery ; but, after the most gallant resistance, fell before the overwhelming numbers and discipline of their gigantic foe, wielded by the genius of Skobelefi. Fast as the advance has been made, railways have been laid to aid it; and by the last report (Mr. Marvin's) had reached Kizil Arvat, one hundred and forty miles to the south-east of the Caspian. Whether there remain any among the people of Great Britain so simple as to cling to that fond trust in the disinterested philanthropy of the Northern Cabinet, under which they bade Russia " God speed " in her unprovoked murder of Turk and Toorcumun, we cannot say.

The Rational will regard with other eyes the revelation made by Mr. Marvin and others of the progress of Russia's march upon India, she having, at an enormous expense of treasure and * Schuyler, one authority, writes this name " Yoniud."

PREFACE.

TO THE THIRD EDITION. energy, established a system of steamboat and railway communication, by which she can, even now, transport an army, far larger than any we can bring to meet it, from the valley of the Volga, through the ports of Batoum, Baku, and Krasnovodsk, to Kizil Arvat, one hundred and forty miles south-east of the Caspian. From thence, doubtless, she will extend the railway to Heraut whenever it suits her con venience. And how has this march upon India been allowed? Simply by our unnatural feuds and factions. Our disunion rendered possible the Russo-Turkish war. That war gave Russia the long-coveted port of Batoum on the Euxine, without which her further advance on India had been difficult and hazardous. The voice of united England could have prevented that most unrighteous war.

But Russia knew well our national weakness : that the rancour of party spirit can flood our brains with madness. She sent forth her missionaries, male and female, to flatter, cajole, incense. And the result has placed her henceforth and for ever in a position to deride, with calm contempt, the nation which heretofore had impeded her advance to the despotism of Asia. It has been recommended by certain authorities, that we advance the Indian frontier, or suffer that oi Russia to advance, until both be conterminous : arguing that since Germany goes not to war periodi cally with Holland or with Russia, India and Russia may five peacefully side by side. To careless eyes this argument may seem fair. But it is in fact no argument at all ; Russia and Germany being alike deterred from seizing Holland by the jealousy of the Sister States.

In Asia there is no such safeguard. It is quite true that the inter vention of Afghaunistan between India and Russia is much more likely to create than to prevent war ; but it is equally certain that Russia has not made such enormous sacrifices for the mere purpose of suffering a deficit yearly of several millions sterling, as the mistress of desert sands, nor even for the honour of sleeping peacefully side by side with India ; and we well know that contact with India means, as Skobeleff himself allowed, the opportunity of dealing with our Indian subjects, as she dealt with the subjects of Turkey during profound peace preceding the Russo- Turkish war. The same authorities are fond of suggesting another argument equally futile. "If," say they, "we rule so ill that we dare not trust our Indian subjects, let us reform our rule.* Or if we assert that our rule is good, but that good rule will not prevent ill effects from foreign intrigue, why that is a game which two can play."

Are they so profoundly ignorant of the subject as to suppose that in India commotions are ever the work of the people, instead of being con fined to the bloodsuckers of the land alone, whether * Russia's Lady Missionaries have converted our Sentimen talists to the belief that Eussian tyranny is better for India than British freedom.

PREFACE.

TO THE THIRD EDITION. princes or nobles or soldiers of fortune, from whose tender mercies we have rescued that people, and to whom our justice is a living death ? And would they really have us organize a corps of Ghazis, in imita tion of Russia's pioneers, the Slavonic Committee;* to sow treason and to preach to Toorcumun and Oozbeg the duty of rising upon their rulers : or to give their army a watchword of sedition ? We see here what nonsense can be made to pass for argument by a clever tongue or pen ; when either through terror of doing our duty, or obsequiousness to a mighty patron, or in support of an untenable dogma, we suffer our wits to go astray. The propounders of these precepts tender them (they assure us) in order to prevent the panics, which from time to time render us so ridiculous.

