The New York Herald Newspaper, June 12, 1873, Page 3

‘> NEW YORK HERALD, THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 187: KHIVA. The Snows of Siberia and the Sandy Steppes of Central Asia, RUSSIAS LINE OF MARCH, A Herald Correspondent Uses His Own Permission to Join the Invad- ing Army. COSSACKS AND KIRGHEEZE. Features of the Czar’s Prospec- tive Oriental Railroad Route. HOME LIFE OF THE NOMADS. . Petersburg Nearer than London to the Tleart of India, TWO METHODS WITH THE ASIATICS. England Secks to Dominate Them by Force, Russia to Assist Them in the Path of Civilization. Fort No. 1.—Kaza.insk, ON THE SYRDARIA OR YaXARTES RIVER, FORTY MILES PROM THE ARAL SEA. EASTER SUNDAY, April 20, 1873, To be suddeniy ordered from the comfortable quarters that I had just settled into in London, to go, at a day’s notice, to St. Petersburg, and thence across the snows of Siberia, and the in- hospitabie steppes of Central Asia, in erder to follow up the Russian expedition to Khiva, was no joke, But orders from one’s lawful Commander-in-C hief, especially when dated at the HERALD office, must be obeyed at any cost and risk, and consequently but few days had elapsed before I was once more in St. Petersburg, having stopped on the ‘Way only long enough to take a fying trip to Pesth, in order to consult the great Hungarian traveller Vumbéry, on the re- gions which be was the first to explore $0 recent times, Vambéry visited Kiva and Bok- hara in 1868, disguised as a Dervish, and the books of travels he wroteon hisreturn gained him a World-wide celebrity. Some have doubted whether ornot he actually visited those countries. How- ever that may be he certainly is, from his knowl edge of their history and languages, the greatest authority on Central Asian affairs, and 1s con- Btantly expressing his views—views which are very antagonistic to Russian policy—in the Eng- lish and German newspapers. It is perhaps partly Decause of his expressions against Russia, added to many slight Iaccuracies in nis book, that the Russians are disposed to deny the genuineness of Vamb¢ry’s travels. Professor Vambéry received mie very cordially, and gave me much information that was useful to me; but in the main ebject of my visit, which was to secure the services of the Tartar servant whom ne celebrated in his book, f ‘Was disappointed. Indeed, from the way in which 1 was refused even a sight of him, I almost inferred that he was either a myth, or that he knew more, than the Professor chose to have him tell, At St. Petersburg I met a troop of correspond- ents hurrying like vultures to the battle eld, all of them bearing letters from the highest and most distinguished personages to others equally lofty and well considered—all of them desirous of being conducted to the fleid of operations with all the pomp and circumstance of war, and all of them being politely but firmly refused. Finding that permission to accompany the expedition was inva- riably refused, I determined not to ask it, Having bad some frank talk with prominent ofticials, I was led to infer that there would be no special ob- lections to my going to Khiva simce I was an American, but the difficulty was as to giving me permission. If one correspondent was formally permitted, others would have ground to complain that permission was not alse given to them. I de- termined to solve this difMicuity by acting on the Smplied hint and going witout permission or any papers whatever. Once in the army I fancied I Might safely trust to my lucky star and some old acquaintances there. A few days were consumed in necessary prepara- tions for so long a journey, and after fifty hours on Russian railways—going not at the highest rate of speed—I found myself at Saratof, on the Lower Volga, beyond which was no conveyance but the Post, THE LINE OF GENGHIZ-KITAN, Testeemed it a fortunate omen for my further journey that the only acquaintance I made en route to Saratof was a lineal descendant of the famous Genghiz-Khan, whose name six centuries and a half ago filled all Asia and all Europe with terror, The Prince Genghiz is the son of the last Khan of the Bukeief Horde of Kirgheez, who live north of the Caspian, between the Volga and Ural rivers, More than that, he is the legitimate heir tw the throne of Khiva, of which his ancestors ‘were dispossessed not @ century ago. The Priuce is a cultivated young man, who reads and speaks French, and had just returned from a pilgrimage to Mecca—being, of course, a Mussulman—and a journey through Europe. He was educated in the Corps of Imperial Pages, served in the Im- perial Guard, and was raised by the Emperor from the dignity of sultan to prince a few years ago. His brother, the Suitan Bukeief, is an aide- de-camp to the Lmperor, and his brother-in-law, at Orenburg, is one of the head