ACROSS CENTRAL ASIA.*

TRAVELLERS in Central Asia have of late become so numerous, that M. Moser's interesting tour in that region two years ago will not attract much attention among either Continental or English readers. The latter will rest content with the perusal of the works of either O'Donovan, Lansdell, or Schuyler; and the former are unlikely to trouble their heads about the subject at all. At the same time, M. Moser's volume is well worthy of some notice, for it throws light from an independent point of view on the position of Russia in Turkestan, and on the condition of the people and their chiefs under the Czar's protection. M. Moser's work is written in French, and is published in Paris ; but by nationality the author is a Swiss, and he seems to be a gentleman of wealth travelling more for pleasure than with any object of serious inquiry. His sympathies are evidently in favour of the Russians, at whose hands he received much attention, a great part of his tour being performed in company with a Russian mission. But, at the same time, he showed himself exceptionally well disposed towards the native chiefs and princes, with several of whom he came into personal contact. The greater portion of the work may be termed interesting, but undoubtedly the passages which lend themselves most readily to quotation are those describing the author's interviews with the rulers of Shiva and Bok-hara, and with the son of the latter prince, now the reigning Ameer of the country.

When M. Moser passed through Central A sia, the Turcomans of Mery were still independent, and he travelled by the old route between Shiva and the Caspian, having previously come down the Oxus from Charjni. He is one of the very few Europeans not Russians who have seen that town since it has been turned into an important naval station ; and the illus- trations given in his work of the great river and the places along its banks are certainly among the best ever produced. We pass over his account of Tashkent and Bokhara to that part of his journey when, after leaving Prince Wittgenstein, he travelled alone to the Oxus. His first sight of that historically interesting river is given in the following passage :—

• A traversPdvie Centrale (La Steppe Kirghise; Le Turkestan Busse ; Boukhara ; Shies ; Le Pays des Tureomans at Is Paso). Impressions de Voyage par Esnri Mos.r. Paris Librairie Plon. 1886. "At last we see along black line before us. It is the Amon Darya, that great river about which so much has been said to me, and which interests me so keenly. Above, on the right bank, a long line of low hills; the rest of the bank flat like the banks of the River Syr ; the cliffs bare of all vegetation except a few reeds. At flood-time the river overflows in all directions ; the two arms that we were about to traverse become confounded with one another and form a vast ex- panse of water, and it takes almost a whole day to cross in this season."

After this first sight of the Amon Darya, or Oxus, M. Moser gives several details concerning the character and pursuits of Jan Torah, the present Ameer of Bokhara. These will not tend to raise his reputation as a prince, although it must be stated that our author found him a very generous host. In the first instance, we are told that Jan Torah was famed for his stock of dancing-boys, to whom a dubious reputation attaches in the East; and the later passages serve to show that the young Khan's ideas were of a frivolous order. It was at Charjui, the important town on the Amon or Oxus, half-way between Bokhara and Merv, that the French traveller made Jan Torah's acquaint- ance; and it is instructive to learn that he gives of this place a most favourable description, which is particularly to be observed, as Charjui has hitherto been deemed little more than a village. We may quote M. Moser's concluding passages of his residence at this place :— " Jan Torah's messengers announced at the same time that he desired me to come and take photographs in his residence. He also wished to know what day I would come. I fixed the next day, and prepared my instruments accordingly ; I fixed my apparatus, and explained itt the young prince. Did he understand me ? I never knew. He utansed himself by placing his attendants before the apparatus, and he finished by selecting a certain number of those I had photographed. Besides, he desired to have his own likeness taken, first by himself, and then surrounded by his court. If I had had more plates, I think he would have kept me there the whole day, so evidently amused was he. If I bad only dared to ask leave to take the portraits of his wives, that would certainly have been valuable, as they say he has some charming wives. But the greatest success of all attended the views of the citadel with the army. These repre- sentations were, in truth, treasures, and I promised to send the prince as quickly as possible the reproductions, and we parted ex- cellent friends On my return, very charmed with my visit, I found the prince's hunter, who brought me from his master two splendid tazi., Tarcoman greyhounds, and a hunting falcon. These gifts are of the greatest value, a greyhound being worth a fortune, and a good falcon as valuable as a good horse."

M. Moser has an eye for the picturesque in both landscape and legend. He shows this in his selection of the most favour- able views for his sketches, as well as by looking out for old stories which have come down from the time when the Oxus passed through a thickly peopled region. It must be confessed that these are not many, for even M. Moser's industrious inquiries were only rewarded by the following legend, still sur- viving in connection with one of the numerous forts whose ruins mark the course of the river:—

" The rays of the setting sun lit up a ruin which crowned a cliff on the right bank. It was Kis Kala, that means the fortress of the young girl. The legend says that it was formerly inhabited by a chief who had only one daughter. He wished to marry her to a young knight, bat, as often happens, she loved another. The night before the wedding having come, she quitted her father's house with a few faithful servants, and with their aid built the fortress of Kis Kala. Her betrothed did not renounce the hope of making himself agreeable to her, and proceeded to build at the foot of Kis Kola another residence, Jigit Kale, of which the ruins still exist. There be waited in vain many years. Having at length en- deavoured to carry off this obstinate young female, he was conquered by her instead. Then her father, tired of her long resistance, ordered his daughter to return to her betrothed home, but she preferred to throw herself into the limpid waters of the Anion Darya. The lover was so overwhelmed with grief at this catastrophe, that he also precipitated himself into the river where this young heroine bad drowned herself."

