New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-26
BOKHARA.
THE NEWEST ADDITION TO THE CARS
ASIAN EMPIRE

The Amcer of Bokhara has paid bis visit to the
Little Father at st. Petersburg. and has gone
home. set out thther. a sovereign without =
realm. The eIphoric announcement Is mad, that
during this vis. il was finally arranged TO intro'
duce Russian customs frontier between Bokhara
and Afghanistan. 50 that Bokhara at last IL to be
incorporated with Russia 10 this extent. and vr-
tuallv there will be no longer any frontier between
this vassal KLAMATH and the suzerain Power The
statement is we'll within safe hounds OF truth Tho
full fact OF course. is that Bokharo has been con-
plctey absorbed into tho Russian Empire. and that
the Amecr is henccforth 10 he a mere hgure-head.
The Gar is now Lord of Bolshara and Mr. Lessas
is his vicegercnt
This indeed. is no new thing. hut only the for
nal recognition and publication Of fact long since
accomplished. B0Lhara became part OF the Kns-
sian Empire at the time when Russia seized upon
Ncry NJ tho one side of It and Samarkand 40
the other and connected the two with a railroad
running straight through Bokhara itself This
was chiefly the work Of that indomitable pioneer,
Ali Khan. the Avar. now known as Colonel ALI
klanolT Of the Russian Army. II was be who
made possible q railroad from the CASPIAN Sea 70
the mountains OF Zarafshan. An extraordinary
man. that AIikhanoG lie is Mahometan end
\ Cirrassian a native OF Dagh"stan. and a Dc
sccndant of the Avars. who ravaged the Eastern
Cmni,c some twelve hundred years ago. Curious
~ however hc has red hair and whiskers whicn
SOON IN indicate an admiyturc Of alien bood he
,vos omen nctty Officer in the Russian army. ana
was dismissed from the service for insnDornlna-
ticn Then 10 took 10 writing and shetching TOT
the newspapers. And then. by his maste'-stroko
in securing Merry for Russia. he restored himself "
rank and favor AMI quickly became one OF ~"
most important in all thr service OF 'ne 'zar'
AZ seen on the map Bokhaia bears some re-
s.nbIoncc IN shane 10 a rude crescent The outer
curve 500 miles long. formed by the OXns inoi-
cafes the southern and western boundaries. Inc
inner cnrvp. 400 miles in length. formed py INC
TIissar Mountains. constitutes norton or the
n, rthern boundary. while the remaining $50 miles
Of this northern frontier ore contiguous 70 the
Kyzyl Kun desert. A straight line drawn from
the most easterly point Of the khanafe. IN OAR
waz. TO its northwest corner at Cch-Uchak meas
urcs $50 miles while the breadth of the country
varies from 100 10 200 miles On the northeast
,lc Ehanate is barrcaded by huge mountain
! chains but on the north the bills are unimpof-
,ont while toward the west and south the SURFACE
stones towarl the Oxus or Aniu-Darla The SOIL
il almost entirely clay. nfltrated with salt. ana
covered more or less by shifting sand. very small
PROMOTION only being under cultivation. mus the
two phvsical divisions Of the country are the east
orn or mountainous and the western, a great lever
plain
AZ for social and industrial conditions. they are
primitive and antiquated in the extreme says a
correspondent who went tbither from oamarNahu
at the time Of Russias actual seizure Of It, rev
roars hack. son arriving we found ourselves in a
world tens OF centuries behind. and if kirghese lilo
had recalled 10 me the days of Abraham. Isaac ana
Jacob il seemed now az if there were come Ior'n
| 10 meet ns ambassadors from one or the kings OF
Israel There were the Bek. or Governor or tho
district an officer sent from the Ameer, and others.
mounted on gayy caparsoned horses, with tur.
hans If srotess white, dad. ono al striped SILK.
and another in robe Of cloth Of gold. The hr@
fo,ma,ly asked Is the Emperor well? Is the
| Governor General well? Is General Aoramon
wcIlo' The second brought TO me message OF
welcome from the Ameer. and invited SO re-
f,cshmcnt in the village of kainar his DONE VIZ
rode five miles further preceded by score OF at
tendants, to Kitab. the summer residence OF the
Amer
"Etiouette required that we should not ne pre-
sented before the third day. until which time We
wore prisoners "a we'll as guests, for were not
| allowed 10 go out. His Majesty graciously pro-
vidcd MS however, the first evening an entertain
| mont of musicians dancing-boys and buroons,
and sending npxt morning 10 inquire Tor our
health asked Ms if we were dull in which case ne
| would send persons to amise us On the thira
| day had an audience of the Amcer. presented my
| Russian letters. and with them sundry requests
that nv tarantass misht he taken TO CharIni ana
noated down the Oxms: that might look in His
Majesty's library for ancient manuscripts. and that
I might be allowed 10 visit his hospitals and prs-
ons to which last request no permission was given.
| Tho audience over. we were taken to the conr-
| tiers apartments TO be feasted. On arriving at
rho fortress I had sent in my presents. and now
| tl,of
sent me a present of two horses. with velvet saddle
cloths and turquoise brides. and score Of changes
| of raiment' Had | been an Asatc should have
boon clothed | suppose, with one Of the robes OF
| honor. mounted upon one Of the horses. and lea
| through the streets like the man whom the hing
| delighted 10 honor. As il was, mounted my own
stecd and the presents led and carried before
me- that all men might know / had received
present after which the Amer lent us his car
| rage wherein to proceed to Shahr.
| "Shahr is the ancient Kesh where Tamerlane
was born His feet must often have trod the court
we entered of the ruined Ak-Sarai or white pal
ace which had been twenty years in building when
the Spanish Claviio visited the place in li01. we
| went there TO call upon the lex. IL,
| A place of historic interest fonrscorc miles
south Of Karshi is the famous Iron Gates, a
solemn and magnificent pass formed ny huge cleft
| with frowning rocks hanging overhead,a gloomy,
tortuolis corridor mile and quarter long. vary
| Ing from five to thrty-iiyc PAGES VIDE. ana ap.
| parently threatened 10 be choked az any momenC
| hy a falling mass Within thrty-tve miles or the
| Oxus is the ancient Shir-a-bad, or Lion Town.
which saw under its walls. the bookworms say
| th. phalanxcs of Alexander of Macedon.'
| Tie capital city. Bokhara. is one of the moss
| ancient Of all. II is surrounded by a vail Ia
| which there eleven gates. According 70 tue
| correspondent of THE London Times already
quoted business in the great bazaar Of l'okhars
| is carried on in six tmis ana twenty,four cara
vansaries, besides numerous ordinary shops, each
Kind Of merchandise as in other Asiatic towns. DO
ing sold apart &c. likewise. tho various trades
are for the most part localized IN several streets
ANYTHING like a universal provder being quite UNI
| novn in Rokhara Nor is there booksellers
| srop. or printing press, much less a newspapef
| lTcir weights and measures are splendid Illus
tration Of the rule Of thumb For instance, .ns