rulers of the Kirghiz. Strangely enough one of the Tartar servants, ‘whom I engaged at Orenburg, proved to be one of his people, On the 27th of March, when I left Saratof, there ‘Was a tremendous thaw, and I feared I should Mud the roads in a fearful state; still, I took an open sledge for myself and another for my bag- gage and ammunition, and proceeded across the Volga on tie ice, on my way to Oren urg. ©ontrary to my expectations, as soon as I had crossed the river I found an excellent snow road, and apparently the depth of Winter, so far as climate was concerned. For the first seventy miles Tascended the Volga on its left bank, passing con- tinually through German colonies, established here Dy Catherine IL, in 1779, It was a great pleasure to see the neatness and thrift which pervaded these Mourishing communities, in striking contrast with the dirty and poverty-stricken air of the Russian vil- ages in the neighvorhoud, For, curtousiy enough, theGermans have exercised no appreciable influence n the surrounding Russians, They have succeeded in making themselves heartily disiiked, and stick closely to themselves and their own language and habits. These coionists are not, like most others in Russia, sectarians, but ordinary Lutherans, and I know not which are more bigoted—the Lutheran Pastors or the Russian priests—in ierbidding all intercourse with their neighbors of unlike faith. There must be in ail about sixty thousand of these Germans in this locality. At all the villages— ‘whose names, Ci rinenstadt, Schamhdusen, &c., made one feel in the middie of Germany, an illusion ‘Which was heigktened by the language—one could get good coffee, bread and butter, and 1 was really gerry when I saw the last of them. From Nicolatefsk [ found it better to branch off to Uraisk as being the nearer and speedier route. In general I had little diMeculty about horses, Maing them, whether good or bad, in suMcient Dumber at the post stations, TRAVELLING BY POST. FHiould obperve here wpt iq Russia, jn order to travel by post, one ts obliged to go through the formality of snowing one’s passport to the police authorities and getting out a podorozhnaya, or road pass, which entities you to a certain number of horses, Without the production of this papes and @ large number of entries in books at every station no horses can be got. It is strange that this useless and stupid piece of red tape should be kept ap when one can travel everywhere on ratlway and steamboat without any papers or passport at all. In Finland it ts simpler; and you have merely to write your name and destination in @ book to re- cetve all the horses you want. The cross route to Uralak, nowever, Was not a post road, and I had to be dependenton what are called free horses. Al! went well till, in crossing a spur of the Ural Mountains, I arrived at the village of Kuzebal. This village, which was hardly visible unti) I came on it, was builtof low mud huts with flat thatched roofs, on whitch numerous dogs disported themselves. It was inhabited almost exclusively by Bashkirs—a race of Tartars—and boasted a small mud mosque in its middle. The sledge stopped. I made my way through slush and farm- yard filth to the nearest hut, and, going down a few steps, entered, The cleanliness and coseyness of the interior contrasted curiously with the court outside, In one corner was the stove, where a rather pretty young girl was trying to boil a huge vat of water. A curtain drawn across from here half concealed some baif naked children, and was evidently intended to mark the strictly private portion of the house—what im a Mus- sulman house of more pretensions would be the harem, Round two sides ran @ divan of earth, which, as well as the mud walls, was covered by felt and carpets. On one end ofthis was a woman, unveiled, with an infant, which had been born but a few hours before, and im the corner of the room was tied a sickly colt, whose droppings were at once brushed up by the housewile. While I was drinking tea the colt— perhaps out of consideration for me—was banished to the ante-chamber. “BRING FORTH THE HORSE.” The master ef the house, a very fine looking and respectable old man in full Tartar dress, with shaved head and skullcap, lamented on my behalf that there were mo horses, but promised to seo what he could do. Speedily an assembly of horse owners, young and old, was convoked in the hut, and I had a nomber of Bash- kirs squatting on their haunches beside me. A verse from the Koran being recited, the bargain- ing commenced. The visitors were informed I wanted horses. Along pause. ‘How much would Igive?’ “The usual price—fifty kopecks a horse.” Another long pause. “The road was very long and bad.” More reflection. Urged by despair my offer went up, but nothing satisfied them. Finally, in indignation, Isent them all away, and refused to have anything todo with them. The host again commiserated me, and brought in a new set of Bashkirs, with whom I finally struck a bargain at arouble and a half a horse—three times the regu- lar price—for the twenty-five miles, We clenched our bargain by shaking hands all round, and, hav- ing another biessing from the Koran recited, I at last got off. This little operation lasted about three hours, CAUGHT IN A STORM, In the next stage after this I was caught in one of those whirlwinds of snow called Burans, which so frequently afflict the steppe in Winter; the drivers lost the way, and for more than an hour it was impossible to move in any direction, At last the storm somewhat abated, and the drivers, by going backwards and forwards, bit on the road, and we moved on, When I came to the station the snow was still blowing furiously in every direc- tion, and I was warned against proceeding, and told fearful tales of being lost in the snow and frozen to death, and how only three days before @ driver on horseback had been lost and not yet found. As even the drivers refused to go on, there was nothing to do but to stay. So 1 drank my tea and spread my sheep- skin coat on the floor to await for the earliest dawn. I seemed to have just dropped asleep, when I was awakened by the station master. It was only one o’clock, but, a8 he told me, it was bright starlight and Thad better take the horses while Icould gat them, I therefore pressed on, crossed the last bit of mountain, and reached the first Cossack station at seven the next morning. AMONG THE COSSACKS. What achange it was from the Bashkirs and the peasants, and how I luxuriated in the fresh white bread and cream of the kind-hearted ola Cossack, who sat before me the best he had! How clean and neat everything was! I have known something of the Cossacks before, and every one I have seen, since on my journey, has only confirmed my earlier impressions; and I am convinced that Russia can boast no better, braver, kinder and nobler race than these same Cossacks, whom Western Europe holds up as an eternal bugbear and an example of all that is brutal and savage, Perhaps I am wrong in cailing the Cossacks a race, They Were originally pure Russians, more daring and more enterprising than the rest, who wanted always to be on some border forray, or to engage in some bold enterprise, where they could show their pluck and receive its sub- stantial rewards. ‘They were thought to be too bold and daring not to be somewhat dangerous to the government, and accordingly they were colo- nized everywhere along the frontier, and to them became joined the rash and enterprising youth from all Russia, Read Gogol’s charming ‘Tarass Bulba,” or Mérimée’s “Les Cosaques d’Autrefois” to see how delightfully bold and simple the Cos- sacks were three centuries ago; hear of the con- quest of Siberia by the Cossack Yermak to find out how they fought; and then go to the Don, the Terek, the Ural, Orenburg and the steppe, and sce the same men, You will hear at Irghiz how, four years ago, seven Cossacks cut their way through 1,500 Kirgniz, by whom they were surrounded, and at Fort Alexandrotfsky how fifty Cossacks made a sortie and a forced march, and put to fight 5,000 Khivans, The peculiarities of individuals have, after two centuries, become permanent in a race where every man is brave, persistent and endur- ing, and where neatness and economy are the characteristics of the women. In crossing the steppe, wherever the post lorses were well kept up and in good order, there I found @ Cossack, civil and polite, ready to attend on me and hasten my journey. Wherever there was a Cossack woman the station was neat and orderly, and L had clean dishes, iresh eggs, milk, good bread and sometimes a dainty little meal. The Cossacks were Dever ser’s, but always boasted of the proud designation of “Voiny Kazak"—“Free Cossack.”’ This inherited freeuom is one great cause ot their immense superiority to the mass of the Russian peasantry, ‘The meu all serve in the arniy for three years, furnishing their own horses and equipments, and retaing their rifles at the expiration of active service. There they learn habits of order and discipline, Though practically free from service after this, they ure nominally only on furlough, and are liable to be called out in case of war, AS hight cavalry and skirmishers the Cossacks are excellent; and their il fame as Marauders comes down to us only from the olden time, when every man’s hand was was against them, and when all soldiers were much alike in these respects, Since 1812, a nition claiming to be at the height of civilization has shown us how modern wars can be conducted with a refinement of barbarity and cruelty unknown to the simple Cossack, These men are