The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-11

ton, and in language apparently so sincere that
Sir A. Buchanan told him that, notwithstanding
the strong grounds which existed for believing
that an expedition was preparing against ~ hlva,
he would endeavor to believe every word the
Russian Chancellor said. Prince Gortchakoh
further assured the British minister that Russia
s'neither required nor desired to possess the
khanates." But for ali that, the preparations
proceeded On the Oath of August, 1870, the
Bokharian fortress Of Shahr-i SUBJ fell to Russia,
and, after various denials that the occupation of
Khiva was intended, 10, 600 men and forty guns
sent against the latter place On June 10,
1873, Khva fell and the Khan made treaty with
Russia, bestowing upon this power the whole of
the Khivan territory on the right bank OF the
OXus Practically the same story would have to
be told with regard to all the independent khan
ates and powers which formerly existed between
Russian territory and the northern boundaries
of Afghanistan. Kaskar fell in 1868, Bokhara in
1867 and Samarcand in 1868. SO that the bounda-
ry, to the beginning of 1883, may be said to have
advanced as follows: Starting at the most south
erly point of the Sea of Aral, where the Oxus
empties, it proceeded up that river Southwestern
ly to point about the forty first degree of lati-
tude, thence generally eastward in an irregular
course, touching point as far south as the thir
ty-ninth degree. Eighteen hundred and eighty
three was year of activity and Oaskabad and
Babadurmer were grasped and gradual ad
vance made to Sarakhs. tE
In describing the boundaries of Russia in the
foregoing it must be remembered that these are
recognized boundaries and they do not in
clude places where the Russians had occupied
on one pretext or another, but which had not
been formally declared to belong to the Russian
empire. Sarakhs is on the left bank of the
Teiend river 1t is an extensively fortified place,
and was visited by NJ. Lessar. who is now in
London, having represented Russia on the
boundary commission negotiations 1t was then
occupied by battalion of Persian infantry mum
berng about seven hundred men, From Sarakhs
to khojassala, on the Oxus, distance of about
25O miles, the boundary is defined by Lord
Granville in the following manner: "The in
ternal districts of Aksha, Shibberghan and
Andhkoi, the latter of which would be the ex-
treme Afghan frontier position to the northwest
are dependencies of Afghanistan, the desert be-
yond belonging to the independent tribes of
Turcomania." The cutivable slopes, therefore,
Of the Parapamsus range would belong to At
ghanistan, and the desert beyond" to the
Turcomans The survey that is here wanted is
one that will define between the cultivable
grounds and the edge of the desert. From
Granville, is the line of the Oxus as far as the
junction of the Kokeha river. This carries us
another 200 miles to the foot of the Pamir
mountains. From this point the definition
of the boundary is uncertain, chiefly from
the absence of accurate maps of this
country. The countries that are tributary to
Badakshan and it's dependent district of WAX
han are to be included in Afghanistan, and as far
as our present information goes this would carry
the boundary up the Oxus for another $50 miles
or thereabout, and would then strike across the
mountains toward the Alai plateau, which is at
present in the occupation Of the Russians and is
contiguous to the boundary of the Chinese en-
pire This is the most difficult portion of the
boundary vet to be defined The commission
charged with defining the boundary, under the
command Of Sir Peter Lumsden, are now en-
camped at Zurabad on Persian territory