But, begging their pardon, it is precisely such advice that lays the foundation for those panics : encouraging the unopposed advance of a formidable enemy, and holding us careless of his approach until his foot is on our threshold : when we start up suddenly, aware of his presence and of our own unpreparedness to meet him. The nation is never accessible to panics when assured that its rulers are wide awake. * " The non-official action of Eussia has centred around the Slavonic committee." — Wallace. f There is a fear more contemptible than panic itself. It is the terror which dares not believe in impending peril, but reso lutely shuts its eyes, or, ostrich-like, thrusts its head beneath the sand, to escape the hideous sight. It is this degrading terror that sends the father scrambling blindfold into his grave, and leaving his hapless offspring to face perils enhanced fifty fold by his father's cowardice.

Whatever the imperfection of our Indian rule, through the introduction by pettifoggers (profoundly ignorant of the natives) of Western ideas into the legal code of an Eastern people ; there cannot be a doubt that the benefits conferred on India by England are greater than any ever before or since conferred by one nation upon another. It is the very restraint upon their cruelty and rapacity imposed by our rule that makes it obnoxious to those, by whom alone revolutions are ever attempted in India. Our present policy seems to be that of trusting for the protection of a neutral territory to the good sense of the Ummeer of Cabul, and of the Afghaun nation ; which it is presumed will deter both from accepting the tyrannous protection of Russia rather than the free friendship of the Indian Government.

Our invasion of Afghaunistan in 1838 was no doubt a gross blunder (though abundantly justified in reo-ard to equity), and had not this unhappy event fired the Afghauns with an unquenchable hatred of us ; their love of freedom might, to a certain extent, have been reckoned on, in aid of our own defensive arrangements. But from that quarter we must now calculate upon nothing but hostility. Russia will no doubt humour them to their hearts' content — pro mise them all that their wildest wishes can demand, and make use of them as pioneers through the for midable passes of the Tukht-i-Sulimaun mountains : nor let them feel the weight of the fetters they forge for their own limbs, until they be utterly and helplessly in her power. Then will they learn, as the Yahmoot Toorcumuns learned, the significance of the phrase, a la Circasse : for no half-measures accord with Russian policy.

Although, therefore, it is but justice to treat the Afghauns and their ruler with consideration ; to lean upon their co-operation is to fill the cisterns of our fire-engines with alcohol. The Ummeer could not, if he would, control his people : and Russia can always offer him and them a higher premium for their aid, than we can for their neutrality. We are attempting, with a view to the above trust, to define the limits of Afghaunistan. When defined, the treaty we shall make upon that definition will effectually bind our own hands and eyes; leaving Russia's as free, as the treaty of Paris left them. Such are the considerations arising from a rapid glance at the progress of Russia in her march upon India. She is now mistress of Askabad, of Merve, of Sumrkund ; Bokhara is a Russian dependency.

We have presented to her the all-important port of Batoum, in the Euxine, the acquisition of which alone she deemed cheap at the expense of the last Russo- Turkish War : for without it her march on India was crippled. We have* allowed, nay, encouraged her, despite all prudential considerations, and in defiance of a thousand warnings, to overpass the natural, * A dozen alert Englishmen, with the hearty co-operation of the Toorcumuns, might have frustrated all four expeditions if allowed by our Government to act. almost insuperable, barrier that guarded India, and to establish herself within our outer and most im portant line of works. To build at Cabul, by Afghaun hands, with Russian gold, fortified barracks for six teen thousand men, which her troops can, at any time and unknown to us, enter whenever it suits her to advance ; and the Afghauns, our natural allies, we have made our bitterest enemies.