intelligent, and the great majority of them can read aud write, They are the Ameri- cans of Russia, the pioneers of her civiltzation; aud whenever Russia has hard and steady work to be done along her borders there she sends her void ana faithful Cossacks. Vambéry may sneer and scold a6 he pleases at Cossack civilization and the Russian outposts in Central Asia; 1am convinced that no nation can get on so well as the Russians with these fanatical and enervated Asiatics, and that for the intereats of Cemtral Asia itself the spread of Russian influence is greatly to be pre- Jerred to vhat of England. The Anglo-Saxon knows but one way of dealing with an inferior race—crushing it, Mussia attempts to raise tin the scale, It was Sunday morning when I reached Uralsk, the Cossack capital, @ town similar, in all respects, to ordinary Russian provincial towns, except in the Kirghiz and Kalmucks that were frequently seen in the streets, somyy OD camels aud some on horseback. Were fullofmud ana melted snow, and any one who has seen a country town during a Spring thaw can imagine it, The public offices being shut, 1 had considerable diMculty tn obtaining my road Pass; but finally got off by evening, glad enough to escape from the miserable apology for a hotel, where, as Lent seemed kept here with the utmost Strictness, I could get nothing to eat but fish. In Uraisk, and indeed through all this portion of the country, I could not help noticing the great gravitation toward Central Asia. Every one I met talked to me with interest because } was going there; spoke of their friends and relatives who were there, and their desire to go themselves, On walking out in the afternoon at Uralsk I saw a crowd of young Cossacks just re- leased from the army, who were trying to find places and service—a sort of employment bazaar. All were anxious to get to Turkestan and Tashkend, Tcould not but recall the exodus to California in 1849, ‘fhe journey of 200 miles from Uralsk to Oren- burg, along the leit bank of the River Ural, was easily made, except that I often had great dimculty about horses, as they were all retained for the use of General Kryzhanoffsky, the Governor Gen- eral of Orenburg, who was expected on his way to St. Petersburg. It was only by askilful diplomacy, and the assertion—which fortunately was true— that I had seen a telegram from the Governor General putting off his journey, that I was able to get on, and at last, onthe ist of April, ten days from leaving St. Petersburg, I arrived at Oren- burg, the threshold of Central Asia, THE EQUIPMENT FOR THB ROAD. I think that few of my friends would have recog- nised me had they seen me driving into town. I wore @ sheepskin coat with the wool inside—the characteristic winter dress of the Russian peasant— huge felt boots on my feet, several scarfs round my neck, and a brown cloth bashlyk over my head. Add to this a pair of black goggles on my eyes as a protection against the snow glare, and a face burned bright red, from which the skin had already half peeled off, My nose is red even now, and I fear that all the heat of Asia will not make it re- cover from the freezing it goton that journey. I think I looked more than anything else like a pre- fessional diver in 1u!] panoply. Orenburg is a place where one meets the extremes of civilization and of barbarism—the culture and fashions ef Western Europe in the large houses of the officials and the life and manners of Kirgheez, Bokhariots and Khivans in the Bazaar. At @ better season I should probably have been charmed with the boulevards along the river and the white Bok- harlot mosque, with its graceful mineret set in the midst of @ pretty garden, and should have examined its museum and public institutions, and have studied the great progress which this frontier city is making. But then the streets were filled with snowdrifts, and I had little leisure to spare from filling cartridges and making my neces- sary prepartions, As henceforth I had to depend entirely on myself, Lhad tolayin a stock of pro- visions, dishes and cooking utensils; buy a vehi- cle and secure servants who could interpret for me. Through the kindness of a Tartar profes- sor of Arabic and Persian 1 managed to hire an excellent man, who had made several journeys to various parts of Central Asia with Genera) Kryzhanoffsky, and who spoke all the languages necessary. He is a Tartar named Ak-Mametef, and has so far proved an excellent and useful man, 1 got with him a young Tartar, Achmet, who loses no opportunity to help me, Only one kind of a travelling conveyance can be used here—a “taran- tass’’—a sort of covered carriage, resting on two long poles instead of springs. As the sledge roads were still good I had to have the wheels taken of and the “tarantass” put on runners, ready to be changed