, 1879-07-25
BY MAIL.

D.patch 10 London 74n,ss.
BRnLIN, July 8--What telcgraphod to You
tho other day AZ being tho wcll-foundcd suspi-
cion Of tile 0o'o, With reference to tic truo aim
Of tho Russian military expedition which latcly
started from the southeastern shore Of tlie
CuspIan Ia confirmed with coplous nnd candid
details by the st.. Petersburg correspondent
{who h Rusa,au) OF tho .Nord4sut,ehs AlIae-
.'.et,H ztitanq hero, a papor which seeks to har.
monze the character Of its communications from
abroad With those recayed at homB, and the
latter for thu most part arc either auiAorita-
tive or inspired. Ths correspondents, In a
letter published this evening, freely con.
tesscs that Gen. Lnsaroff, tho hero OF Alhdja
md Knrs, ia commissioned 10 capture and do.
stroy Merry, the Capital OF the Telko Turco-
mans, ThiB town has It's scat among thn stoppes
nl,d sandy deserts bounded on the north by lAe
Kara Kura, on the west by tho Kopot hills, by
the Afghan mountains On tho south, and by tho
Anu patya OF Oxus on the esst. Connected
arc tho townlets Of Codsbat, Abula, Kamlsluka-
lptl, al.l NQukilla, ali thcse t0gethrg forming
quadr!lasaiu, within which thc affairs OF thu
triba arc administered. From this quarter, con-
bafbarous Tckinze direct their ratds, sometimes
crossing the 0xus in boats und plundcrlnE tho
Territory Of Khiya and Bokhafa, como
TIM: butng Into tue 1e ana H 14's
Turvomhns, thoagh ltging under Russian
protsctlon, aEo not spared BY thcss tnarauders,
who do not coulinu themselves merely to iifttng
CATTLE but even steal men, many Pera!ata pin
ing Away thciE lives tu cruel captivity nmong
them. Tho women aud children carried away
By them are sold In Afghanistan and l3oktara.
The Perslnne, observus the Russian writer, laYa
In yan sought to settle accounts With these itl-
| yeterata thleves anu scouudrcls, but, though
tiletr troops hare OH several occaa!ons pressed
on towarlls Mery, they haye either been wholly
loss. hat;-however, the porstans could ueyeE
accomplish tic Russian Government has deter
mined summar,ly To achieve mil to put stop,
oncu fur all, to tho fntoleEahle state Of things
exfst[nE tteIeabouts hy destroying More, thlt
den Of Ihpacious robbers. .-.-
This troops appointed to perform this task
| undsr 0sn. l4asufcI belong exclusively to tlle
ar1uy Of the Caucasus, aud after assembling ai
baku vera carried across the Caspian III steam
era 10 Tchklslar, ucar the mouth OF The A.tek
The infantry consisting Of ten battatlons, II
commanded hY Maj,-t}on. i,orrh, willis Prinrs
Won WIttgenstetn Dcr!eburg ha4 charge Ut u.s
cavalry, numbering two squadrona o. dFagoona
twenty.oup Botntas Of CossAcks, al!1 five entntai
| OF Tureomnn volunteers Ut t(io trthp Ut Jer
nude, impIAcatlo focs Ut the Tskinxe. The nr
tillcrY fosco Is made up of thlrtY-six light guns
| Ut which four arc mAnned by mounted Cos
| a4cks, under tho command Of Vol. l'tosor
kcnitscll, the chief Of tha stan being Col
Slalatua. Tho co1nmiusartat train necessary To-
l5,UlO catncls md {, G,0O0 d.aught horses. ono o
| tho reasons which detained the uxprtlttlon VI
long ut Tehikis!ar being lint the drivers. etc.
hRl frat to b. provided with tough aud lohg
enduring Turcoman steo1s. .-
~ long Is this e1petiuDuarY force can marc