The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-27
CITY or TIE DEAD.
The Not ID Russian Artists Description
An Extraordinary Scene

Here IS a graphic description by the
great Russian artist, Of the results Of the
Mohammedan rebellion against the Chinese
government in the reign OF Tchugufchak
AS you approach the town, 1t is harG 10
believe ~ IS empty, you cannot help hop
Ihg to meet some human being. if it be
only q robber. But not n soul l. 70 be seen
tnywher.. The houses are for the most
part uninjurcd. and likewise the paintings
on the walls and the wooden lattice work
Of the windows. potshcrds and frag
ments OF articles Of every conceivable
kind were lying all about--yessels OF iron
and clay Of all sizes; a quantity of copper
coins strung on n string; dresses, caps
plaits Of hair, shoes OF all sizes--thc
clumsy shoes Of Dungians and Calmucks
side by side with tho miniature slippers
OF Chinese women. put pair Of extra
ordinarily small slippers In my pocket, as
a memento
But, above. ali. skulls arc TO be seen
lying about everywhere. Tho town is
like a vast tomb. and the whole impress
sion II produces is terrible ! wandered
about whole day in b s company and
then for several days tine, without
being able 90 accustO.v Myself 10 this
stiffness as Of the grave, and 10 the sight
If all these streets. chapels. theatres and
squares standing forever empty. Tho
gate Of the forire>. which the besiegers
had blown in. is still tolcrably strong.
Near the gate is 10 be seen the entrance
into the subterranean gallery by which
the besiegers. after a long and tedious
siege. made their way into the fortress.
Then came a merciless butchery. in which
no one was spared. Skulls and bones lie
literally in heaps against the walls here
and al around the fortress; al many
points, 10y several Of the gates, the skulls
were piled mp to a great height. In the
fields around the town, too, lie skulls; as
far as the eye can reach. skulls, and
skulls. and again skulls The wolves and
iackals have already done their work; the
ravens are still engaged in picking the
bones clean for the sun and rain 10
bleach.
"One Of the farms in particular, which
lies nearest the town, abounds in bones.
A body Of Calmucks, ID, 90 strong. came
this way 20 help the besieced, but force
Of only few hundred Dunghans fell upon
them, drove them back and killed them
TO the very last man What wonderful
energy on the part of the insurgent Mo-
hammcdansl What cowardice on the
part of the Chinamcn ! had enough TO
occupy me. From the governors palace
TO the simple little houses Of the common
people all the dwellings were habitable,
all were painted, all decorated with paint
ings, sculptures, bas reliefs, flowers,
dragons, etc 1heaters Of an original con.
struction. Buddhist temples in which some
colossal idols were still intact Though the
Mohammedans evidently showed great
zeal in ovortlrowing these and breaking
them in pieces seemed almost to be wait
ing for The people 70 throng in TO their
PRAYERS and their amuscments. For three
whole weeks lived with one Cossack and
one Tartar in wretched cabin outside
the walls Of the fortress, and every day
from morning till evening roamed about,
looking at everything, drawing and paint.
ing Occasionally a wild goat would stray
into the courtyard where ! was painting
stand trarshXed with establishment and
then rush of NJ full speed across the
brown ami desolate steppe. Current
Literature.