back whenever the snow gave out. I have found it @ most comfortable vehicie, very warm and convenient, and I have got so used to it in this long journey, where I travel day and night without intermission, that, in spite of the jolts of the road, I sieep almost as comfortably asin a bed. “WANDERING THROUGH THE EASTERN COUNTRIES ‘TEACHING.”” In making my preparations I was greatly as- sisted by the only American in Orenburg, Mr, John P. Groves, a Bostonian, who came to Europe years ago to study music, and who, after taking the first prizes for the violin at the conservatorics of Brus- sels and Leipzig, has been driited by late into this remote corner o! the world, Mr. Groves ts ip the government employ as the Military Musica Director of this district, but I think he occasionally sighs for home, and it is really a pity that his re- markably great talent should be wasted bere, UNCLE SAM TURNS UP. At Orenburg 1 was Jortunate enough to meet Mr. Schuyler, the eMcient Secretary of the American Legation, who, after ably performing for more than a year the duties of Chargé d’Afuires at St. Petersburg, had determined to add to his already very extensive knowledge of Russia by undertaking a journey through Central Asia, Mr- Schuyler will be the first foreigner since the Rus sian occupation to visit Tashkend, Samarcand, and Kokan, and proposes to return through Sibe- Tia, or, if possible, will go to Kashgar, and thence to India. The opportunities he will have of seeing everything and everybody will enable him to bring back very valuable and accurate information. As acompanion is always desirable on such along journey, Mr. Schuyler and I[ speedily agreed to travel together as far as possible, thereby saving much in ime, expense and horseflesh, We there- fore kept the “tarantass”’ for ourselves and our small bags, and put our luggage with one of the servants in another open sledge. At Orenburg I was surprised at the slight im- portance attached to tee campaign aguinst Khiva, the international signification of which and the possible complications which might arise from it being either unthought of or ignored, The expe- ditions bud all set out in good order, and ail intelli- gence received from them was satisfactory. The campaign was Tegarded much in the same light as we in New York Fogard the news of a fresh expedi- tion against the Apaches in Arizona, And, indeed, between the Apaches and the Khivaus there is really no very great difference. THE URAL MOUNTAINS. From Orenburg our route lay directly eastward to Orsk, the farthest outpost of Europe, and the last telegraphic station in this direction, At one point the road turned to the leit from tne Ural River, which we had been following, and for more than fifty miles we were entangled in the Urat Mountains, Here they are not high, and are easily crossed. Though the range was here so low, yet it had all the characteristics of mountain scenery, and the view from some of the ridges we crossed was superb. It was like an oceau of mouutains; on every side range after range, crest alter crest rose up, bare and brown, streaked with white patches and furrows of snow tu the hol- lows and valleya, We soon learned to pat no confidence in the accounts of the roads given by the’ people at the post stations, and to trust to our own judgment Sometimes, of course, even we were mistaken, We made @ triumphal passage with nineteen horses over an easy bit of Toad thut we had been told was almost im- passable, and becoming disgusted with such a herd of animals in front of us, all of which pulled different ways, we reduced our establish- ment to nine, and with the greatest difficulty made the next station to Orsk, over @ road often entirely bare of snow. Though the drivers were passing every day over tie road, it seemed impos sible that any one shonid tell the truth avout even one station ahead. At Orenburg we were toul we would not find snow even to Urak, and at Orsk we were solemnly assured there was not 4 bit beyond. A little discouraged by our last stage, we rastly followed the advice of those who ougtt to know, had our runners taken off and our wheels put on, and found an excellent snow road nearly all the way to Kirgheez, about three hundred miles farther. In fact, there was no dependence to be placed on any- thing; for while up to Orsk the snow was rapidly melting, amd it was getting constantly warmer, for the next two days after leaving there. though we were going directly south, we had the coldest weather that I have ever seen, together with a violent wind, and it was with dim- culty we kept from being frozen to death. Whether it was the nearness to the Orient that made every one and everything—even the weather—so prevari- cating and in-“nsistent, 1 cannot say. but I know The day was warm and the streets | .