The Penn's Grove record., 1882-02-04
Affairs in Central Asia.

correspondence IRON huldla TO the
NoUoe Feny0 gives the following
account of affairs in that part of Cen
trail Asia. AT the beginning of last
August the Chinese troops of Tarba-
gatai fell upon several families Of the
Kirei Kirghiz, murdered a number of
people, and drove their cattle into the
Chinese town. The Kirghiz Of this
horde then united with a certain
number of Dungans and revenged
/ themselves by attacking Chinese
transports and commercial caravans
on the highroad, and succeeded in
striking such terror into their Celes-
tial foes, that all communication was
for a long time cut off between Tarba-
gatai and the other provinces of
China. The Chinese governor and
commander has sent a strong detach-
ydent of troops to chastise the Kirei
KirghiE, but the result of the expedi-
ton is not yet known
The Chinese commander has also
sent an escort of twenty-four men from
Shiho, with a store of provisions, to
meet the commissioner, who is on his
way from Pekin TO arrange for the
taking over of Kuldja. According to
rumors now circulating in Kuldja, the
Chinese army of occupation will not
enter the province to be surrendered
by Russia before next spring. The
Chinese commander thinks the season
is too far advanced, and the troops
would now suffer severely for want of
winter quarters.
The native merchants from Shiho,
however, relate a much less substantial
and rather more fanta tic reason for
the delay. The Chinese emperor is
said to have twice dreamt that he saw
an unknown person of some European
nationality demanding his Celestial
majesty's crown, and that he was
compelled by a sense of danger, to
promise to surrender the crown
within the present year. This dream
so worked upon the Chinese mind
that the year. 1881 wss regarded as an
unlucky one and unfavorable for the
undertaking of any serious enterprise.
In order to verify these rumors of
delay on the part of the Chinese,
Lieutenant-C Colonel Maiefsky has been
sent to Shiho to make inquiries.
Upon reinstating themselves in the
Iii province, the Chinese intend to
build four different Notifications.
One is to be in Talka, IN on the ruins
of Baian, Que on the south side of the
city of Kuldja, on the banks of the
river Iii, and the fourth at q spot
called Turgun Surmoun, on the left
bank of the Iii. Besides these, three
other special forts are to be erected ON
the river Khorgos. The Chinese be-
lieve that the seat of authority will be
established at some place on the banks
of the Iii, Illus removing it much
closer to the future frontier with
Russia.
According to report, the Chinese
intend to fill up the gaps which the
extensive emigration of the Tarant-
CHS to Russian territory will leave in
the restored province, by promoting
the movement thither of eight thou
sand families from Kashgar and other
towns of eastern Turkestan. In order
to insure the subsistence of the
Chinese troops until the arrival of
these emigrants, the Chinese COM
mander is endeavoring to purchase
400,0 900 pools of flour from the Tarant-
CHS, and at the same time, a number
of Chinese are trying their best to buy
up grain from among the people of the
Iii valley near Kuldja, but the latter
are outstanding their u in
view of removing to Russian soil, and
therefore, refuse to sell.