What steps do we purpose, to remedy (if possible) our past stum bling policy, or fanatic contempt of all rational precaution ? The case is urgent, for any misunderstanding in Europe may precipitate matters on our Indian frontier, where Russia, piloted by the Afghaun nation, who will keep open for her the passes, is waiting, and will lose not an hour in her advance, beyond the moment, not of a declaration, but of the probability of hostilities.* Is the British Lion prepared (as the Russians boastingly assert) to crouch and lick the feet of the Great White Emperor, and implore his permission to live ? or is there still some red blood left in his pampered arteries ? If there be, it behoves him by watchfulness and promptitude to atone for his past trance under the influence of Russian mesmerism, to be up and alert in rendering the line of battle he may select infrangible to the assault of a powerful and disciplined army. It will never do to remain wavering in the choice of that line, whether Heraut, * As we saw her act during the last Russo-Turkish war. b

PREFACE.

TO THE THIRD EDITION. or Candahar, or the Afghaun passes. For already has Russia prepared in detail her plan of operations for each alternative, and any unreadiness on our part means irreparable damage to ourselves, and to the two hundred millions whom we are sworn to protect. In the Preface to my Second Edition I concluded as follows : "I would fain advert to the effect pro duced during the Crimean War by this Narrative. In my passage through Russia the kindest hospitality had been lavished upon me.* It was, therefore, highly gratifying to find my experience of that estimable people quoted against the attempts of certain writers to sow hatred between two nations, whose earliest acquaintance was that of allies, by imputing to the Russians the most barbarous cruelty to the wounded of the French and English armies.

Assuredly, if the mission to which these pages relate had produced no other benefit than to check so mischievous a prejudice, it would not have been in vain." * We should be careful not to confound together the action of the Eussian Cabinet and the will of the Eussian people. The strife between the two is rending the Empire asunder. 1884. Page 1 CONTENTS. Preliminary Remarks . xxix

Chapter I

Departure from Heraut — Anecdote of the Poet Jaumie —Arrival and Reception at Purwana — Peer Muhummud Khaun, Commander of my Escort — Parting Benediction — Kytoo Ridge — Cross-country Path to Khooshk — Valley of the Khooshk — Arrival and Reception at Khooshk, the Jumsheedee Capital — Departure — Peril from Petticoats — Reception at a Jumsheedee Khail — Translation of Forty Virgins — Kara Tuppah — Singular Sagacity of the Scorpion of Peshawur — Freemason's Hall — Anecdotes — Chummunie Bhayd — Slave-dealing at Heraut — Cause of the Vuzeer suffering it — Sabres of Khorussaun — District of Baudkhiss — Kullah-i-Mowr, Toorkish frontier — Reception by the Tahmoots of Punjdeeh — Inconveniences of Guestship — Dismissal of Peer Muhummud Khaun .......

Chapter II

The Tent of Plenty of the Yahmoot— Gift-Horses— A Toorcumun Breakfast — The Sawny Old Khetkhoda — Peer Muhummud Khaun's Farewell — Extraordinary Power of Var Muhummud Khaun over his Agents — Valley of the Moorghaub — Junction of the Khooshk Rivulet with that River — Visit from a Panther — Approach to Voollab XX CONTENTS. Page. taun — Reception there by the Governor — Distrust of the Relations between England and Russia — Presents — Mu hummud Aumeen Beg — The Zunnuk — Departure — The old Cauzie of Yoollataun— Probable Origin of Col. Stod dart's Imprisonment at Bokhara — Hopes of the Slaves at Yoollataun — Approach to Merv — Want of Courtesy of the Governor in my Reception — The Jews of Merv and Meshed — Insulting Conduct of a Servant of the Governor — My first Turban — Visit to the Governor — Insulting Reception, its Origin and Motive—Prepara tions for the Passage of the Desert — Jew Merchants — Suspicious Circumstances — Conversation . . .22

