The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-31
What . Liberated Russian Reports
About His Captivity.

What q Liberated Russian Reports
About His Captivity.
Russian subject, who has just been restored to
liberty from imprisonment by the Khivans, has
reported to the Lieutenant General Of the Caucasus
that the Khan is not by any means prepared to
repel an attack made by the regular troops. The
Russians name is Serge Dedourine; he is thirty
years OF age, and has wife and children at
village called Nikoaeflsskoe, ON the seashOre two
hundred versts from Astrackan. In the Spring OF
1870 he went fishing with two companions to the
Gulf of Sary-tach. They were attacked by the Kir.
ghis who robbed them Of their nets, and bound and
carried them inland in the neighborhOod OF the
lake. the approach OF Russian trigate In the gulf
forced the brlgands to decamp with their prisoners
northwards into the steppes towards the Emba,
where they remained nearly six months Dedou-
rine and his captors fed entirely on milk dur
ing the whole OF this period. and he himself was
obliged to tend herds. Carried thence to Khiva he
was sold to the Divan-Beghi prime MINISTRY for
him his gardener. One of Dedourne's companions
shared the same fate the other, who was seriously
Ill when they quilted the environs OF the Sarytach
probably died, unable to support the fatigues OF the
journey There were in all at Khiva twenty Russian
prisoners nearly all employed In the Khan's gar
divers Kirghsi and Turcoman tribes dependent on
the Khan. The garden in which Dedourine worked
is the Khan's ravorite promenade Thither he went
nearly every day, rom time to time questioning
the Russians about their country. He Is man Of
about twenty.lour, much given to hawking, and
dpptdTS W DC lOFcu ny Ills pcOple buJ Ills
Dvan-B eghi is very repulsive and harsh in his man
ners. There Is no permanent army; the Persian
and DO duty In the Khans residence They
are badly armed with muzzle-loaders, and
Dedourne saw no field artillery whatever.
question of liberating the Russian prisoners. At
that epoch the favOrite uncle OF the Khan fell griev
ously III, and the latter made vow to set free all
his prisoners should he recover. He recovered.
All the Russians were assembled, and was decided
to give them each ten tlla about fifteen d0ars for
the Journey The DivanBeghi, however, observed
that 1t would be useless to liberate them without
escort, as the Kirghis would again capture them
and carry them or to other markets. Dedoarine
to escort the prisoners to Russian territory, "Why
did you seize and sell them to mes What security
have that you Will not sell them again" DedOu-
rine adds that the Khan was so enranged on hear
ing OF the Russian advance into his territories that
he struck dead at blow Persian lad in his
service.
English Reminisce OF the Crimcan
War.
leading London Journal writing on the subject
of the probability Of war with Russia and the
diplomacy Of the ST. Petersburg government, pub
fishes the following:-
1t is common opinion, almost an established
fact, that the Emperor Nicholas would never have
placed himself in absolute and pronounced hos
tty to England in 1854, II he had not been led to
believe that she really did not mean fighting for
Turkey. ESQ, the belief in our excessive peaceful
ness 81 temper was grave N. misfortune fortune both for
ment has up to this time been guided by such argu
ments into supposing that we shall never step
from our gates to beat Off the foe that saps up to
them, but shall remain content in the reflection
that we can repulse actual assault whenever 1t
comes; this OF course, Is a matter OF which we
have no knowledgy. But we are strongly inclined
to think that the Russians have long gone on in
the enjoyment of that superstition; for they have
had every reason to rely upon 1t, and even within
few months from to-day have been encouraged
to pursue q steady policy Of encrOachment to-
wards o position from which they could largely
control the action of England in any matter OF dis
pute whatever.