Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-08-10
New Asiatic Explorations.

n. Vanbery, Hungarian traveller, has recently
penetrated, in the disguise of dervish, through
the territory Of the Turcomans to Khlva, Bokhara
and Samarcand, in Central Asia; travelling through
districts which have not been visited by European
since the days of Marco Polo. After several years
of preparation in Mohommedan college, he joined
at Teheran in March, 1868, company of poor pil.
grims who were returning to Tartary from Mecca
giving out that he was pious Mussuman travel
ing to Central Asia with religious object; and in
communication Just laid before the ROYAL Geo
graphical Society he announces the result of his
observations as follows:
I'M Vanbery crossed the Southeast corner of
the Caspian Sea on board Tarcoman corsair and
landed at Geumushtepe e. the silver hill, " camp
Of about two thousand tents of the Tamut tribe
From this place he visited the ruins of tie wall
built by Alexander the great, which commences on
the shores Of the sea near this place. and stretches
about one hundred miles inland in the form of an
embankment dotted with turrets and Notifications.
Continuing with the party i'll northerly direction,
east of the Caspian he passed the river Attrek,
crossing the Hyrcanan desert, horrible Journey
OF twenty-five days, aud reached Khiva at the be.
ginning OF June. The present condition of the coun-
try OF which Khiva is the capital he describes as
most wretched.
"The reigning PriHc,, Seid Mohammed a sick
tyran does little else but slaughter hundreds of his
subjects Tor mere TRIES which he calls transeres.
sions of the holy relig ion of Mohalnmed M. Van.
berry made excursions as far as Koongrad, and was
astonished at the great fertility of the country.
which he thought superior to anything he had
hitherto seen in Asia.
"Af'er spending month in Bokhara, NJ Van
berry proceeded full of anticipation to the city of
Samarcand. He traveed'for six DAYS through a
thckly peopled and well cultivated country, and
was greatly surprised at the quick succession of
towns and villages on the road. But in Samarcand
ne was much disappointed. He found the capital
OF Timour in state of decay and although he saw
few remains of its ancient glory, was convinced
that the ancient reputation of the place was greatly
s'sg Tss @ast rem,,k,,,. Of fl. ,n.;.,+ e.
were the medresses or colleges, one of which, cree.
ted by the wife of Timour Chinese Princess. was
a most splendid building but the magnificent por-
tco one hundred feet high, inlaid with mosaic in
the form OF roses, is all that remains of it
The palace of Tmour he described as yerv inter.
esting, especially his tomb and huge block of green
stone, the base of his throne, which must have
been derived from some distant country although
how it was conveyed to the place is now difficult to
surmise. M. Vanbery terminated his narrative
with his arrival at IIerat in October: the country
to the north of which place he found in great dis
order, owing to the revolt against the afghan woke
consequent upon the death of Dost Mohammed"
In the course OF discussion which followed the
reading of M. Vanberys communication IN the
Geographical Society, Sir Henry Rawlinson said
the country which'M Vanbery had traversed was
interesting in two fold point of view. In the first
place it had hitherto been terra incognSta and in
the next place it possessed great political interest.
as forming the debatable land which interviewed he.
tween the kussian Empire and our own India DOS.
sessions. He adds:
ut would be remembered that 25 years ago great
alarm was felt at the extension of Russian Influence
in Central Asia. That feeling which brought about
the Afghan war had passed away, and had been
succeeded by feeling of supineness which was as
little to be justified as the previous alarm. We
have very much lost sight of what had been eono
on during the last 25 years, while we have been inn
ag;nng that all was quiescent the Russian and Eng
fsh frontiers have been gradually approximatinp
over space OF 200 miles, so that at present there
Is only breadth Of 500 or 600 miles between the
two frontiers. '"0
This is matter which ought to interest the
English public and to which attention should be
drawn lie begged to he understood that he sttri.
Duted no hostility to England on the part of the
RUSSIAN Government in this extension of frontier
towards India The journey of NJ Vanbery was
therefore OF great value, because it will make MS ar
9ualnted with countries full of So much political in
terest to England. Many portions of the ronta
which he had followed were entirely new and bs
inight fairly claim the honor of hayins heen tho
hrst European who had visited and Described Sam.
arcand' for four hundred and fifty years"
An account Of NJ Vanberys travels IS about to be
published in London by Mr. Murray.