Chapter III

Jew Merchants — Their estimation at Merv — Visit to the Khaloofah — Atmosphere of Merv — The Son of the Soofie ool Islaum — Dinner — Ignorance of the state of Europe — Gifts — -The Gift Horse — Visit from the Governor, Nvaz Muhummud Bae — Nature and Properties of a Gift in Eastern Lands — Saleh Muhummud —My Prepossession in his Favour — Persian Ambassador to Khiva — Merv — Departure from its miserable and inhospitable Plain — Aspect of the ancient Site — Slave Caravans — Condition of the Victims — Toorcumun and Oozbeg Women — Economy of a Toorcumun Tent — Objection to too much Bosom — Preference for broken-in Partners of the Yoke — Other Toorcumun Habits — A Day's March in the Wilderness of Kara Koom — Landmarks — Sagacity of Camels — Instance of the Excessive Cold at Cabul — Toorcumun Notions of the Glory of the Heels — Aspect of this Wilderness 47

Chapter IV

Reception at the House of an Oozbeg Gentleman — Message to the Khaun Huzurut — Ram Fight — The Light of Mutton Tails — Birdler Beeg's Return — Reception of my Message by the Khaun Huzurut — Escort sent to conduct me to my Lodging — Aspect of Khiva and its Suburbs — Dress of Oozbeg woman — My Quarters — Extreme Jealousy of this Government — Arrangements for my Accommodation — Indelicacy of the Mehtur or Minister — Ruminations — Anecdote of Hajji Feroozooddeen — Summary of Difficulties — Difference between Fate and a Razor CONTENTS. XXI Page, 81 107

Chapter V

Glistering Atmosphere and excessive Chill of the Air at Khiva— First Audience at the Court of Khiva— Town — Artillery— Palace— Minister's Levee— The Mehtur — Khojeh Mhirahm— Interpreter— Nobles of Khiva- Access to the Royal Presence— Black Tent— Audience— Ullah Koolie Khaun, King of Khaurism— Dismissal- Suspicions of the Khaun Huzurut— Restrictions upon Ambassadors at Khiva .

Chapter VI

Second Audience— The Russians— Persians— Bokharians —Colonel Stoddart— Treachery of the Cauzie Moolla Hussun — Message from the Minister — Visit to him — Reception — Bokhara — Colonel Stoddart — Plan for his Rescue— Particulars of the late Skirmish with the Russian Force North-west of the Sea of Aral — Ignorance and Timidity of the Minister — Extreme Difficulty of Negotiation with such a One — Messenger from the Khaun Huzurut to the Umnieer of Bokhara, for the Release of Colonel Stoddart 91

Chapter VII

Third Audience of the Khaun Huzurut — Explication of British Policy in Afghaunistan — The Great Mogul — Dismissal — Proposal that my Letters should be read by the Khaun Huzurut — Difficulties of Correspondence — Rapacity of the Minister — Fourth Audience — Promise to restore the Russian Captives — My Objection to urge their unconditional Release whilst a Russian Army was advancing upon the Capital — Nature and Origin of the Misunderstanding between Russia and Khiva — Russia the Aggressor — Estimated Strength of the Army of Invasion — Its Arrest by the Snow — Skirmish — Terrors of a 6-lb. Shot — Ruminations .... CONTENTS. XXII Page.

Chapter VIII

Discussion of Routes — An Oozbeg Chart of the World — Relative Extent of the British and Russian Dominions — English Habits — The Khook and its Varieties — My unhappy Ignorance — Apology to the Tuscans — Necessity of foregoing all Geographical Research, imposed by the extreme Importance of my Mission, and the extreme Suspicion with which I was regarded — Another Audience — Meyendorf's Travels — The Air-gun — Discussion of Routes — Impracticability of that by the Balkaun — Difficulties of the Orenburgh Route — Recommendation by the Khaun Huzurut of that by Mungh Kishlauk and Astrakhan — Questions relative to Europe, Dress, Dwellings, Climate — Telescopes, Astrology, Female Sovereigns — Number of Cities, Russia, China 119

