The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-02-18


wore here and there to be- seen picking up what
they could find 1t is extraordinary how any Of
These animals manage 10 exist through the win
ter months. as their masters hardly over feed
them with corn. trusting to the slight vogota-
tion which exists beneath the snow. and never
take the trouble to water them. o 'casionally
! the poor beasts perish 10y thousands. and a Tar
tar who If rich man ono week may find him
self bcggar the ncxt. A slight thaw. lasting
! Tor y fHw hours, is sum lent W ruin whole dis
tri.t-. for tho ground b'comcs covered with an
imponcrablc coat OF lee, and the horses simply
! die OF starvation. not being ablo 10 kick away
! the frozen substance ~ they do the snow from
! the grass beneath their hools. Yet. perhaps, no
horses in the world are so hardy Us these little
| animals which are Indigenous to the Kirghiz
plains. for tho Same reason probably that the
Spartaus cxccllcd most nations in physical
strength, since nature here dolcs out TO the
weakly colts the Same fato which Spartan
parents npportioncd to their sckly offspring
Capt. Burnahy was assured that Kirghiz chief
once gallopcd two hundred miles in twsnty-four
hours. Marches Of hundred miles in the same
period are not infrcducnt
| Tho kibRtds, or tents. are tho homes of the
nomad Kirghi2os. and are carried by them on
cam'ls from place to place. Some Of these
abodcs are adorned inside with thick carpets.
! of various hucs, and bright-colorcd cushions
on which the inmates rcposc. small hrc In
the centre Of the apartm mt gives out n thick
| white smoke. viii h wr'athcs it, III upward In
scrprnt-lke coils till. gradually reaching the
roof, it escapes hrou III an aperture LETT for the
! purpose. The women In the t'nt appear TO have
no fear of strangers. and do not cover up their
faccs. IA is the custom among other Mohan
mcdan races. Al n rule, much cannot be said
| for their physical beauty; most OF tho women
| have COOL eyes and rcth. but the breadth Of the
face and the size Of the mouth take or from
these lvnntagcs, while the girls are not ut all
! graceful although ON horseback they appear to
| perfection. phcre are exceptions, however, and
our traveller saw one krghz belle whose deli
| cate features and shaply form denoted Per
sian origin. and whose olive complexion, two
or three shades darker than that Of her com
panons. carried his thoughts Thousands of
| miles southwark to Seville and to Cairo.
The kirghiz have one great advantage over
other Mussulmaus they havcthe opportunity Of
seeing the girls whom they wish 10 marry, and Of
converting with them before the bargain is con
cludcd with their parents. ono hundred sheep
being the average prio given for a young
woman. Among those rarttrs. ON tho other
hand. who have fixed rcsidrn 'es this state Of
things il not allowed. There tn" man who do
sires IN buy n wife has 10 run considerable risk.
for he = 'llom has an opportunity Of judging Of
mother however. or soma female relative ocoa-
sionny Il ne his agent anl arrang's 50 that
her client may be hidden behind some cupboard
in the house. They then invite tho girl To- visit
them. when the latter thinking herself alone. il
induced to uncover her face, and the suitor
makes n mental calculation "a To how much she
is worth. Tho decker then common US. thus:
"Shc has Sleeps eycs and is lovely" says her
mother.
Yes replies the female relative, the wife
seekers advocate "s she has Sleeps eyes but il
not moon-fared. and has no hips whatever. Let
US say two hundred rubes.'
At last our English explorer reached Kasala
on tho JaNtrtes, not far from tue Aral Sea
until atsly the furthost Russian outpost in this
quarter. anl thu point from which moved the
most SUI 'essful column in tho expedition
against Khva. Here. after oxpostulatioH and
delay. and all sorts OF cNpedicnts To prevent
his journey short 81 positive prohibition, Cant.
Burnahy was furnished Ivy the authorities with
aguilN hu, tho la'tcr WIS strictly enioinsl TO
take the foreigner not To- Khva but to Fort Pa
tro- AleXnndrov-k on thu cast bank " the OVus.
which pla,c. according TO precedent. AMI all
probability. would have boon the tho terminal
point Of thu intruler's Sightseeing in that
direction. The rou'e which Capt Bnrnthy now
-ss....s nave n"'n bniore at
temp'i 10y any European traveller, striking rs
impns sable deserts In Asia. there being. for in
stan 'c, ona cVpnnse OF hundred AMI twenty
miles without Il single spring II, travers3l.
however this dim 'ut tract on horseback. not
without much dis 'omfort and hardship. but
without the molestation from hostile Turco.
. mans. whi' he hal boon led 10 oNp''t. an |
when within a lays mar IA Of tho Amol Daryn
I managed 20 brbc his guide 70 divergo from tho
track, AMI conduct him not to tho Russian fort
| Oh. l..t.. 1.
q entity he crossed the famous rver-the OXus OF
4 Alexander-whose banks were now bound To-
gother by q trans parent bridge OF ico AMI which
r hero ut least half n mile wide forms the bound
p ! airy limo between the subjects OF tho Khan and
. the district recrntiy annexed to Russia.
The arst town at which the traveller arrived
b in khivan territory was Oogent'h. Along TIA,
e way thither there was a singular dcarth o
rising ground AMI but for tho hundreds o
T. dikcs which chequnrel tho country on over
/ side, and other signs Of settled habtation. h,
e might have imagined himself back upon Tia,
srur"s. Largo gardens. on 'losed by high walls
b woro dottel about tho Lands apo AMI suhstan
tial, Iuarc built houses. surrounding courts 81
e. pntios uiinr tho fashion soon In Spanish coun.
h tries, became frequent as ho nearnd the town
: Had the khivans been suppliol with arms an,
g a good leader. IL would have been dim ,ult il
l. Captain Blrnahy's opinion, for tho Russians I,
have entered Opgentch, IA every walled gardrT
could have been turned into n citadel. as wa
- done in Belgium during Napoeon's last cam
= paign. The merchants OF this city seemed u
n carry on an active trade with the surrounding
$ districts, for the road was now and then bockc,
y up 10y hundreds Of carts bringing corn and va
q rious kinds Of grass TO market. while numerous
d camols laden with goods from other parts o
s the khanato had been formed into one vast car
i ayon extending moro than milo. Tho peop,
Il ga2ed curiousy at the stranger AS h
= rodo into the streets OF the town. but tn
Z announcement Of his nationality called fortl
!. strong expressions Of good will. and secured L
10 him here. as elsewhere in Khivan territory thi
?. most cordial hospitality. We will not pause I,
+ dos rho the interior of a Khivn undowneri
? sent but merely say that its appointments ant
T. copNenioncos would apparently suffer Little b,
o. comparison wltAthe sdoWageo Of q country gen
r ueman in Sicily or Andalusa. W. may noto
, however, one diversion which is still practise,
t precisely "a Marco Polo saw it. 4 brood %
It hdwls is kept ly sportsmen. which are flown Il
e spn'i"s % ant lopo. and which, hovcrinG