Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-12

the Daniel they are looking for is buried
in their own country, and not in Samaf-
kand.
Cage of the Afghan Pretender.
In one OF the prettiest houses along the
main street dwells Ishak Kahn, pretender
to the throne of Afghanistan, cousin of
the present emir and an involuntary
guest OF the Russian government at Sam
arkand. as the Shah of Persia is at
Odessa He is accompanied by his harem
and his children. He has a retinue of
secretaries and servants, horses and car
riages and an allowance of 1000 rubles,
which is equal to 5000, month TO
maintain an appearance fitting his pre-
tensions. But he is not allowed to leave
the place and is like a bird i'm gilded
cage. He can sing all he likes, but they
will never let him out.
The Russian government is willing to
keep this amiable gentleman in luxury
here for the sake of having card up its
sleeve to play at any time that pretend
ers are trumps in the game with Eng
land. Just now everything is lovely be-
tween the two nations, and both have
signed pledges of perpetual peace and
non-interference in the affairs Of Persia,
Afghanistan and other countries that in
terest both of them. The present Afghan
emr is supposed to be partial to Eng
land. but his title to the throne has
large flaw in it, and in case Russia ever
requires a pretext for making trouble
Ishak Khan can be showed up to the
foctlights as a wronged man who has
been robbed of his rights, and furnish
rational casus belli
The Samarkand Hindus.
We have seen our first Hindu in Sam
arkand, but many of them are here. They
%
changers and general brokers. The Ko-
ran, as you know, prohibits the followers
of the prophet from loaning money at
interest and imposes awful penalties upon
usury. Hence no orthodox Mohammedan
can engage in the banking business or
place his funds where they can draw in
terest. Hence he lodges these rules by
entering into partnership with Hindus
Several of the Hindus are engaged in the
caravan trade, and send wheat, wool and
manufactured merchandise across the
mountains into Afghanistan, India and
China.
those countries and Turkestan, a range
of mighty mountains. There are easy
passes between the peaks which have
been Travelled for ages, and indeed there
is legend that Jesus, with his father and
mother, once came this way from the val
ley of Galilee, with a caravan of mer-
chants and stopped in Tibet for many
years, where His father pursued his trade
as a carpenter and Jesus studied in a
medresse with a Buddhist priest.
In the center of new Samarkand is a
park, and from that park wide streets ra-
date like the spokes of a wheel in differ
ent directions. The most important of
them leads across the river to the old
tomb of Tamerlane is called. A third,
which is very wide and we'll paved, runs
to the citadel large area inclOsed with
in high wall, which is occupied by the
military headquarters, the barracks of the
soldiers, warehouses filed with NUM-
tons of war and military supplies: an ar
senal and repair shop and various other
appurtenances of military post.
The Citadel.
The citadel occupies an eminence over
looking the old city and at several en-
brasures in the walls rapid lire guns and
eight-inch rifles have been mounted as
precaution against insurrection among the
natives. The situation is naturally adapt
ed to the purposes of defense and COM
mands wide area beyond the city linn
its; but there is no danger of any resist
ance to Russian authority. The people
are contented and happy and their neigh
bors at Bokhara, who are still under the
authority OF a native ruler, would be very
glad to trade places with them or be ad-
mitted to the same privileges and liber-
ties that the Russian subjects in Turkes-
tan enjoy.
The garrison is small compared to those
at TaShkend, Merv. Askhabad and other
strategic points. ] have been told that
there are only thousand troops in Sa-
markand, when there are from ten to
twenty thousand at each of the other
points, but they are not needed here.
The other roads which lead from the
park are wide and well paved within the
limits of the city. but when they cross
the boundaries of Russian Samarkand
they become mere trails to the desert and
pass through heaps of crumblng ruins.
shattered domeS and dilapidated walls of
buildings that once formed a part of
Samarkand when ii was city of large
population and commercial Importance.
Some of these ruins are sufficiently pre-
served to give an account of themselves.
to disclose the purpose for which they
were intended and to emphasize the NOR
al of the words of the prophet that 1.-The
glory of this world paSSeth away.