The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1884-12-03
WHERE WATER Is PRIZED.
ITS VAST VALUE on THE BURNING
SANDS OF ARABIA.
One OF thc Most Terrible Episodes in
Modern Hist Try RetOld-A Horrible
story of Carnage.


last, has been a comment on the vast
value of water in the East One of the
most terrible episodes ever recorded in
history is the fight of the ToTgote
Tartars from the Russian frontiers to
those of China, about century ago.
Throughout this awful journey across
the pathiess, waterless desert the Bash
kris and Khirghises followed on the heels
of the flying Kalmucks, and the con-
tinuous trail of corpses told fearful
story of unceasing conflict and perpetual
massacre. The desperate persistence OF
the escaping hosts in pushing on was
equaled by the frenzied cruelty OF those
who pursued them, until the scenes of
carnage and brutality that ensued were
such that it seemed as ''if a nation of
madmen were flying before nation OF
fiends." But the horrible climax was
only reached at the end of their 1900
miles of disastrous pilgrimage, when, after
a loss of 400, 900 Of their number, the Kal.
mucks, mad from thirst. came in sight
of the lake of Tengis. Hundreds of the
pursuers and pursued had already lost
their reason from their dreadful suffer
ings. Thousands were being borne along
upon cames and horses, helpiessly ex-
hausted by two days want of water.
But as soon as the lake came in view OF
the Bashkirs and Kalmucks alike seemed
to forget their pitiless hatreds, and the
vast hosts, reduced now to about 200, 600,
rushed in a body with frantic. eagerness
to the anticipated solace. In De Quin-
cey's pages the story is told with con-
summate tragic force. The Chinese EN-
peror, happening with force of cavalry
to be at the very spot, saw what was
happening, and sent out soldiers TO pro-
tect his returning subjects. But there
was time enough before the horsemen
reached the scene for one of the most fe-
rocious conflicts ever recorded against
man. In the general rush toward the
saving water all discipline and command
were lost-all attempts to preserve a
rearguard neglected the wild Bashkirs
rushed in among the encumbered people
and slaughtered them by wholesale, and
most without resistance. Screams and
tumultuous shouts proclaimed the pro-
gress of the massacre; but none needed,
none halted--all alike, with faces black
ened by the heat and with tongues
dropping from the mouth, continued
with maniacal haste toward the
lake. The Bashkir was affected by the
same misery as the wretched Kalmuck,
and into the lake the whole vast bodies
OF enemies rushed, forgetful of all things
but one instinct. The absorption of their
thoughts in one maddening appetite
lasted for single half-hoqr, but in the
next arose final scene OF parting ven
geance. Far and wide the waters of the
solitary lake were instantly dyed red
with blood. Here rode a party of savage
Bashkirs hewing off heads as fast as the
swathes fall before the mowers scythe;
there stood unarmed Kalmucks in a
death grapple with their dctested foes,
both up to their middle in water. Every
moment the lake grew more polluted,
and yet every moment fresh hosts came
up TO the water and rushed in, not able
to resist their frantic thirst, and swallow
ing large draughts visiblY contaminated
with slaughter. Wherever the lake was
shallow enough to allow of men raising
their heads above the surface there, for
scores of acres, were to he seen all forms
OF CHASTITY fear, of agonizing struggle, of
spasm and doath-revenge and the lun-
acy of revenge-until the martial spec
tators, of whom there were not a few,
averted their eyes with horror as they
rode down TO the lake to the rescue of
the hapless fugitives.
Every desert bears witness against it
self in the warning skeletons OF man and
beast which lie scattered up and down
its surface. All the poetry of the nations
who live upon the frontiers of these pitt
less wastes ga. hers round the spring and
the well. 1t was at the Wells of Teb
and of Tamanieb that the Arabs fought
their fiercest. To abandon the spring is
significant OF loss of country. A civil
lied race would rally for its last struggle
round its capital; the Arab reserves his
most desperate courage for the conflict
round the water. The sand is the Arabs
ocean, the oases are his ports, and with
all the accuracy of ships courses they
steer their way over the tlackltss wastes.
To be betrayed from the straight line by
a mirage, or driven from it by attack of
enemies, or delayed upon the road by
sand storms, may, as in the case of a yes
sci at sea, compel the voyager to make
for some other port than that which he
had started. But the sun or the stars
are always there, and for the rest what
better compass does the Bedouin ask than
ms camels S amazing power OF scenJf Inc
dromedary's nose is a needle that never
needs adjustment. No accidental at
fractions make it unfaithful to its duty,
A fearful peril attaches. nevertheless, to
any serious deviation from the
shortest route; for even these har-
dened "children of the desertn find
the passage from one spring to the next
as much as their power of endurance can
bear, and are accustomed to time them
so exactly that as often as not they arrive
at their journeys end with water bottle
aud strength alike exhausted. After
days of solitude and utter silent travel
ing perpetually in a centre of an un-
] broken circle OF blistering sand the re-
lief Of green palm fronds Of human
voices, OF rest, must be such rapture
as almost to indemnify the Arab for all
the drawbacks Of his hard life; and no
tvon6or that fha Word .fpvafprii IL the