Daily Republican., 1885-05-12

From co-rsspon lent Of the Tribune.

FROM c0VrosDon lent OF the Tribune.
BOSTON, May 7.-Never mind why
we were there or how we got
there, but think Of Saturday in No.
vember, 1850, and ofanother missionary
and myself, at Enaili, q little Afghan
town thirty miles out on the Pivy or
Irak road to Herat. II you chance to
be y good paying guest at the inn, you
are solemnly Informed that Mondays
and Wednesdays are the only two
lucky days for journeying. We were
fortunate enough to be poor, and 30 no
one said anything about Saturday be-
ing an unlucky day to start on.
AS soon as We came out the walters
of the establishment appeared, six
Arab boys, each with two knoks In his
hand. To be knocked Is the first step
in the general system Of extortion In
stand, Is an article OF some kind which
you have used while at the poti or inn,
and which the waiter-hoy insists on
course you must pay for the gift, or run
the IRISH of being pelted with gravel.
My proffered knocks were the two nap.
kins which ! had used, the leather
covering of q chair, two plates and o
lamp.
The return for the six articles was
equivalent to as many dollars, and
/ was vexed. for the knoks we're OF no
USE to us at all. Hesitating a moment,
the leader of the boys asked III would
not accept the knoks. " Yes," l said,
"ifI can choose for myself" " All
right" they granted. " Bring me, then,
three OF the couch rugs, a drap.ry End
two silver cups!" said. They were
dumbfounded. Such audacity was too
much, and as they hurried out TO
confer with the landlady the posthorses
came, and we mounted.
The road WAS cross between high
way and byway. 1t proceeded
through q vast arid plain, Hat as a fl ,or
and sparsely peopled by Nomads, with
a village here and q village there, and
spots Of luxurious vegetation at every
mountainous break. On the north the
rough hills were magniti Gent, and on
the south distant roseaJe ranges skirtetl
the plains and filled the perspective
with ever varying mirage. That por
ton OF the country Is inadequately gov.
erued and unsafe, and as there is little
traffic the expenses Of travelling ar,
enormous.
We were In no humor to gain real
izing sense Of our surroundings bu
one thing did realize, and tlat WA
that the horse that rode was bougy
and of all horses that l ever saw 1
bougy Afghan il the worst for saddl,
use. He was milk-white, and rather
sty lish, but he went with q skip-and.i
jump trot that was not COIL Portable fol
| u man who had not been in saddle fo
q year. But he did not trot all of tn,
time, for just In advance of us was ;
Russian traveller with thirty-six load
| of luggage and train of attendants
| and the rules of the Eastern roads ar,
such that one company cannot com,
| near enough to hear the crack of whips
| Although our party carried q bag o
mail, we had no right to 60 past thu
Russian, who fancy was in no hurry
TO get on to Cabul. At mid-afternoor
he halted for the night, and we had t,
do likewise.
Co.'s was the name of the place, ant
1t was in seQuestered and desoiat,
spot. A narrow rusty old gate opened
out of an archway at the wayside, ant
was marked Twugh. The word mean
Welcome !" but we were not ire o
being Welcome, for in vain we pound
ed the gate with the hammer that
used for that purp, BE. But at last
brave little lad came and gave US ad
mittance. We dismounteu, and walk
ing up weedy lane, entered the village
nj sought the poti.
The entrance was o square cellar, an,
the accommodations were like those G
all other Eastern hostelries. There wa
one Innovations glass window,
dirty one at that, but one Of which th
L tato
the sash out and showed 1t to us, ali
q strange sort of contrlvHnce q DO
burnt some charcoal and cooked GU
rice. After sunrise q priest came In I
see US, wearing robes, but with bal
feet.
He wanted to convert us, but !.
spent good half hour in telling l
that by the will of Allah his skin W;
of delicate ecru color, which ia
he regarded as mark of divir
honor, inasmuch as 1t disti
guished h i'm from the burnt-sienI
colored natives. Afterward he talks
theology in q mad sort Of wa
Apologizing for the building that
called mosque" he invited us o.
. to see it, and we found a very gaud
place, hung all over with festoons al
tiDselled drapery, with tapers burnir
and tin ornaments sparkling.
We saw perhaps q dozen Afghs
. women. They wore no bonnets, b
simply long veil of eauzy stuff. Loo
: at them In the right way, and they o
Z | pretty. Their countenances have aJe'
!. ish cast, but they are not brunette
Their skin IL anRmic, strikingly 30. al
they wear their hair tied over ball
! as to make them look more than natu
: ally white. They walk remarkab
| veil, and in the management of the
. wells diaplay much innate grace al
a elegance.
or the men may as we'll say tn
= they are not unlike what q Cross /
, tween HincOoand Persian would
!, | Athletic, fair and well-bearded, tn
have aquiline faces, with the forehea
shaved, and the hair on the sides han
ing in curls that fall over the shoulde
in picturesque, shaggy, mane-li
way. Their carriage In full OF resol
tion and pride, and from one border
the country to another you cannot b
: remark that they remind you OF banta
roosters. And they are like them, tc
turbulent, vain, brutal, quarrelsoM
. liking nothing better than the practi
of martial sports OF cruel cast. T
kazh, or chief tribeeman Of Co.'s, was
perfect a game-bird as ever saw.
This same kazh wanted to buy II
pens and ink, and had no aftermath
save to consent. But exacted pri
- of him, and that was ride in mis- sla
to Herat. 1t was preferable to boui
riding, though slDm is n carriage tn
is as awkward and unwieldly as an
thing ever drawn by horsee. Fro
Selup, three miles further or. to Herr
70 q fine carriage road had been recent
flushed, and az our Russian hail go