Chapter IX

Delay in my Mission, and the impatience under it — Cross Examination upon Articles of Faith — Kawff — Baub-ool- Mandeb — People and Customs of Hindoostaun — Mungh Kishlauk Guide — His Testimony — Another Audience — Inhabitants of the Ocean — Fish — Serpents — Sub-marine Sailing — Gun Vessels — Sea Fights — Towns in the Sea — Magic — Contrivances as Wonderful in Common Use by the British — Steam Looms — Mints — Telegraphs — Steam Vessels and Steam Carriages — Our Well of Alchemy — Origin of the Ducat — Private Intelligence — Extreme Anxiety of the Khaun Huzurut to effect Colonel Stoddart's Release, and bring him to Khiva . 130

Chapter X

Interview with the Mehtur — The Book — Audience — Ac« count of the murdered Strangers — Purchase of Ummeer Beeg's Freedom — Minister's Love of Watches and of Calomel — The Air-gun — Paper Kite of Khaurism — Its musical Properties — Its Mechanism .... CONTENTS. XXIII Page.

Chapter XI

Feast given by the Khaun Huzurut — Arrangement of Guests — Purgatory of Knees and Ancles — Persian Ambassador — Punishment of Dinner-odoxy — Inauk of Huzarusp — The Bee — An Oozbeg Dinner — Holy Ardour of the Priests — Accounted for upon Muhummedan Principles .......... 147

Chapter XII

Prospect of my speedy Departure — Extreme Difficulty of procuring Money — Promises of Shroffs and of the Minister equally false — Delay in transmitting my Despatches — Private Channel established — Liberation of Ummeer Beeg — Mutilation of his Ears by Yakoob Mehtur — Release of Twenty-two of the Daughters of the Afghauns in honour of H.M. the Queen of Great Britain — Captain Pottinger's Eescue from Captivity of some Forty or Fifty Children 153

Chapter XIII

The Ummeer of Bokhara's Refusal to release Colonel Stoddart — Endeavour to make me solicit the Company, on my Mission, of an Oozbeg Ambassador — And to persuade me to prefer the Orenburgh Route — Private Intelligence — Presents for the Emperor of Russia — Arrangements for the Exchange of Captives — Reasonableness of the Khaun's Propositions — His extreme Anxiety, and evident Sincerity on this Point — His Amazement at the Motion of my Pen — And Curiosity respecting my Epaulettes — His Majesty's Tribulation at my Want of a Cocked Hat and Plume — Dismissal — R.veil of Nizaum, the Sleeper of Sleepers — Visit from a Relation of Birdler Beeg— His Account of the Skirmish with the Russians — Difficulty of raising Funds — Visit from the Minister — His happy Confidence in Destiny — Heroic Spirit . . CONTENTS. Page.

Chapter XIV

Departure of the Persian Ambassador — Difficulty of procuring correct Intelligence — Inefficiency of my Establishment — Presence of the Persian Ambassador, how far useful to me — Alarm occasioned by the Reports of the British Advance — Resolution of the Khaun to put down Slave-dealing — Final Audience — Subject of Change of Route renewed — The Guide, Hussun Mhatoor, Chief of the Chowdhoors — The Khaun's Charge to him — To me — His Message to Her British Majesty — Importance to Europe at this moment of the Kingdom of Khaurism — Parting Charge and Farewell — Fruitless Endeavours to ■ cash my Bills — Deceit and Treachery of the Mehtur — Inhospitality and Meanness of the Court — Quit Khiva in the almost certain Prospect of perishing in the Wilderness — Parting Instructions, and Farewell to Ummeer Beeg — Departure from Khiva . . . . . .176

Chapter XV

Departure from Khiva — Palace of the Toorruh — Priggery of the Toorcumuns — Unibarr, an ancient Site — Report of gigantic human Bones — Dahsh Howz — House of the Guide — His Obstinacy — Message from the Mehtur — The great Mare's Nest — Its Origin — Journey resumed — Inhospitality of the Guide — Capture of a Russian Interpreter — Journey resumed — Reception at the Den of Thieves 187