— TRIPLE SHEET. that from the moment we got into Asia our dimficul- hes greatly increased. It was the worst season tn the year for travelling; the Winter was unusually late, and the horses, having eaten all their stock of provender, had nothing but snow or sand to sub- sist On, and were lean and feeble in the extreme. Even the camels were almost worthiess. Up to the province of Turkestan—that is for three-fourths of the routc—the stations were kept by Kirgheezes, who were negligent, improvident, and uncivil, and on whom no dependence could be placed. The station houses, if any, were wretched and filthy, and were usually mere kibithas—Kirgheea felt tents—or underground hovels, called zemlan- kas, These latter were often warm and comforta- ble. They are dug out of the earth, with a jong descent to reach them, and have a flat roof made of mud and reeds, almost on a level with the ground. Thisis the last year, I believe, of the contract made by the postal authorities with the Kirgheezes, and hereafter the route 1s to be con- trolled by Russians, it is probably im the ill natured spirit of a bad servant who has had notice to quit that the Kirgheez station masters are now 80 particularly negligent. Everywhere the Cossacks on the ronte complained of them, and of the neg- lect of the postal authorities in not punishing them. One poor fellow, employed as a writer, and living In a most wretched underground hut, had received no pay for three months, and, as his wife informed me with tears in her eyes, they were almost starving, Several times we were begged to give, if we could, a little tea, sugar or bread to these poor Cossacks who were so badly looked after by :he authorities—requests we were only too giad to cumply with. As seon as we entered the province of Turkestan, though it was in the worst part of the steppe—the desert of Kara-Kum—a great change was manifest. Owing to the praise- worthy exertions of the District Inspector of Kazala the road is kept in order; the station houses are neat, substantial buildings, made of sun-dried brick, with broad divans covered with rugs, Where one can sleep comfortably, and every- things seems clean. This part of the route is under contract to a Russian company, and the horses are better and the service ex- cellent. So far as the roads are concerned we were very Jucky. We had expected mud aud al) sorts of horrors, We found first the snow road hard and frm, and then the road over the steppe still trozen and practicable, and our vehicles did not even sink much in the sand, Really bad bits of road were very rare, and our greatest diMicaliy was in crossing the river Or about two o'clock one morning, when we found the ice too Weak tobearus. We wandered about the banks for two hours, vainly seeking for a better crossing plsce, At last we succeeded ip persuad- ing one of our Kirgheez drivers to go, at the risk of drowning, toa village ou the other side, wake up the inhabitants, and find out the ford for as. He came back with the news that we could go straight on; and, thouzh our unshod horses hated to break through the ice and cut their feet, we found the water hardly more than foot deep. NOT SO BAD AS IT 13 PAINTED. In another respect we were alsu favorably dis- appointed—namely, in the dangerous character of our journey. Both of us had been assured, even by persons who should have known, that there were bands of marauders infesting the road; that stations had been attacked; that the mails were not considered sate, &c., in consequence of which ‘we provided ourselves with a liberal supply of pis- tols, and took every precaution to ensure our safety. All these rumors and reports seem to be pure inventions, calculated for the English market, in order to excite bopes in acertain party there that Rossia is finding her Asiatic possessions too much for her, and will have diMculty in crushing | Khiva. How people in the frontier forts smiled when we told them of these ramors of the reported attacks by Khivans on the Fmba and Irghiz forts And especially at the tutelligence J thought 1 had had from a sure source that the Kirghiz Sadyk was spreading terror and devastation through the steppe! Why, the steppe was never so tranquil. No hostile Kirghiz are known to exist, no bands of Khivans have been seen, Sadyk has not been heard of, and we have arrived here safe aud sound, without a breath of opposition or adream of dan, ger, and without having had a single article stolen, though opportunities were aoundant. Even ladies tfa¥e)here alone or with a single servant, To insure the tranquillity of the steppe various forts nave been constracted, where sinall garrisons are now maintamed, The frst of these on our road was Orsk, which is now of no practical tm- portance. About one hundred and thirty miles south of this is