Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-11-06
Kashaar and Kuldin.

INhoAAkaA oA0 ANAANJo-
Like the Himalava, the great mount
ain wall Ofthe Tien-Shan( Celestial Noun
tains) which defends Western China,
hides i'm its clefts several little Asiatic
SwitZerlandS, whose command OF the
frontier passes gives them no slight i'm
pOrtance in the present troubled state of
the East. One OF these, khokand or
Firghana, is already under RuSsia's con-
troll. Another, Muldja, she has just re-
stored To China with somewhat suspl-
ciOus readineSs-suspiciOus because re-
cent events seem to indicate that such
n concession masks a design upon the
third and most important, kashgar.
The latter is certainly a tempting prize.
Bulwarked on the side of India and Al
ghanistan by the Hindu-kush and the
BolOr-Dagh, while perfectly open toward
Russia's prospective field of conquest in
Western China, it forms a natural for
tresS, equally adapted for defense or at
tack. Its possession would enable Rus
STA 10 overlook the coveted plateau OF
Badakhshan, to flank the Afghan Prov
ince of KoundOuz, and to open direct
communications with the fierce hill
tribes of hahristan, whose thanking posi-
ton makes them fOrmidably important
To the British invaders OF kabul. Nor
is the country itself, with its 10000
miles of undulating plain, and its Hour
ishiug traffic with BOkhara and other
commercial centres, 10 be sighted by
such prOverbislly keen traders as the
subjects Of the Car.
The history OF Djiti-Shaar. Seven
Towns, as kaShgar is called by its own
people, isthOroughly Eastern in its mon
otOnOus bead-rOll OF wars, rebelIions and
masSacres. The Chinese dominion, es-
tablished in 1853, endured till 1862,
when the sanguinary Instruction OF the
Musselmau Dungana spread confusion
along tho whole border OF Western
China, from Kuldja to Kashgar. THIS
anarchy was skilliully utilized by Mo-
hammed YakOOb Beg, a khOkandeSe
soldier OF fortune, who had previously
distinguished himself against the Rus
slams on the Syr-Daria. Rallying 10 his
standard crowd OF the desperadOes
who are always abundant in the East,
he overthrow several rival chiefs and
made himself undisputed master OF
Kashgar in 1865, under the title OF
"Attalik Ghazch, Head of the War
riOrs.l Within the next five years he
reconGuered the whole of ancient Rash
gar, and i'm 1872 concluded au advan-
tageous treaty with Russia, followed
by one with England, through
the medium OF Sir Douglas Forsyth, in
1874.
Alarmed at Yakoob's apparent lean
ing toward Britain, Russia tried To pick
a quarrel with him in 1879, on the ever
open question OF caravan tolls; but the
willy MuSSulman prudently conceded
the point, and was still balancing
adroitly between the two powers, when
his sudden death gave China her long
desired chance of reOCupying the cOun-
try i'm force. But the northern hill
tribes. whose command OF the Terek
Pass gave them easy access both To- the
former capital, Gaugi-Shaar, New
Town. and 10 GarkIud, 40 miles
Southeast of it, were not slow to recon-
r,.nre the raids that EakOob'S strong
hand had checked. 4 few weeks ago 4
Lqdy of kiptchakS-thOSe tawny, mar
pow-rvcd. long-armed guerrillas whom
many travellers remember TO their cost
-swoOprd down from the hills and TELL
upou the Chinese troops so tiercely as
10 ncccssitate the calling up OF rein
iorccments. RuSsia's alleged completely
in this ailrav j. still improved, but 1t
certainly gives her a very tempting
chance of declaring that she must pro
tect her frontier" by occupying
Kashgar, as England has occupied
Kabul.