From Charjui, M. Moser went down the river to Khiva, where he had several interviews with the Khan, of whom he gives a description which will compare with that left by the late Colonel Burnaby of the same prince ten years earlier :—

" Seyyid bfahomed Ralrim is considered an excellent father. His eldest daughter is hump-backed. In consequence of this deformity he does not wish to give her in marriage to any one, and she has her own house and establishment. He does his best, also, to make her forget her deformity, having lately ordered 6,000 roubles' worth of

toys and games from Europe After some time, the Khan sum- moned me to an audience He is a largely built man, with little beard, and his figure is slightly bloated. HM eyes, which are very intelligent, show that the Usbeg blood in his veins is mixed with Persian. His hands are remarkably white, and well taken care of. He wears on both diamond rings, but these are all the ornaments he shows. His head-dress is of the national type, viz., the black sheep- skin. He is clothed with a number of khelats (or robes), covered with a pelisse of the skin of the white fox. His costume is as simple as his palace. Only the ease of his manners reveals the monarch

of a savage people Speaking first, the Khan remarked,

'Your arrival has rejoiced me, and I hope that the orders I gave with regard to your movements have been duly attended to.' I thanked the prinoe for his hospitable reception, to which he said, Korb iakchi,' or Very good.'"

M. Moser was then asked several questions about his country, Switzerland ; and although the Khan was not familiar with the name, he realised its position from its proximity to Austria, France, and Germany. He also showed that he believed the United States to be the only Republic in the world. M. Moser then continues :—

"I spent ten days in Khiva, daring which I was received in five special audiences. Each visit lasted from two to three hours, and I brought away the best possible recollection of this prince, who was so affable and kind towards me. I found him an intelligent man, understanding and expressing in a few words his ideas about things which must have been extremely difficult of comprehension to an Asiatic. The audiences always began in the most ceremonious manner, but they never failed to conclude with a highly interesting discussion. Naturally, the West furnished the chief theme of our conversation. The Khan has an extreme desire to become acquainted with European civilisation, which he first realised daring his visit to St. Petersburg. I think I may say that I contributed to clear up many doubtful and obscure points in his mind. His curiosity was keenest about the political condition of Europe, the relations between the different States, their military power as compared with Russia, &Ir. What I told him about the recruiting of the Swiss Militia and our small army seemed to especially interest him, and he exclaimed more than once, I will see with my own eyes if that is possible.' The mention of the Shah's visit interested him very much, and strengthened his desire to travel. He proposed to go on pilgrimage to Mecca ie the first place, and then to travel through Europe."

Although M. Moser only passed through the most tranquil- lised portion of the Turcoman desert, he gives a very complete account of the overthrow of the Akhal Tekes, and also of the Mery community. In the former we notice the following anec- dote of General Scobeleff, which we do not think has ever pre- viously been published. It refers to his celebrated siege and capture of Geok Tepeh :—

"The bombardment very soon began, and the trenches were pushed

forward vigorously, despite the desperate sorties of the besieged In a twinkle of the eye, notwithstanding the sweeping fire of the musketry, the guns were carried. The Tekes threw themselves blindly on the Russian infantry. Bounding over the bodies of the slain, they seized with one hand the rifle of the Russian, and with the other cat him down with such fury that at certain points the ground was covered with heads, arms, bands, and legs. Nothing could be more terrible than these hand-to-hand encounters, in which one could only hear the clatter of naked swords, suppressed oaths, loud groans, and piercing cries alternately of Allah !' and Hurrah !' Speaking of this siege, General Scobeleff mentioned the following incident :—

The Tekes,' he said, 'in their night attacks rushed up the parapets of my trenches, and there commanding my riflemen in the ditch, sabred them from this height without its being possible to protect them. One evening, going my rounds of the advanced troops, I heard a soldier say to his comrade,—" The General is wrong to place us at night in the ditches, for the Tekes jump on to the parapet and attack us without our being able to properly defend our- selves. If he would only place us ten yards in the rear, the Tekes would be obliged to descend into the trenches, where we could exterminate them without danger."' General Scobeleff admitted that this was a revelation. He acted upon it, and the next morning several hundred of the enemy fell at the bottom of the ditch. The soldier received the Cross of St. George."

These quotations will serve to show the reader that M. Moser's

travers Vitae Centrale contains much of interest, and that the reader desirous of becoming further acquainted with the subject will find in his pages something that cannot be learnt as well elsewhere. Of the illustrations and the general appear- ance of the book, it may be said that both are admirable and deserve the highest praise. M. Moser may feel the gratification of having performed an extensive journey, and of baying turned it to some practical advantage.