The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-05-29
The Tenkis.

| leHhIS.
The winters on the eastern shores OF
the Caspian sea are generally mild, and
even during the severest portions of the
V ear-toward the end of February-the
snow rarely lies on the ground very long
at time. But about twice month
they are apt to have sudden and violent
storms from the westward, somewhat
resembling our Western cyclones. This
Caspian storm is called the tenkis, and
is thus described by a recent traveller
who spent winter at Gumush Tepe,
where he experienced its effects
"The first time witnessed one 1 was
excessively puzzled to understand the
movements of the inhabitants immedi-
ately before the storm struck the village.
1t was about O'Clock in the afternoon:
the sun was shining brightly, and the
sky was without q cloud. All at once |
observed persons pointing hurriedly to-
ward the distant Caspian horizon, where
thin, white line of flying mist was per-
ceptible, which rose higher at each mo-
ment, approaching us with rapid pace.
In the village itself the wind was blow
ing from an opposite direction, and the
mist clouds along the Elburz range were
moving toward the west, while the ad-
vancing scud was still so very indistinct
as to be undesirable by the unaccus-
toned eye. / saw men and women in
frantic haste, flinging ropes over the
tops of the kibitkas, and lashing the op-
posite eXtremities to stout wooden pegs
firmly embedded in the ground close to
the wall of the dwelling.
"ln the meantime, within my resi-
dence, old Dourdi, muttering prayers in
most anxious tones, was propping his
boat hook and several other poles of
equal size against the spring of the dome,
and planting the lower one firmly in the
ground. l could make neither head nor
tail of all these preparations, and was
still more COMPOUNDED and amazed by
seeing all the women of the community
rushing to the bank of the river, some
carrying pitcher in each hand, others
with enormous single ones strapped upon
their backs. These, with feverish haste,
they filled with water, and hurrying with
them to their houses, again issued forth
with other vessels for fresh supply.
Every one was too busily engaged to give
me any further answer to my demands as
to what it all meant, than to exclaim:
HC JtuhlS! Vic IcuhlS.
''By this time the jagged white mist
had risen high above the horizon, and
was rapidly yelling the western sky.
Flocks of sea gulls and other aquatic
birds flew inland, screaming and Shrek
ing loudly. Ere long | saw that the
clouds along the mountain ceased their
westward movement, staggered, reeled
and ultimately partook Of the movement
of the advancing scud. Great sand
clouds came whirling toward us from the
beach, and in another instant the storm
burst upon US, accompanied by tire.
mendous downpour of rain.
"The kibitka into which rushed for
shelter quivered and shook under its in.
tluence, and / thought that at each mo.
ment it would go over bodily. The
westerly edge was lifted some inches
from the ground with each fresh gust,
and the eagerncss with which ropes were
houled taut, and storm props made fast
by the inmates hanging with all their
weight from their upper portions, re-
minded one of n scene on board vessel
at sea during violent tempest.
81 was gazing through crevice in the
felt walls out over the plain in an east
ward direction, where some camels, laden
with grass and hay, were hurrying for
ward to gain shelter before being over
taken in the open. could see their
loads seized upon by the storm gusts,
and sent whirling far and wide, and to
height of a hundred feet.
"This storm continued an hour: but it
was only when it had passed, and the in
hahitants had leisure to speak to me,
that | could make out the meaning of
the hurried rush to the river for water.
1t appears that when the tenkis blows,
the water is forced up into the river,
rendering it unfit for human consump-
ton, often for hours together, and i. is
with view of securing supply for
household use that rush is made to the
banks as soon as the jagged mist appears
upon the horizon"