The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-02-21 00:00:00

THE RUSSIAN EXPEDITION IN
CENTRAL ASIA.

The Special Correspondent of the Daily News, accompany-
ing the Russian Expedition in Central Asia, writes from
Ak Bala Fort, on the Giurgen River, under date Jan. 7111,
giving a description of the fort and surrounding country.
We make the following extract from the letter of the corres-
pondent
The place from which I date this letter is about
forty miles from the seashore, on the banks of the
Giurgen. and about two hours' ride north of Aeterabad.
It is a Persian military station on the real frontier—
for the Giurgen is the practical limit of the kingdom
on this side. The place is an interesting one from a
historical point of view. It was formerly named Giurgen,
and up to a century ago was a flourishing and populous
town. It was the head quarters of one of the two
rival branches of the great Kadjar family to which
the reigning dynasty belongs. The second branch
had its centre at Asterabad, After a series of bloody
struggles the Asterabad family succeeded in asserting
Its supremacy, and the destruction of Glurgen followed.
The ruins of the town consist of a crumbling wall of
sun-baked brick, flanked by numerous towers, en-
closing an oblong space five or six hundred yards in
length by four hundred in breadth, Within are con-
fused heaps of earth, tile, and rubbish, indicating the
sites of the former dwellings. Vultures and buzzards
sit all day long on these melancholy mounds; and the
snake and jackal shelter among the sparse brambles...
The plain north of the Atterek. whieh 1
oat.
saW it WAS A most appalling Waste, is now now fresh and
green. The shrubs, which during summer resemble
so many heath-brooms' ace now in leaf, and even
some few flowers are to be met with. From time to
time flocks of forty or fifty pin-tailed grouse, or
birneltek, as the Turcomans call them, spring up
almost from under one's feet. These birds are as
large as a small turkey, and are excellent to eat.
Strangely enough the Turcomans seldom take the
trouble to shoot them, preferring to subsist on
their eternal pilaff of rice or millet, with mutton
boiled to shreds, There is another kind of bird also
which occurs in vast flocks. It is like a small part-
ridge, of a silver grey colour. The Turcomans style it
the goolgorouk, from the peculiar croaking cry it utters
on the wing. I have seen flocks of these birds which
cannot have numbered less than halt a million. Save
daring the migration of the wild pigeon in America, I
have never seen so many birds together. One of these
flocks, seen at a distance cf a couple of miles, is
easily mistaken for an approaching storm cloud.
When disturbed, the entire flock take wing simul-
taneously with a roaring sound like that of a high
wind among trees or the fall of breakers on a
distant beach, These birds, too, are excellent eating,
but, like the grouse, are neglected by the nomads. The
great rain pools, some over a mile in diameter, are
covered with wild duck and geese. Herons, cranes,
and storks are to be seen preying on the large
greyish-green water-snakes which have come from
heaven knows where, and multitudes of land tor-
toiees swim about, taking to the water as naturally as
tortoises. I have oecasionally seen them caught with
a hook and line, Where these reptiles manage to
exist during the sultry season, when not a drop of
water is to bo found anywhere on the dusty plains, it
is difficult to imagine. It is quite nossible that the
water snakes have come from the Caspian. I have
often seen them at Krasnavodek leave the sea, and
travel milee inland over the parched red rocks. In
fine,-the desert, which I bad last beheld so bleak and
barren, is now replete with vegetable and animal life.
This shows to what these plains might be converted
could an adequate amount of irrigation be secured.
Who knows what may be the ultimate effect of turning
the Oxus back to its ancient channel? . . . .

CUTTINGS FROM AMERICAN • PAPERS.
A Minnesota father who has five grown-up daughters
has sued the county. He claims that his residence has been
used as a mart-house for the past two years.
A member of a debating club was soaring in the
flights of spread•eagle eloquence. Ho flaw his kite over
republics and their institutions, and then began to mention
dukes, emperors, kings and queens. As he came down to
queens some unregenerate heathen parenthically added
" And tens of diamonds," broke the orator all to pieces,
paralyted the society, and the ayes had it on a resolution to
adjourn.

Boston has a Phisoognoscosphocraphy Society, The
motto of the Phiscognosconalocraphickers is "Brevity is the
soul of wit," and Phiseognoscosphocraphy is a specimen of
it. If the Phlecognoscosphocraphicites were to start a paper
called the "Puiscognosphocrapher," the editor would doubt-
less call his
_brief paragraphs " Phiscognoscosphocraphicall.
ties."

" A lady entering an omnibus or street car should
bow slightly to the passengers," says a recent authority on
etiquette. In order to securwthe observance of this point,
the driver should start the horses a little before the lady is
A provident and business-like New .Yorker, on
leaving the city for a trip with his family, placed a placard
Just inside the hall door, couched in the following lan-
guage :—" To burglars or those intending to burgle; all my
plate, Jewellery, and other valuables are in the Safe Deposit
Company's vaults. he trunks, cupboards, dse., contain
nothing but second-hand clothing and similar matters too
bulky to remove, on which you would realise comparatively
little. The keys are in the left-baud top drawer of the side-
board—if you doubt my word. You will also find there a
certified cheque to bearer for fifty dollars, which will re-
munerate you for your loss of time and disappointment.
Please wlp yofir feet on the mat, and don't spill any candle-
grease on the carpets."

They had a " goocteized " snowstorn along the line
of the Northern Pacific Railroad the other day, and this ix
the way the Fargo Argus raves about h