The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-06-03
rope as far west as Moscow and to the

rope as far west as Moscow and TO the
mouth of the Don river. 50
Thus were the boundaries of the Turk
ish and the Mogul empires brought into
touch. A collision obviously could not be
averted; II was certain that sooner or lat
er the two great military spirits Of the age
must contend with each other for the mas
terry. The event. however, did not take
place before passing through several pre-
paratory stages.
On the part OF T,mour the war was one
OF Invasion; it was the policy of Bajazet
to receive battle in the midst OF his own
country and OF almost unlimited resources.
In order to terroriZe the vassal states OF
Asia, to break the strength OF any posi-
BILE rebellion, and to insure prompt obedi-
ence to his commands from a distance,
Timour marched into India, attacked and
took Delhi and massacred 100. 600 captives.
After this fearful object lesson on the
folly of opposing the dictates OF the
Great Moeui, the Tartar army took up
it's march from the banks Of the Gauges
and advanced into Syria AS this mighty
host moved across the surface Of Asia
deeds were done the magnitude OF which
1t is difficult TO realize. In the hyper
bole Of the Persian historians IL is stat
cd that the Inhabitants vainly endeavored
TO find the countries over which the Tar
tars had passed
One event IS especially notable. and that
is the march around the Caspian sea by
Timour's vanguard. consisting of 10000
Hight cavalry. The inaccessible noun
tains, which surrounded this body OF wa
ter seemingly bid defiance to the march
Of an army, and particularly to horsemen,
yet It is fact recorded by authority
which is OF the best, that the horsemen
OF Timour penetrated tho dehles, thor
oughly explored the mountains and made
a complete circuit of the Caspian sea.
Timour now overran Syria and stormed
the city of Bagdad, where he built a
pyramid IN the market place formed Of
5000 human skulls. II was now that r.
mour received the FIRST embassy OF Ba-
jazet- These epistles are in striking con-
trast to the diplomatic illusions Of our
time The two great soldiers wrote 20
each other in the first person. There was
no discrimination. each of them called
spade spade. Bajazet and Timour alike
were entirely ignorant that they had an
equal In understanding of military art
and science, and each war impatient of
what he deemed inexpicable insolence and
folly on the part of the other. Timour
on his part Informed Bajazet that the
latters obedience to the precepts of the
Koran In waging war against the Chris
tians was the only consideration that pre-
vented the Tartars from lifting the Turk
ish empire in their hands and throwing
II into space. In order TO impress upon
Bajazet his insignifcance as compared
with the Great Mogul, he was further in
formed that he was merely a little black
ant which the elephant Crimour was
about TO trample under his feet.
The Turkish emperor. upon receipt of
this epistle, proceeded to decapitate with
his own hand the bearer of tho message,
and TO spend some hours In foaming at the
mouth and tearing out his whiskers by
hand. Some hours later, when he had re-
gained speech. BaJazet indited a reply. In
his letter the Turk could find no more
favorable light in which to regard the
Tartar than as the father of thieves and
of liars. After calling to the mind of IT.
mour certain facts of dispute between
them and assuring him of his intention
to sustain his rights by force OF arms.
the ungovernable rage OF tho sultan in
vited an encounter In the field with the
whole OF their respective armies.
Ti-nour's reply to this letter was to dig
. vast pit and to bury 1000 Turkish pris-
oners alive Then. giving orders for the
concentration OF his armies on the banks
OF the Araxes, he proclaimed his reso.
luton or marching against the Turkish
sultan and OF destroying the Ottoman en-
pire.
Both Bajazet and Timour alike were