The New York herald., 1879-03-29
CENTRAL ASIA.
A Dinner with q Sar-
THAN.
EDUCATION IN TURKESTAN.
Conservation of Church in Cen
trail Asia.
RESUME OF THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

TAsHKESD, Turkestan. Feb. II. 1879.
l have paid another visit old Tashkend. of
which l have already given description. /
wished to see the interior OF Sarthian houses
private house-and with that view accepted the in
vtation of merchant to take tea with him at two
O'Clock in the afternoon. / got there somehow or
other in the company of my interpreter after wad-
ing for mile more through lake of slush, in
the midst of which tho old town seemed to stand.
The Sarthian, whose name is Madji was waiting for
me opposite "medrasse." He led me through few
tortuous lanes where the yet succeeded in
melting the snow and showed me into neat court
yard with hard clay foor. which mats and
carpets.were spread before q small table twelve
inches high. This table loaded with bowls and
dishes containing respectively hard boiled eggs with
red tinted shells, rasins, pistacchios, apples, POM
egranates SALT loaf sugar and sugar candy cakes Nc
The teapot was in attendance little further on The
national dish then made its appearance the shape
of an excellent smoking hot "pilau. compound of
boiled rice and mutton cut mp into small pieces.
The master of the house kept serving me without
consenting to take a scat. He preferred answering
my questions as he stood before me.
LIFE sARTHIANs
According to him the Sarthians We're much better
of now than during the time of their independence.
when the town overrun with the Khans spies.
single report from whom would have been enough
to sond man to death, had he only dared to suggest
that things were no better than they ought to
the Khanate Of Tashkend. Madii added however,
that sarthians do not like to their countrymen
to Siberia, whatever may be the extent of their
guilt, and that exile a mode of punishment un-
known to them before the Russian occupation The
Sarthian complained bitterly of his father, whose
authority his children. it appears, only ends
with his life. Madjis father refused his consent to
his taking second wife, "Butit is quite time"
argued he. "that should have one; my first wife
twelve years old when married her; she is
twenty-five and getting DID," little boy playing
in the yard; he Madji's son. How comes
it that he is not at school % / inquired.
''That is concern of mine" replied he '.Educa-
ton here is compulsory. When the child is old
enough the Russians will compel me to send him to
their schools" This answer reminded Of the
efforts made by General Kaufman to educate the
natives whose nomadic habits a great stumbling
block in his way. What be done when whole
villages strike their tents and set off travelling for
eight months together? Teachers would be required
with sufficient self-abnegation to accompany these
restless tribes throughout their peregrinations.
'such men may be found among the Catholics" !" said
i one day to General Kaufman when the converse
be found ready for any sacrifice II know it. said
he, land therefore shall try to establish kind of
seminary for such teachers as will consent to accom-
pany the natives and camp out with their pupils"
THE SEED OF SoMiDIc TEACHERS.
The popes. to whom marriage is not forbidden,
and who, by the by, all married. have incna-
ton whatever for wandering life which they might
perchance be driven to adopt through eaaai If it
were possible for pope to experience such feel
ing. They no time for it, for there is no re-
lgion like the orthodox Greek to find occupation for
its priesthood. Independently of the ordinary SER
vice not week passes without some holiday or
other, and some holidays last for weeks together.
This accounts for the clerical profession being as
popular III Russia as that Of the barrister the ply
sician or the engineer. Churches are extremely
numerous-there are 400 in Moscow aone-and every
day adds TO their number. l was present the other
day at the conservation of a new church. This
curious ceremony is deserving of slight notice.
Although the details sent from Central Asia,
where came quite different mission, they may,
nevertheless, prove interesting
coNsECRATING A CHURCH IN
The ceremony should be presided over by bishop,
but as the metropolitan resides at Verno9 some
few hundred miles away and as this is the of
foods-as instanced by the destruction the other
day of four hundred houses at Tokmak-the prnci-
pal priest at Tashkend acted as his delegate, which
First of all the four priests covered their of
ceremony with large apron furnished with bib,
and over this another apron III white cloth of
ordinary kind and such as worn by women cooks.
Then they opened the door of their tabernacle
needed in the church. They fitted up table
by mailing together few planks that had
been prepared beforehand The nails driven
home by means of stones. Each of the popes stood
side end of the table and worked his
own account. When the table was put together they
washed it thoroughly with soap, then rnsed ii with
water and lastly with red wine. 1 read 'Lafitte" on
the label OF the bottle. Then they sprinked it with
perfumes from small toilet bottles bearing the trade
marks OF Parisian houses. Tho table was covered
with the prescribed number of Cloths after which
each OF them sprinked with holy water. The
walls, both internally and externally, then under
went the process, after which the faith counted
additional chapel.
cEsIllAL ASIAN HAIn DYE.
These popes so skilful in washing and cleans
ing, naturally made think of tao Afghan am
bassadcrs succeeding to the others who had be-
fOuled the house whore they dwelt that it became
neccesay to prepare another for those who were to
The new one will bc treated in similar way, for as 1
have already stated one OF the members OF the rst
embassy is also a member Of tho second and he
would be sufficient 10 set example OF the Same
disregard OF cleanliness If indeed IL necessary.
Among the numerous evidences OF their slovcnly
habits which they lett behind principally to be
noted the stains OF hair dye with which everything
was covered. i, who was 80 enthusiastic in my adj
1niration Of the ebony biackness of the Afghan
boards. felt in no small degree humiiatcd when 1
discovered this. IL appears that these digntaries
il the habit of dyeng their hair like all those who
are dcsirous OF concealing their age. In
this respect the Afghan sayagcs have nothing to
learn from the most civilized European communi-
ties. And in sone other respects, too, they
equally advanced. Tor they carry of the chimney clocks
and ornaments with the readiness a
push this fancy that 1t would If they had
taken part in the of 1870. Notwithstanding all
this they are to be pitied like all people whose in
dependence Is mcnaccd, and matters 80
desperate with them that were General Kaufman to
tell the Ameer that he ought to abandon to the Eng
1ish half his territories Shero Ali would ut onco
obey him. lie who assured me OF this is In posi-
tion 70 be too we'll informed OF the facts to permit
me to doubt its correctness for q moment. can,
therefore, conclude this letter by giving this state
ment resuming accurately the present situation.
THE NEW ITALIA.