Chapter XVI

Visits from Toorcumuns — Khail of Yahmoots — Dress of Toorcumun Women — Fierceness of the Watch-Dogs — Visit to the Ruins of Old Oorgunj, and to a Toorcumun Fair — Entertainment at a Khail — Cure of Jaundice — Toorcumun Dinner — Economy of a Toorcumun Tent — Dress of Children — Ruined Fort Shoomauki — Deserted Bed of Oxus — Distant View of Oxus and the Lake Loudahn — Slaves — Cliffs of Chalk and Marl — Euined CONTENTS. XXV Page. Castle of Kohna Wuzeer — Of Barrasun Gelmus — An other Enchanted Castle — Ibrahim Aat'h — Entrance to Kuzzauk Land — Distant View of the Channel occupied by the Oxus when it fell into the Gulf of Balkaun — Anecdotes of the Bahrukzye Chiefs .... 202

Chapter XVII

Chase of the wild Ass — Miry state of the Steppe — Intense Cold on the higher Land — Antelope of the Steppe — Dry Basin of a Lake — Particulars of the Murder at Khiva of the two European Travellers and their five Servants — Manners of the Kara Kulpauks and other Oozbegs — Character of the Country — Chalk Cliffs, &c. . 219

Chapter XVIII

Rapacity of the Guide — Physiognomy of the Kuzzauks — Nizaum's extreme Amusement at the Sight of beardless Men — The Dragon of Heraut — The Petrified Dragon of Candahar — Existence of a Species of Boa amongst the Mountains of Afghaunistaun — Anecdote of Shauh Kaumraun — Singular Fate of a Tent-mallet — Chalk Cliffs — Kuzzauks 231

Chapter XIX

Story of Hautim, the Arab — Face of the Country — Melancholy Prospects — Some Account of the Descendants of Cyrus the Great — Herds of Galloways — Kuzzauks — The Snake — Ali's Dream — Origin of Tobacco — Lawfulness of Pigtail — Goat's Milk — Liberty of the Fair Sex sometimes abused 247

Chapter XX

Ferocity of Toorcumun Horses — Cliffs of crystallized Lime — Account of the Death of Futteh Khaun, Vuzeer of Heraut — Resistless Power of Destiny— The Falcon and the Crow — Perverseness of Guide — Tent of Dana Bae, the Kuzzauk — The Napkin of Khaurism — The Desert Bird . . ... ... . . .258 CONTENTS. Page.

Chapter XXI

Cliffs of Shell Sandstone — Burial Ground — First Glimpse of Caspian — Difficulties suggested by the Guide— Entire Absence of Boats — Desperate Posture of my Affairs — Expedient suggested by the Guide — His Refusal to accompany me farther — Prospect of utter Ruin— Alternatives — Basin and Cliffs of the Caspian — False Report of Sails in sight — Signals — Resolution to proceed to Dahsh Gullah — Repetition of Signals — Their Fruitlessness — Appearance of Dana Bae, the Kuzzauk — His Agreement to conduct me — Announcement and Departure — Letter to the Khaun Huzurut — Suspicious Circumstance — Ruinous Habits of my Interpreter . . 271

Chapter XXII

The Treacherous Messenger — Perplexities — Resolution to return — How altered — Further Symptoms of Treachery — Appearance of a Clump of Toorcumun Horse — Bivouac in the Rain — Symptoms of Treachery in the Guide — Fresh Perplexities and Difficulties — Reach a Kuzzauk Tent — The Kuzzauk Bride — The Hyæna — Reach Dana Bae's Tent — Interchange of Spoons — Arrangements for the Journey — Greed of Dana Bae — His formidable Oath — Dismissal of the Hyæna — Night in a Kuzzauk Tent — Journey resumed — Incessant Anxiety and Watchfulness — Arrive at a Chain of Mountains — The Black Eussian Ambassador — Singular Weather-worn Eocks — Fresh Causes of Suspicion — Eeach the Caspian 288