The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-08-22
HONEWARD FROM AHGHANEIAN.
The Herald Correspondent Returns
by Way Of Siberia.
WAR CLOUDS AT KULDJA
Chinese Frontiers Closed to Traffic Until Russia
Restores the Disputed Territory.


vERNoE. June 90 1879.
The reader who has attentiveiy followed my let
ters from Central Asia will remember that IN the
first OF the series. dated from Orenburg on Decem-
Der IA. 1875 enumerated one. by all the dith-
culties should have to surmount before entering
Turkestan. and explained that only owed my ulti-
mate entry to the kindness OF General Kaufman.
who has at all times rendered his good Offices to the
correspondent of tho NEW York HERALD. have
only to add now that if it was hard to get into
Turkestan it was ten times harder to get out. As
soon as had received at the outset Of my journey.
tho imperial authority to proceed. every facility
given for regaining the month that had
lost in waiting for the necessary permission. The
most important facility sort of circular letter
which entitled to the first of post horses at
all the stations We passed. and that was how l
covered the ground SO quickly in those early days.
My privilege gave little annoyance to other travel
lers for travel is during the winter. when the
cold is excessive and whirlwinds Of abroad.
which engult both man and beast. and rarely leave
either alive when their fury is spent Indeed. de-
spite an icy temperature of rs degrees suffered very
little on the outward journey. and had all my annoy
apces to upon tho homcward. In the first
place my circular letter taken away at Tashkend
The Official courers longer at my SERVICE
sank to the level of ordinary traveller. and the
most provoking part Of the matter that the road
crowded with traffic. The length Of my
first halt gave mo an accurate gauge
OF what was to expect started at ten O'Clock ut
night from Tashkend and reached the Arst stopping
place at midnight. was kept there till three next
afternoon. fifteen mortal hours between sand aud
sky You will not wonder. therefore. that 1t was
two days later before / arrived at Chemkend having
spent more than fifty hours in traversipg just sixty
miles. began to reflect that If this lasted all the
way to Orenburg should have to pass six weeks in
these binding sand storms and under this terrible
sun. Finally decided to take the road to Siberia.
which Is really the shortest in point of time. though
on the map it seems the longest. and took it all
the willingly because it would bring me to
Vernoe, and thence, 100 miles further, to Kuldja.
which is at the present moment in dispute between
Russia and China. and may lead to one OF the
greatest conflicts of the century, struggle Of the
Oldest civilization with that has hardly emerged
from barbarism.
ORIGIN OF THE DISPUTE.
About ten years ago the Chinese found themselves
unable 10 pacify this part Of their Empire. which
had rcvolted. and therefore coded 1t to Russia.
the condition that they should have it back
as tranquility was re-estabshed. They urge that
ut the present moment the Celestial Empire is in q
profound state of peace. and have sent am
in these parts who hate the English. and have met
none Of q contrary persuasion, descry in this claim
the hand OF John Bull-just they it pouring
the poison which destroyed Sheer ALL and setting fire
to those cities Of European Russia which sent pro-
visions and supplies to Asiatic Russia and to all
the Oriental possessions of the Gar Russia replied
that China neither tranquil as the
au thorities fancied ut Pekin they
wanted the authorities believe ut St. Petersburg
and cited the massacres ut Kashgar. whore al, the
inhabitants recently annihilated at q blow.
Moreover, us the settlers at Kuldja learned
what was going on they presented themselves in
body before the Russian Governor entreating him
not to abandon them. They had not forgotten that
in the last century these provinces of Kashgar
and Djougarie had been subjuGated by the total
tinction of their population. which numbered
900 souls All beheaded except % 900 nota-
bles for whose behoof there invented fortunes
that the famous waxwork exhibition at London would
give fortune to add to its Chamber OF Horrors.
The alarm OF the people Of Kuldja il. therefore.
readily imagined. They not only implorcd the Rus
SLAMS to remain but oven solicited the Gar to come
aud live in their midst. On the day when the Te
Deum was sung in all Muscovite cities to comment
crate the Emperors deliverance from the assassius
pistol, the Chinese having learned the meaning of
The service forwarded an address to the "White
Emperor" seriously recommending him to leave
st. Petersburg. where he wa3 i'll guarded. and to
settle TOR life q, Kudja. where the inhabitants
would never shoot him. A few days later artist
appeared among them. having been commissioned
by the Russian government to make sketches OF the
people. His difficulties were great. The repugnance
OF the Chinese to serve as models is one OF their
most astonishing characteristics The artist had
nearly been forced to content himself with designs
OF landscape and costume when happy thought
struck him. He gave the natives to understand that
he was preparing an album for the Cars private
eve; that lie had heard Of the love they pretended
bear for the imperial family that he should certainly
a,Ith M ha of iu In
be the Immediate consequence. 1t was a master
stroke. In half AN hour the whole population was
struggling to enter the artists studio; in AN hour
they were posturing in every conceivable attitude
and in the simplest OF Chinese undress. They tclt
that the removal of their shirts Mt the order Of Rus
STA was preferable the removal OF their heads ut
the order OF China. And really. joking apart. war
seems to DO imminent. ana my mission naturally
leads to Khulja to CLEAN any facts that may III
BULLS, caMErs AND cocKcHMEns
From Tashkend to Nernoe is u distance of 500
miles. the road lies over the mountains rather
than over tho stcppes. The scenery is the same as
In all countries have been recently describing.
and II simplnes matters to say at once that from
Orsk, the Asatic frontier near Orcnburg, to the
Celestial Empire. at whose gates 1 find myself to-
day. the landscape of Central Asia in succession OF
OBJECTS that necessarily repeat themselves of deserts,
mountains. steppcs. all of them arid. aud of oascs
children flock by in troops to fly their
kites. The amusoments are always the same. and
by flies and dogs, horses and cats. oxen. sparrows.
sheep. goats and asses. Pigs seem to be growing
as
bsr that during the Franco Prussian war in 1870.
having occasion to ride from Motx to Thionville.
observed that during the first two hours OF the rido.
while / still In regions where French was
spoken. saw nothing but sheep. and that AZ soon
us crossed tho German frontier the pigs began.
The escort of my present march was mainly com
posed OF kind OF black cockchafer which seemed
10 live on mud. All along the road sped these In
scots which are much larger than their fraternity in
Europe. propelling pieces OF mud ten times AZ big
as themselves. The mode of propulsion is peculiar.
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