Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1888-12-06
CITY OF THE DEAD.
The Noted Russian Artists Description
An Extraordinary Scene.


Here is graphic description by the
great Russian artist, of the results Of the
Mohammedan rebellion against the Chinese
government in the reign of Tchugutchak:
Gas you approach the town, it is hard to
believe it is empty; you cannot help hop
ing to meet some human being, If it be
only a robber. But not soul is to be seen
anywhere. The houses are for the most
part uninjured, and likewise the paintings
on the walls and the wooden lattice work
of the windows. Potsherds and frag-
ments of articles of every conceivable
kind were lying all about-vessels of iron
and clay of all sizes; quantity of copper
coins strung on string; dresses, caps,
plaits Of hair, shoes Of all sizes-the
clumsy shoes of Dunghans and Calmucks
side by side with the miniature slippers
Of Chinese women. Iput pair of extra
ordinarily small slippers in my pocket, as
q memento.
But, above all, skulls are to be seen
lying about everywhere The town is
like vast tomb, and the whole impress
sion it produces is terrible. l wandered
about whole day in BIS company, and
then for several days alone, without
being able to accustom myself to this
stiffness as of the grave, and to the sight
of all these streets, chapels, theatres and
squares standing forever empty. The
gate of the fortress, which the besiegers
had blown in, Is still tolerably strong
Near the gate is to 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 merciless butchery, in which
no one was spared Skulls and bones lie
literally in heaps against the walls here
and all around the fortress; at many
points, by several of the gates, the skulls
were piled up to 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
jackals have already done their work; the
ravens are still engaged in picking the
bones clean for the sun and rain to
bleach.
lone of the farms in particular, which
lies nearest the town, abounds in bones.
A body of Cslmucks, $4,000 strong, came
this way to help the besieged, 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-
hammedansl What cowardice on the
part of the Cinnamon! l 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. Theaters of an original con- |
Buddhist temples in which some |
colossal idols were still intact Though the |
evidently showed great |
zeal in overthrowing these and breaking
them in pieces), seemed almost to be wait
ing for the people to throng in to their
prayers and their amusements. For three
whole weeks lived with one Cossack and
one Tartar in a 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 wild goat would stray
into the courtyard where was painting,
stand transfxed with astonishment, and
then rush off at full speed across the
brown and desolate steppe. Current