West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1878-03-09
A LOST KINGDOM.
New York rnbuno.I


Russians and Turks fill up 80 much of
the public eye just now that but a
couple OF lines of cable dispatches were
given to the ending of a war compared
10 which, in duration, ferocity and
slaughter, that in Europe has been but
child's play. Most readers, learning
that " the Chinese had regained the
khanate of Kashgar,' had vague idea
OF some little barbarous province where
Slndbad, voyaging 10 the ends of the
earth, had found the roc's egg. The fact
Is that the reconquered district is about
twice as large as Spain, fertile, high
table land, a vast oasis, indeed, between
two deserts, webbed with canals by
which it is irrigated, covered with
orchards and cornfelds; and thicklv
settled in villages and market towns.
Several of the cities have a population
running up 10 one hundred and fifty
thousand. Kashgar, the capital, was a
commercial center before the birth of
our Lord, and is market now for Cen
trail Asia for all kinds of fine gouds, EN-
broidered stu6s, gold work, etc. The
people are well-fed, well educated (hav-
ing sixty endowed colleges in single
town), and as industrious as il is in the
nature of Orientals 10 be. In Yarkand,
another city of the district, Shaw, an
English explorer, found, ten years
ago, goods from every country for
sale, and large thrifty population of
merchants, skilled mechanics. etc.
After Genghis Khan died and his
Kingdom fell into pieces, three districts
squabbled among each other as perpetu-
ally asSouth American republics, but in
1853 they voluntarily invited the Chi
nese to take control of them. Fourteen
years ago, however, "A Tartar Cromwell.
Gacoub Beg, a chief from the gold dis
trict of Khokan, headed a revolt, drove
out the Chinese, and was made Khan or
Ameer. He was undoubtedly a man of
exceptional shrewdness and business
tact, as well as military skill. He gov
erned the people with an iron rod, but
opened trade with England through
Calcutta, and promoted manufactures
and industries in his Kingdom. The
Chinese have been striving to regain this
lost province for twelve years, with their
usual slow patience and indomitable
resolution. As the troops had 10 cross
vast deserts, they literally planted and
waited to reap the crops as they marched.
Years passed while part of the army was
in transit from the capital to Kashgar.
When they did reach the fertile plains
of the revolted province, their attacks
Gpon it were merciless. The soldier
Khan, Ameer Yacoub, died last June.
and his sOn, Kuli, an cfleminate fellow,
succeeded him, contrary 10 the wish of
his father, who had willed the scepter to
n man able TO defend it, soldier like
himself, and the descendant Of the old
Tartar Kings of Kashgar. This chief
however, declined to take up a cause
already lost, and Kuli suffered defeat
after defeat from the Chinese. until he
was forced to fly into Russia, followed
by thousands of his subjects. The
Chinese, as our readers will have noticed
are slaughteriDg those who remain,
fifteen thousand being put to death in
one town. The farm lands and villages
thus left desolate will doubtless be soon
populated by the baIf-starved hordes of
Mongolia.