The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1873-07-19
kHIVAN CAPTIVES,
The story of n Russian who was Cap
tured, Enslaved, and ReIeased-Th
Khan,

The following extract from letter to
the New York Herald details an inter
view with released Russian:
In 1869, in the early spring, we were
at Ak-Dlulpas, post station on the
Aral Sea, north of fort No. |, in order
to furnish the beef to the soldiers. A
small post had been established near
there, and my father and CATER his
DEATH L had contract to supply all
the garllsons of the posts in this dis
trlct with beef. At this time there was
great deal of dissatisfaction among
the Klgheezes, for the government was
establishing some new regulations, and
among other things made the taxes
three roubles on kibitkn, instead of
one rouble and a half, as it was before.
These Kirgheezes had been worked on
10y men sent up from Khiva, and were
very discontinued, and when finally
they rebelled against our government
they asked for aid from the Khan.
The Khan sent word that he would
send them an army, but that first they
must deliver up all the Russians who
were IN the country. Somebody gave
information that we were at AkDjul-
pas, and the kirgheez chief was ordered
to bring us to Khiva. We had been
there about three weeks, for we dared
not go farther south, and we were
trading in small wares with the Kir-
gheezes. Besides myself and this
young fellow, Iotoif, there was another
man who was sent back to Russia a
year ago. Well, the Kirgheezes came
on us IN a great number and took us.
The two Cossacks who were at the
station ran away and got off, but after
ward Colonel Rakim was killed there
| We were put on horseback and had to
| travel night and day for four or five
| days to Kniva, around the west end of
| the Aral Sea. The kirgheezes treated
us we'll enough, as they wanted to
bring us III alive; but we had
very little water and were almost
starved. We were all worn out with
riding SO far. When we got there we
were put up for sale, and many people
came and looked at us, and felt of us
to see if we were strong. Finally, the
Khan himself sent and bought us for
$50 tillas apiece, or about 500 roubles.
| We were then sent to one of the sum
mer palaces of the Khan, and set to
work in the gardens. There we found
several other Russians; some as
gardeners and others carpenters, and
doing what they were best fit for. At
the beginning, they shaved our heads
| and cut off our mustaches, and wanted
| to force us to become Mohammedans
| But, finally, the Khan said that we
ought to do us we chose, and need not
be forced so that after that we were
| left in peace.
The Khan himself is young man,
26 years old, very mild and good ma
| tured, but he is very weak, and con-
trolled by an Afghan, who makes him
is very bad and despotic, and if the
| Khan had his own way he would have
released us long ago. lie often used
to walk in the garden, and sometimes
talked to us pleasantly. He does al
most nothing, and rarely goes hunting,
| but amuses himself with his wives and
dancing boys. We were not very badly
treated except at first, and often went
into the city and to the bazaar. We had
the same food as the Persian slaves.
and in general lived much as they did.
| should think there were %, 900 Per
sian slaves there. We dressed like the
rest of the people, and no one ever
| troubled us when We went out. OF course
if we had tried to run away we would
have been hung at once. But if we
could manage to save money 1T was
possible to buy ourselves; that is, we
must buy another slave to take our
place, and then we could be free, but
we never could leave the country.
There we've some Russians there who
had been there long time. Some bad
become Mohammedans and had mar
ried several wives, and there was one
old Russian who had been taken on
Perofsky's expedition. Many of these
Russians had entirely forgotten how to
talk Russian. They only remembered
their prayers, and they said them much
better than We could. The laws are
very strict in Khiya, and every day
somebody is hanged or has his head
cut off If one man complains against
his debtor. and the debt is proved, the
man is hanged if he denies it but if it
| is not proved, ana the man does not
confess when tortured, then the credi-
tor is hanged. When a man is found
with woman both are executed.
| We always were in hopes OF being
released, and when we heard of the
advance of the Russians we thought
that now our time was come. When
| the Khan knew that the Russians were
sending an army against him he want
ed to give in at once, but the Dlvan-
Begees would not let HIM. They first
sent one embassy to Constantinople
and then one to India. Really it is to
the English that we owe our release,
and we are very grateful to them. The
| Queen of England said to the Khivan
Am hassador, "Tell your Khan that
he s himself to blame, and that
/ cannot help him. Let him first
release the Russian prisoners and then
the 80, 900 Persian slaves he has, and
tLen perhaps l can do something. But
he must do this first q have reason
to consider this part of Burnashef1's
story apocryphal" The embassy came
back, and within five days we were all
released. The Khan sent to every man
a new khalut but we would not be
heve our good luck till we had reached
here. We always thought there was a
trick in it. We came up the east side
of the Aral Sea, close to the sea, and
so did not meet the expedition. We
were treated well enough, but for ten
days had no water but melted snow.
We were thirty days on the road.
Khiva IS very poor country, and
fruit and even grain is brought from
Bokhara. Twice, when the harvests
were bad, the prices were very high,
and many people died. The city is