The New York herald., 1873-11-22

that evaded 1t by pointing out that was neither
| European merchant. l got permission
| therefore to go to TashKend, but not to Khiva.
From Tashgena l could send to Kaufman for per.
| mission to go to Khiva, but as that permission
would not arrive until long after Khiva was taken
decided to not walt for it, / inferred that once
over the frontier once in Turkestan, the obnoxious
order would confront me no more, and resolved to
try Fort Perovsky 800 miles up The Sir Derya, as O
base OF operations against Khiya. The result
proved that had guessed Alright. The command
ant at Perovsky, who had not, OF course received
| any orders TO the contrary, 80 far iIom throwing
/ obstacles In my way, found me jegeet, or guide,
! and gave me every facility for undertaking the
| journey 10 Khiya. But no sooner had a certain
| big little man, in Tashkend or Sanarcund, could
never rightly learn which, heard or my departure
than ne determined to prove his zeal to his supe-
| rlors by catching me ana bringing me back in
| triumph probably as a spy. Meantime the story
got out that an American was In the Kysil- Koom
Desert, making his way TO Khiva, and that %
Cossacks were in hot pursuit. OF him,
aud it created a good deal OF excitement
| throughout the whole Russian population OF Gen.
tral Asia, everybody but the big little man in ques
ton taking the side OF the American. He must be
smoladet1n Ia brave fellow, and 1t a shame,
they said, to hunt him in this way, II he had not
enough danger with the Turcomans, and the people
OF Tashkend were prepared to give him an ovation
| II he had been caught and brought back. He was
| not caught, however, and the big little man got
| laughed at for his pains. Another time, perhaps
he will remember the instructions OF Talleyrand to
! his subordinates-- "Surt0ut, pas de zete.n What
| regretted chiefly IN the matter was that the big
| little man had however, authority to deprive the
officer who had shown me some kindness at Perov-
sky OF his position, ana actually did SO; but hope
that Kauimann, who is by no means ns6chant, will
ilv Uiv har n nd ha ttarc tuat atiOn
ON THE WAY.
| Having thus given rapid account OF the danger
that was lowering about my track Will resume the
thread Of my narrative left Alti Kood0ok on the
9th OF May, hoping to reach the river and
quently Kaufmann's army, the same day. The exact
distance to the river was not known, but thought
1t could not be than SO less than 80 miles,
As Kaufman had taken only two Of his six boats
! with him felt pretty sure he could not yet have
crossed the river and that would find him camped
on it's banks; SO set forth on what supposed was
my last march with hight heart. not that be-
lieved all my difficulties to be at an end. On the
contrary the most dangerous part OF my whole trip
was before me. There would probably be parties
Of Turcomans hanging on the rear OF the army
and these would have to avoid or fight But l
trusted to my stars to come of successfully in
either case Going due south four miles, we soon fell
into the broad travelled road leading from the river
to Adam KoOrugan, the same road traversed by
vambery as o dervis, and then turned our horses
heads to the west. The road was broad well
worn and easily followed; but, even If 1t were
not, there would have been no difficulty In follow
ing the trail OF the army by the dead camels that
we're scattered along every few rods, serving as
guide posts. Even at night our noses would have
guided without the aid OF the other senses. The
sand was deep, and our horses sunk to their
knees at every step, making our progress slow and
tOsome. i could see from time to time the tracks
of the cannon, which must have almost buried
themselves in this yielding sand, and was aston
ihed to learn upon arriving at the river that eight
horses to each piece brought It through with
ease. The characteristics OF the desert here were
the same OF the other parts of the Kysil-kooln-
rolling hillocks covered sparsely with soAs-ocos
and the brown desert grass.
Alter two or three hours march we began to
come on the bodies OF dead horses which we easily
made out 10 be Turcomans horses by their great
beauty and symmetry, and inferred that Kaul-
.mann's sharpshooters had been at work with the
American breech-loading rife. From here to the
river found the bodies Of horses every fe rods,
showing that there had been running tight the
whole distance; and, as afterwards learned, IL
had attempted this passage two days sooner when
several hundred Turcomans were careerng around
the army, would certainly have been caught. AS
win be seen, between the Cossacks and tie Turco-
mans, had narrow escape. Many OF the dead
horses were without tails, tail serving the Turco
mans as certificate that the horse was killed in
the service of the Khan who thus obliged to pay
for 1t, and 1t WAS pity TO many noble
beasts with their line, symmetrical limbs stretched
out stark and cold in death. We advanced
cautiously now, surveying the ground thoroughly
from the summit OF every little eminence before
showing ourselves and. taking every precaution TO
avoid falling in with any wandering bands OF Turco-
mans who might be lowering about the river, which
i thought must be very near. About five O'Clock
in the afternoon we reached a point where the
desert suddenly changed its character, and in
stead OF the rolling hiocks through which we
had been passing, We now beheld low, level
plain, much lower than the country we had just
traversed. TO the right and north of this plain
and far away in the smoky distance long ridge
projected out into it, as it seemed, terminating
in three or four low mountains. These the two new
guides had taken at Alti Koodook pointed out
as the mountains OF Ooch-Oochak, almost on
the banks Of the Oxus, and here It was /
ondly hoped to fnd Kaufmann crossing the
river. How bitterly ! was disappointed
the sequel win show. We pushed forward as fast
as our horses could co. At dark we reached the
summit OF a slight eminence, from which our eyes
we've greeted, but far away the horizon with the
glmmer OF water. The western sky was still aglow
with the last streaks OF day. and 1t lighted up the
shimmerng waters with a mellow, golden splen
cor thai filed me with delight, for ] thought | Was
gazi.... on on the oxgs, did not discover my Error
Until ,.ss1r, wnen learned that il was little lake
about four miles from the river When Kaufmann
reached this point and behcld the water he took OF
his cap and devoutly crossed HIMSELF as did every
officer on his stan. We did not reach the water
until long after dark, and after feeding and watering
our horses we soaked little black Dread In water
or which we made scanty repast. We dared not
light fire to make tea withdrew O short distance
the DESERT in order not to be surprised by any
passing party OF rurcomans threw ourselves on the
| sand and slept soundly until daylight. AT sunrise
| we were the mountains Of Ooch. Oochak, and 1t
| was from their summit on the morning OF the 2sth