Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-16

kRASNOVODSk, Turkestan,
June Is, 1910.
There is large fleet of small vessels on
the Russian flag and belonging to Moscow
capitalists. The largest, which are named
in honor of two famous generals, Schobe-
loft and kuropotkin, are up-to-date twin
screw steamers with electric steering ap-
paratus and about three thousand tons
burden, but the majority are between
twelve hundred and eighteen hundred tons
and most of them are old-fashioned side
wheelers which have been in service for a
long time.
All of them have limited accommoda-
tons for first and second class passengers
and carry large numbers of third-class
passengers. Persians, Tartars, Turko-
mans, Georgians, Kalmucks and other ma
tive races who have a passion for travel.
ing and camp out on the decks with big
pillows and thick rugs, their pots and ket-
around them. The deck of Caspian
steamer for this reason is one of the most
interesting sights you could see, and
usually every inch of space Is occupied by
garb SO that the officers and crew have to
step over them when they go about at
tending to their duties.
Garry Their Own Bedding.
Even the frst-class passengers are ex-
pected to bring their own bedding. The
abins are clean and comfortable with
ordinary hunks and mattresses, but no
sheets, blankets, pillows or towels. al
though the stewardess will supply them
from her own private stock If she Is
paid extra. 1t is customary, however,
for travellers on railways as we'll as
steamers in this part of the world to
carry a roll of bedding. because they will
need it a most of the hotels. The custom
has probably grown up In that way, just
as it has in India. There outside Of Cal
cutta and Bombay every hotelkeeper eK-
poets his patrons to furnish their bed
ding and towels, and my experience is
servant takes care of your room and
waits on you at the table. The landlord
ana servants of the hotel leave You en-
tirely to his tender mercies.
Excellent meals are served in the first
class cabins of steamers on the Caspian
sea. but here, as everywhere, the quality
of the food and the character Of the serv-
ice varies according to the taste and the
refinements of the captain, who Is die
tator aboard his craft and has things as
tirely satisfactory. l do not know of a
steamer in Europe or the United States,
except perhaps some of those on the
great lakes, where better meals are
served than we have had offered to US
hpn the Caspian.
| There are several important ports, and
the territory seems to have been divided
up among several steamship companies.
Baku is the principal headquarters and
starting point for the southern Caspian
and Astrakhan for. the northern coast.
A steamer sails every other day from
Baku for the Persian coast and visits
five of the ports.
For Military Purposes.
Resht is the landing place for Teheran,
the capital of Persia, and the Russians
have built fine road all the distance be-
tween them and have established line
of diligences, which make the journey in
thirty-two hours. But it is very hard
trip The construction of this road, al
though a universal blessing to every
body who has to travel in Persia. was
not entirely a benevolent act. and its
chief purpose was to enable the Russian
government to throw military force
into the Persian capital promptly when
ever needed.
The town of Kazvin. which is half way
to Teheran, is an important commercial
center, and there is an American school
and missionary settlement there.
Other lines of steamers and a much
larger number ply between Astrakhan.
altogether the most important port upon
the Caspian, and Krasnovodsk, the ter
minus of the Central Asia railway, bring
ing the supplies needed by at least q
hundred thousand troops who are occu-