Year: 1875




lest it should be thought that he going with us to
Hodjent and wished make the people think that he
was going out fight the rebels During our passage
through the city nobody dared 70 make open resist
ance but the population sullen, and OCCASION
ally wishing for and predicting death
After marching about six miles, first through the
meadows and then through sandy and gravelly plain.
we came to excellent position, Sou Khaneh the
edge of little wood whore we halted for breakfast
THE KHASs ARMY.


wish you could have seen the Khanis army There
about 1000 infantry 1000 cavalry, with all
varieties of uniform and with all kinds of some
who seemed to belong TO the guard had red green


jackets, with little gold braid covered with buttons
from every nation under the sun, and fellow saw
had English Austrian and French besides OF course,
Russian. The most OF them, however. were in the
ordinary gowns tied about the waist with SASH tucked
into wide leather trousers, while some few Of
them wore tho heavy coats OF mail which We
see in the Caucasus officer noticed with epanets
bearing the initials OF the Emperor Paul The generals
all wore three epaulets one each shoulder and
ono on back OF the neck Some of the carried
pixies and had old muskets but the majority
OF them had the heavy matchbox used everywhere
throughout Central Asia, while perhaps of men
had Berdan rifles. II seems that three four years
ago q Bcrdan rifle stolen from of our soldiers,
and since then the Khokandan armorers have been
copying it, The inferior officers for the most part
either little hammers simple sticks with which they
occasionally beat their / should have liked
nothing better than to tho whole lot with halt Of
one OF our batalions well armed but with handful of
men In the midst Of this disordery crowd situation
was anything but agreeable
| We had rested couple OF hours when Mira Hakim
to tell that the Khan had resolved to go Bsh
aryk the direction of the Russian frontier, and we
at once began to pack up While we were doing so
there suddenly great commoton among the
Khan's cavalry close by They their banners from
their standards mounted their horses and yelling at
the top OF their voices rushed oil toward the city.
While wondering whether this meant desertion
whether to repel attack OF the enemy, the
Khan and his suite were sneakng of through the gar
dens without knowing IT,


ESCAPE.


We quickly saw what the matter for the artil-
erists got their horses and abandonding their
cannon galioped OF. Tho infantry Immediately fol
lowed suit We then seized our and got ready TO
defend ourselves the last when Evgroi up and
told US that II we did not leave at once we
should all be cut to pieces Evgrof is . Cossack de-
serter who has lived long time Khokand and has
a most remarkable history At time he served
In the Guards at ST. Petersburg but for offence
put into a Siberian regiment Here no got into
some other row, and being Immediately provided by
his friends with two three false passports and sew
oral DISCUSSES, worked his way down the Ural noun
tans TO Archange where he unfortunately arrived just
day too late for the last English ship. He then
turned to Siberia and finding himself in great danger


fed to Turkistan, whore to his life he had to
Mussulman, under the name Of Suleman Kul and
the army. He served in many capacities and then


captain OF artillery To add TO the Of his lie
he married in Khokand Russian girl prisoner with
whom he had been In love years before Having
| gh
been spite OF himself in nearly all the fights with
the Russians. Yet he is still much Of Russian at
heart ever and although nominally Mussulman he
really sticks to his old orthodox faith He always
the Russian merchants innuerabe little services
and had been very useful TO us before Had not been
for his skill in extricating from difficult position
certainly should have all perished and that
he will receive his pardon and get the greatest wish
| OF his lne which is to return TO Russia.


\ HorLY PURsugn


1t seems that when EvSrof heard q rumor that the
| Khan taking his wives and treasure and going
to Russia, he thought his best chance was to
accompany him. the Khan seeing him. asked
him where the Russians were and said he wanted them
with him. Evgraf then came to find US, but on the
road met crowd OF soldiers who debating
whether to fire US or not Fearing for his own fo
he stayed with them for while, and finally getting
chance came to and got Off and guided through
the gardens in the direction which the Khan had
taken. AS departure noticed large
body of horsemen, accompanied by the inhabitants Of
the village, set out in pursuit OF and kept up des-
ultory FIRE. Our horses got frightened the heavy
carts kept stopping and mpeded our retreat Every
time that the natives got too near half Of party
dismounted, and determined attitude soon
brought them to a halt, but no sooner
wore we remounted than they started of
again after Weinberg at first did not
want us to fire, lest should be accused OF having
commenced hostities, but became evident that
there time for diplomatic niceties and that we
must do best to ourselves Our march through
the garoens very difficult one because the road
narrow and cut up by frequent pools and ditches
and We were every moment in fear OF an ambuscade.
PARTY cANSoNADED


At last we came out into an opening and were con-
fronted by five cannons, which fired grapeshot US
from distance OF forty PAGES, killing OF digts
and woundng young Tartar boy, servant Of of
the merchants. We lucky to escape, even with
this for after again fred at with round
shot, but at longer distance, and obliged to
abandon CARTS containing all luggage and pres
ents.


In about half an hour up to the Khan, who
waiting for under his great red flag while the
troops that had remained faithful to him firing
the rebels who had up tolorably close AS soon
as we got TO nm ScoDolcn gave MS own morse TO
djigs and sent him with to Hodjent asking for
aid


CONTINUED DEsERTIoNs.


During the rest of the day small dctachmens of sol
ders constantly leaving the troops who.
they had got or little distance, began to fire upon
u.s. and once twice observed large bodies of
further of toward the mountains, who watching
us The OF the Khan frequently stopped, and the
men who were sent after fresh horses back
again. but pilagod the carts and deserted The Khan
had some 5000, 900 rubes with him in gold and


imagine that the pursuit more for plunder than
from any hostile motive Ho only succeeded in saving
about half oft


We found out that the rebels had sent large detach
ment to Kanabadam 10 OF. but the Khan turned
southwark toward Bish.aryk, thus avoiding them. wo
arrival hnre ahont midnight after a long detour tho