The New York herald., 1879-03-17

TASHKEND.
Interesting Description OF an
Oriental Capital.
TURKESTAN LADIES AT HOME.
Opera in Genital Asia---Ths Story Of an .Oh Jyglsl--
G0yeInesS at Premium THE Institutions
sa Of Civilization
TURKESTAN LADIES AT HOME.
THE OLD AND THE NEW CITY.

TAsHxEND, Turkestan Feb. 4. 1879
Waiting for the arrival of the Afghan ambassadors
] cannot perhaps make better use Of my time than
by giving you description Of this very curious
capital Of Turkestan. To begin at tho beginning,
Tashkend is composed Of two distinct parts. or
more properly speaking OF two towns. for rather
long interval separates the two centres. called re-
spectively New Tashkend and Old Tashkend. In
Difference to age let me speak of the latter first
After ascending stairway in ruins-like all the
starways without exception that are to BIO met with
In Mussulman countries--one arrives at the top
OF tho central mosque-a very large one-and
beholds on every side large city rising as In an
Nnphtheatre. Tho city is therefore of the form
of vast bowl the Mosque occupying the centre
like piece OF sugar. All the buildings, which arc
constructed Of dried clay gray in tint With tho
exception OF the mosques. thoy are composed merely
of ground foor. without windows. looking on the
streets Ono might walk all ones life in the streets OF
Old Tashkend without suspectng that there was such
thing glass. The roofs fiat. and made OF
straw covered with earth and cut with cutters by
the rains. These roofs to serve as place OF
recreation especially for the boys of the town.
who meet there to launch their numerous square
kites into the air. This mass of small buildings,
pressed the against the other as If they were
struggling to gain the ascendant. serves to lodge
population of 10000 NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
Kirgis, Hindoos and Jews. of whom the Sarthcs
form the great majority. If. after satisfying
yourself with the view which surrounds
the mosque. you descend into the streets
you will fnd yourself in the very centre of the
bazaar the life and animation of which will at once
remind you Of the bazaar of Constantinople. There
arc to be found the shoemakers. the BARRIERS. the
cooks and the iron workers. then the grocers. the
butchers, the drapers &c. representative of every
trade is in fact to be found there In the midst Of
the crowd to be remarked the Jevs who to be
recognized by the curls which hang over their
ears. and the Indians, who equally dstinguisha.
bio by the red mark which they make their FORE
heads and the irregularty Of which gives 1t the up
pcarance Of q ccatrice. Among the purchasers. the
Kirgis their wives may be readily distinguished.
the men by their rugged faces. the women by their
having their faces uncovered. while tho Sarthes
conceal their features by veil of black horsehair.
R9 TorLEr THE WOMEN.
The toilet of the Sarthe women Ii worry simple;
boots without soles, the bodies of which joined
under the foot by q seam loose trousers. long
chemise and sort OF robe dc chambre, with long
sleeves. covering the whole body. These garmcnts
ere made Of silk. The head Is covered with couple
Of handkerchiefs, forming sort Of turbsn. with
loose ends flowing the shoulders. This is the
dress III the housa. When the Sarthe woman goes
out she DISCUSSES her face by long horse hair mask
and her figure by ferddJe Of grayish blue, resem
bling somewhat those linen cotton stuffs with
small blue and white stripes which used by work
people in Europe for their bouses or shirts.
The teradge has o peculiar shape and in
no degree resembles that which is in
Constantinoplc. The long collar is replaced
In it by two bands Joined on the head by
. seam and low down on tho back by sort Of knot.
Tho colors of this garment bright without being
too showy. Red, blue and green arc commonly en-
ployed for the chemise and the trousers. Tho robe
do chambre alonc has striped lowered pattern.
tho latter reminding one somewhat of the effect OBJ
tanned by passing little ink through fold OF
paper. Ladies Of rank Chinese silk for their
other garments worn loose. There no hut
tons bc seen, the hand alone confning them like
the graceful black mantilla worn by Armenian
women.
LIFE ON THE STREETS.
Those Sarthe women. whose faces ono never
sees, must be handsome, II We are to Judge by the
nascent beauties of the female children that arc to
be with III the streets, the tallest always carry
1ng the younger ones in their arms and who are al
ways, with few exceptions pretty These exceptions
are in most cases the. result OF smallpox, which
causes such ravages here that thought it prudent
to have myself vaccnated-an operation which
very well performed by q native practitioner who
came to my house with the vaccine These little
girls have beautiful black eyes, and luxufiant hair.
which they divide in numerous small tresses. They
are to be playing indiscriminaey with the boys
and American cities but this does not prevent them
when they meet foreigners from putting up their
arms to conceal their faces from them. The male
Sarhc Is generally speaking, OF agreeable aspect.
His features are regular aud usually animated by
smile which would go to prove that the Russian
domination does not press so very heavily
upon him. From the richest to the poorest silk
is the stuff used in his costume. and ho usually goes
oht ON horseback. Therefore tho streets Of old
1ashkcnd. which only from fifteen to twenty
feet wdc crowded with riders steering their way
through the hlcs of cames rbas-hgh vehicles
n
space OF ten feet. They take to leave the pass
age free for the Rissian vehicles. tho isxotchiks
which affect cxaggcra.ion in the inverse ~
CARDS tho wheels and tho space between them, and
whicn. suspended only by leather springs. jolt
dreadully in the rus OF the streets of old Iashkcnd
In addition TO the contrasts OF color presented by
the etalagcs OF the bazaar. the eye Is attracted
by the rcd aud blue mosaics OF the ornanented
portions OF tho walls OF the mosques, which,
but Tor tha. straight lines would convey the
idea that the traveller was approaching China. The
European population. consisting OK dive to six
thousand kussiais, frequent but little old Tashkcnd
where l saw onl, two or three soldiers, aud where
OF sabbak, which in Russian means dog. and which
they have nat ia.ly learned in order to be able
welcome Christians in the Mussulman fashion. Long
streets lead from the bazaar OF the Old town to tho
New. at the gate Of which is established small native
bazaar, and beyond which Is New Tashkcnd oil which
i shall now give YOU some account
NEW rAsrxfSp.
The new town Is cut into right angles, ansbth
streets, whic, are planted each side with double
of trees, sixty feet wide. They Are only par
TALLY paved AMI are llghc,, with petroleum. Rivules
VI Wutrr fun nlOntsiuc rows W tftcS
"a strong the streets watered twice thrice
a day; otherwise tho heat would be insupportabe.
The houses have only story, for space not val
uable here. aud besides. the country Is sub
5cct TO earthquakes. Ihc external walls or
The houses arc whltowashcd with lime. The
intoriors offer nothing remarkable TO the eye
OF the stranger. with the exception OF the fact that
each householder cuitivatcs brushwood in mis- gar
dn for wood grows very rapidly here. but ia never
thclcss. very dear. In weather the streets arc
impractieabo. and people are conveyed FROM place
20 place IN those small hircd vehicles which 10
he found throughout the whole OF Russia evcn In
tho smallest localities The Russian always takes
carriage. let the distance bc traversed DO ever
short. The remark has bccn made to mo that
II two lsuSsians wcro cast by shipwreck desert
island, OF thonl would Instantly become driver
IN order to conduct the other. The police service
OF the town s effective. AT night, from ninc
o'clock vatchincn traverse tho whole of the town.
making their presence known by striking together
two pieces OF rouat woud about foot in length III
regard to security the city IL we'll protected and az
sale a. any that know OF. Tho authorities possess