The New York herald., 1879-09-29

of the Muscovite. Russian writer Professor Mar
tens. has recently published pamphlet entitled.
''Russia and England in Central ASIA. in which he
advocates. a specific remedy for the rivalry OF
England and Russia the Asiatic Continent. that the
idea OF q neutral zone should be abandoned, and
that the two Powers should be divided by mere
line Of frontier, over which two benevolent
governments might shake hands and pursue their
mission" And that Russia has mission other
than the Of constant warfare with the Asiatc
tribes and hostility to England is becoming more
and more evident. The schemes for connecting the
Black Sea with Caspian for turning the OF
the Oxus, taken into consideration by Russia,
with view of developing her trade with the interior
of Central Asia and with China. The Russian news
papers also give accounts OF the various schemes
which 'are now being considered by the commission
the route of the projected Central Asian Rail-
way. An expedition sent into the Kirghiz
steppes under the direction OF the Grand Duke Mich
olas. in the autumn of 1877. reported that the
struction Of o line from the Orenburg Railway
to Fort No. 2: on the syr Darya. and
Tashkend Ia distance OF 1900 Kilometres from Oren
burg, would not present any engineering difficult
ties and would be OF great importance. Accord
ing to a second plan the railway would go along the
border of the steppes instead of across them. 1t
would start from the terminus at Ekaterinburg and
proceed by the large town OF Tiumen to Omsk. on
the Irish, the capital of Western Siberia and inn
portant commercial centre. 1t would then be con-
tnued along the right bank of the Irish to Sempel-
atinsk, and thence southwark to the town OF Ver-
noie The highest point traversed by this line is
only 9i4 metres. and it would pass through the
most tile part OF Western Siberia, thus power
fully assisting the commercial and industri devel-
opment of that region. From Vcrnoie the line
would proceed to Tashkend. and thence perhaps by
samarcand. Bokhara aud Merv to Meshed. where il
would join the projected Persian railway
KuLDJA.
In ceding Kuldja to China Russia has paved tho
way for vast development of her trade The Black
sea-Caspian Canal. the rectiying OF the course OF
the Oxus and the completion of her Central Asiatic
railway will actually annex the entire country north
OF the Hindoo koosh as kussias commercial ground.
VIE, 40 thu not o. % ae ss aaS has
severe blow to her prestige In Asia. On tho con-
trary she has secured friendly relations with China
and hve millions OF rutes to boot, and when the
Teke Turconans shall have been subjected she
will have an overland commercial route to China
OF invaluable Importance. Discussing the antci-
pated occupation OF Merv by the present expedi-
tion the Odessa Vestnk. one OF the most important
Russian journals. corroboratcs what wo have at
tempted to say in tho foregoing article ITO Merv,
once a fertile and populous. now barren and most
unhealthy country, our troops marching in tho
fulhlment OF that ancient mission Of the Russian
raceto pacfy Asia, to put stop TO native savagcry,
and to exterminatc piage. Step by step Russia has
been acquitting herself of the onerous task imposed
upon her by the unavoidable necessities OF her geo.
graphical position. one after the other the various
tribes nave succumbed to our arms. The steps
taking this summer nearly finish
task. II ~ the beginning cf the end. Tho
subiugation of the Teke Turconnns advances the
Russian sentnels to the Afghan frontier. Afg hans
tan having lately been reduced to tho position of
English vassal State. the coercion of her unrnly and
rapacous tribes clearly devolves Great Britain.
II Great Britain will only protect our frontier from
Afghan inroads and our commerce from Afghan pill
lage. we. having extended our way to the Hindoo
koosh. shall have occasion TO go beyond the natu
raj boundary attained. General Lazareff's expedition
thus forms necessary limit III the long chain of
our Asiatic conauests and is remarkable episode
in the fuhment OF our historical mission in Asia" "
The end of the present rivalry in Asia between
England and Russia Is probably foreshadowod in the
above quotation. The object of the present exped-
ton IL, therefore, not only Merv. but Herat. The
latest dispatches from Central Asia seem to give
strength to this view, for the expedition has now
been directed to follow south of the Kopet
Hills instead of north of that range. aud this changed
course leads directly to Herat.