The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-20

IGHOIk VI NAO ANNnoAhAA 70 uhu hOL OEGH
published, and 1t is, therefore. Us yet unknown
whether tho scheme Is practiooble; II IL could
DO carried out, tho benefit to tho rulers and In.
habitants Of the country would DO enormous
Tho Immense waterway known as the Syr Daryn
or Jnxartcs, risos In the Tianshan Mountains. and
lows west and north until 1 discharges its water,
into the northern end of tho Aral Sea-. During ,hs
last part OF its 1,000-milo course II is navigabls.
but, rs 1t Is ico-hound for four months In the
yosr, Mr.. Bigham docs not deem It likely TO be.
come Of great commercial Importance. II /,
wcll known that In the legendary lore OF central
Asia the 0xus and Jaxartos are identified with
two of tho rivers of Eden, the Pamir being SUD-
posed to be the site OF the Garden
Kbokand, whore our traveller stayed a nieht
means 'Boartown, he tells us, and wild pips ara
still plentiful in tho covers which surround thu
city. 1t was formerly the capital or the ancienb
Khanatc of Khokand, and was annexed Inv
SkobeleG in 1875. Cotton, silk. grain and rice
are the chief industries: nearly all the pap..
used in central Asia Is made from Khoksnd
rico. The population Of tho city is said in
BIO about 100, 900, at least n quarter NJ
whom suffer from goitre. The finest build.
ing in tho city is the Khan's palace or
citadel. 1t is in good repair, and the
FACADE, approached by a sloping stone ramp. IN
gorgeously enamelled In blue and green. Thu
filings OF the dome and the paintings on tho min.
arcts are also very picturesque, and are thrown
into relief by the whitewashed barracks. There
are two pretty mosques and a fine square In
which stands tho palace. tho posthouse, and .
small hotel. The town was once called the
Delightful" and Mr.. Bigham thought that in
some ways It still deserves the title. The peopl,
dress in bright clothes, the Sarts chiefly In
red. and tho children stick red or vel.
low flowers behind their ears, which Kiys
nm odd 1ook IN their Htt1e wiznned fac,. M
gardens Of tho town are full OF mulberry trees
cultivated for silk worms. and the whole town.
with Its Eastern picturesq ueness and Russian
improvements, afforded a pleasing contrast to
most of the haltine places in Ferghana. The
most easterly town In Russian Turkestan Al
which the author stopped on his route to Kasb.
gar WIS Osh, which claims to be the ancient Al.
exandreshata, the eastern limit of the might.
lest march on record, and tradition recounts
that here Bacchus, Hercules, Semiramis. and
Cyrus all built affairs and offered sacrifices. Mr..
Bigham says that the traveller can easily under.
stand how n General would be bafled BY tho
barrier of mountains on tho east, north, and
south. Probably the tracks over them now are
very much what they were in Aloxander's day,
difficult enough for a small caravan and impos.
siblc for a large army.
Osh and Kashgar are practically at the same
altitude, 5000 feet. but between them lies an
immense mountain wall. The ascent Was very
steep. and the track, scarcely eighteen inches
wide, the only safe foothold. At IL. 900 feet our
traveller reached the regular snow line. and he
describes the view from the summit, where his
aneroid registered 14,5OO feet, as the most glo-
rious thing no has beheld. Stretching away
to the south were the great peaks
of the Alai and Pamir ranges. and beyond
them could be distinguished Mounts KILL Agyn
ard Kaufmann, which rise respectively to
$4,000 and $4,000 feet. From the Persian Dor.
der to the Russian frontier fort Of Irkestan. our
author computed that he had travelled over
LOCO miles in twenty-four days. including stop
pages. On the hill just above Irkestan was
stuck up the Chinese frontier post, an old
wooden board with celestial characters it,
scritcd on it. Thenceforth the traveller was
in the Middle Kingdom. Five days after
passing the frontier Mr.. Bigham found him.
self nearing Kashgar amid gardens OF cloves
and mulberries. which smelt sweetly a long way
off. There are, 1t seems. two Kashgars. the old
and the new. In the old town live the Chinese
Governor and the civil officials, but the majority
of its inhabitants are Turki-Mohammedans.
The new city is about five miles distant, and u
entirely Chinese. 1t contains the barracks and
some shops. besides the palace where tho mill
itary commander OF the province lives. Tha
history Of Kashgar is less interesting than THAI
~ NS "Oob~ II ~
records date back to the time OF the Han
dynasty. and it is sometimes identified with
the Kasia Regia. to which Ptolemy alludes
as in the country of Scythia beyond tho
1maus." In the tenth century Islam became
the faith of tho resident Tartars, and, al.
though it received a severe check from Jene.
his khan's invasion. it has always remained the
dominant religion of the country Our author
says the natives are a religious, moral people,
Nd hr 80 .--a1
looking upon the Sultan as their lawful Caliph.
They know nothing of him. indeed. except tha.
he lives lat Stambul in Rum" but they vague.
ly connect him with the glory OF the ancient
Roman empire, and respect him accordingly.
1t will be remembered that, in 1862, Kashgar,
which had fallen into the hands OF tho Chinese
after the decay Of Tamerlane's SUCCESSORS. be.
came an independent kingdom. The Tungani
tribes and Tartars rose under
Yakub Beg, turned out their oppressors, and
established an autonomous State. Embassies
were sent TO Calcutta and Constantinople. and
in return Yakub Beg received q hrman from the
Sultan, with the title of Amir oil Muminim, or
Commander Of the Faithful. and q license 10
offer up public prayer in tho mosques.
Emissaries from India and from Russia
also acknowledged Yakub as King Of Kash.
gariL Unluckily for his subjects, he was muir
dered in 1875, after having governed wisely
for fourteen years. His sons having quarrelled
about the succession. the Chinese regained pos.
session, and have been established in Kashgar
for about twenty years. They are detested, 10
seems, by the natives as pagan oppressors. and
there are frequent rebellions which necessitats
the presence OF q force OF 8, 900 Chinese soldiers
in the province. The influence OF Russia 10
powerful. and the Chinese tremble before It.
The natives, knowing how well their brothers
In Ferghana and Siberia are governed by
the Russians, look upon the latter as their natu-
raj protectors. and the Russian Consul. General
is called lie roi do Kashgar" by his friends.
We learn, lastly, that Kashgaria, or Sin Chang.
is by no means a fertile country. 1t is said that
the desert encroaches year by year. and tho
unsettled state OF political affairs prevents
the people from taking much pains about
the cultivation Of the land. The province
stretches from Russia and Dzungaria on
the north to Kashmir on the south; ID
is bounded on tho east by the desert OF
Cobb and the mountains OF Thibct. The popula-
ton il over two millions hut NJ these only five