Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-03-31
THE HEART OF ASIA.
A JOURNEY OVER THE pAMIR 10
INDIA
The Roof OF the World-1hs Adventures Of
I've Frenchmsa Who Penstratsd
Lswless Hegioa.
New York Tribuae.j

Asia. starting from Moscow they entered
Turkestan from the Siberian frontier.
trayersed part OF Bokhara. explored the
mountains OF Konistan and the Tchatrnl,
and on their return, starting IRON lash
kend. visited Samarcand, Bokhara, and
Tcbardini, descended the ANN, stopped
at Khiva. and finally crossed the desert
OF Ust-Urt in the middle OF winter. The
narrative of these travels was subso-
quently published in two volumes, and
the public showed SO much interest IN
the work tnat the travellers, incited
doubtless by their own inclination like
wise, determined 10 make another expe-
dlsion. in which the region south OF the
Oxus should be explored. Their original
purpose was to cross Afghsnistan into
india, hut in this they reckoned without
the Afghsns. who took it upon them
selves to alter the itinerary.
The travellers started from Batoum,
crossed the Caucasus 10y rail, then took
horse and skirt ID the Caspian, gradually
from heshed striking farther inland, but
keeping between the coast and the green
salt desert after leaving Ieheran. Thence
they made their way to Meshed, Sarakha,
and Mery, coming in contact with the
Russians, who treated them Hospitality,
and with whose progress in pacifying
and civilizing the region so recently
harried by the Tekke Turcomans-nO
the most peaceabie and industrious of
people-they we're much impressed.
An attempt TO enter Afgbanistan en-
counterel a check on the threshold
They were stopped at once and detained
until orders could be obtained from
Ishak Kahn, the chief who subsequently
revoted against Abdur- Rahman Kahn,
After a tediuu. detention, which the
| Frenchmen endea,ored to tighten by all
possible ways. orders arrived for the ex
pulsion of the party. This was done
courteously but peremptorily, and then,
after considerable discussion with their
Russian friends, the travellers deter
mined to attempt the crossing Of the Pa
mir, though many persons declared the
journey impracticable on account Of
the snow. They were not to be de-
TERED, however, and having obtained
guides who we're familiar with the great
plateau and the difficult approaches
to it, aud provided an amount OF
warm clothing. provisions, &C., sufficient
apparently for an Arctic voyage, they
proceeded to the farther end OF Ferg6 ~
and made the small loothill town OF
Osch their point OF departure. Thence
! forward difficulties accumulated. The
crossing OF Alai Mountains and the
Alai plateau WAS enough to have
taken the heart out of less resoute nd
ven.urers. They had TO struggle day
after day through snow often more than
six feet deep in the shallowest places ;
where horses and men We're continually
punging into iathomless drifts, from
which they had to be hauled or dug out !;
where the cold WAS so intense that more
than once the mercury froze where,
because OF the low temperature, 1t was
hard to get food cooked properly. and
where the least exposure OF cheeks,
nose, lips, or hands to the air was fol
lowed by frost-hlte or blsters or peeling
away of the skin.
The climate WAS amazing. Sometimes
the mercury would show 100 in the sun
and several degrees below zero in the
shade at the same time. The binding
glare OF the snow seriously affected
the eyes of nearly ell the party, not
withstanding the constant use OF color
ed spectacles. After making an eleya-
ton of 10000 feet above the sea level
the severe exertion of wading through
the snow and climbing was attended
with pulmonary pains. Several had
hemorrhages, all had splitting head
aches. They suffered from parching
thirst. which could not be quenched 10y
eating snow.
Presently the horses began to give ont,
and many of the poor animals had to be
abandoned. The Kirghis whom the ira
vellers had engaged to cut and beat
paths through the Alai soon had more
than enough of the severe labor, and
those who were with the pack-horses
showed some national traits by slyly
dropping sacks Of barley and other pro
visions along the route, OF course with
the intention Of recovering and appro-
pria.ing the plumber later. Everything,
even to wood or fuel, had to be carried,
for not until the Pamir was reached
could they hope to find the fuel Of the
region, which consstsof sheep "chips
of the kind provided by the buffalo OF
our western plains when the buffalo still
existed.
The cold was bitter. Through the
narrow, rocky passes up which they were
struggling the wind rushed as with q
conscious hostile purpose, and when the
snow fell, too, the situation was as exas
perating end almost as disheartening AZ
can be imagined. But though the
kirghiz formed plot to abandon the
expedition, and but for fortunate es
pionage might have carried it out, the
explorers refused TO hear OF stopping,
and the strong European wills, backed
by repeating-rifies aud revolyers, lneyl
tably carried the day. The Pamir wa;
at last reached, and, while tins was really
only the beginning of the journey, Il
was regarded rs assuring success to the
expedition. OF course there was the
usual trouble with guides and natives o.
all sorts. The Pamir is desolate region
generally, but it is doubtful whether
its loneliest parts are not prefera-
bic TO those which are inhabited,
for, according to NJ. Bonyalot, il
is "A kind Of Asiatic Alsatia, or No
Mans Land, where all the desperadoe'
and fugitive criminals from Afghanistanr
Bokhara, Kasngaria, China, the TaldiC
and elsewhere are in the habit of resort
ing. as TO country where no sheriff
writ or kings or emir's mandate runs
These tough characters have regular
scale OF treatment for travellers. II the
latter are weak they are murdered. L
they are strong they are Of possible
blackmailed. The staple recourse is t.
pretend that some neighboring rulcrput
a veto upon the advance Of the travellers
or that they must halt until instruction.
are received from the said ruler. N. Bon
yalot usually adopted the practice
course OF paying as little attention a.
possible to their demands. II it wa
convenient for him to halt day or two
be halted. II he did not find 1t des.rs
bic to halt he went on
He OF course avoided open querrels a
corof,,llv "a nossibla mt when he want