Kara-Butak, on the little river of the same name, @ small but secure fortress arid the hills which form the southern continuation of the Ural Mountains, It is garrisoned by about one bundred men and mounts one good rifled gun, which is more for ornament than use, as the natural strength of the place would enable it suc- cessfully to resist any force of Kirghizes that could be brought against it, The fort itself is a mere earthwork, and about are grouped a dozen small honses, Fort Irghiz, for- merly called Fort Uralsk, 18 170 miles fur- ther south, on the low bank of the River Irghi% and a small viliage bas grown up about the fortifications. To the west two forts on the Emba complete the line to Fort Alexandroffsky, on the Caspian, and to the east there is Fort Oreuburg, Kara-Butak and Irghiz we looked on as welcome halting places in our disagreeable journey, and I cannot sufficiently express my thanks to the com- mandants of those forts for the kindness and assist- ance they showed us, At Kara-Butak we arrived late in the evening, in a small sledge with two wretched horses, having found it impossible to get our impedimenta farther than the last station, The commandant, Colonel Senukovitch, to whom Mr, Schuyler had a letter, received us most kindly, feasted us and gave us quarters in his own house, and sent on horses for our vehicies and luggage, otherwise they might be still waiting in that little hole of a station, THE STEPPE. It is a litte dificult to describe the steppe except by saying that for the first half of my way Isaw nothing bnt snow, and the other naif nothing but sand. In general appearance the steppe re- minds me of the plains of Colorado, or rather those of Arizona. Unlike the steppes of Southern Kus- sia, the land here 1s not perfectly fat, but slightly rolling and swelling, and until we reached the Aral Sea there was always a line of iow hills on our right, the Mugodjarsky Mountains, the lower end of the Ural. In general the steppe is covered with grass aud various smail plants, including multitudes of tulips and numerous low bushes, which help to furnish fuel, But at Us season the grass was dry, and it was only near the Syr-Daria that the slightest shade of green was noticeable, Even the desert of Kara-Krum, which | had often seen described as a howling waste of sand, ts covered with bushes and other plants, and spaces of loose driiting sand are very infrequent. It is need- less to Kay that Our ideas of sandy deserts, drawn from the travellers’ tales we read in our youth, have been very materially modified, Water, and usually good water, was to be found—at least, at this time of year—ut all the stations, and fuel, such as it ts, is abuudant, Jn some places reeds are burned; in others bushes and roots known under vartous designations; and along the Syr-Daria they have a very tough wood, found there in great abundance, called sax-aul, It consists of the trunks and branches of vartous busies, which have been water- svaked and have rotted, and supply nearly as maoh heat a8 cowl, It 18 certainly better fuel than the birch wood burned in St, Petersburg, und is even cheaper, ‘te Most common fuel on the steppe is, however, camel dung. There ts an abundance of animal life on the steppes, in the shape of birds and small fur-bearing animals—some susiiks, like our pratrie-dogs; others valuable for their skins, Jn our Whole journey we saw only one wolf, though they are tolerably plentiful. Many of the birds are excellent eating, espectally the bustards—probably the same mentioned by Xenophon in the “Ana- basis’"—the wild pigeons, partriages, snipe, ducks and geese, There were also plentry of cranes, Magpies, crows, hawks and eagles, We often secured a supper on bustards and wild pigeons, and had much sport at trying to bring down eagles, being only once successful. The ducks and geese Were in multitudes on all the little ponds and lakes south of the Irghig and on the Aral Sea, along the sands of which we drove for about twenty miles one lovely aiternogn, On crossipg the overfiow | of the Syr-Daria yesterday to reach here we were surrounded by myriads of them, but all were wo Shy for us to shoot. & RAILWAY ROUTE. Because at this particular season of the year the Postal communications are bad, and 1 was four- teen days in getting to Fort No, 1 from Orenburg, At must not be supposed that the steppe is crossed with very great diMculty, or that there is any insuperable obstacle to the movement of large Dodies of troops, In Summer they can easily march across 1¢ during the night and morning, halting during the day to avetd the meat. As to Winter marches, a few weeks ago two battalions of sharpshooters and three sotnias of Cossacks were sent down to the Khivan expedition, The men were well clad in the usual sheepskins, with hoods, felt boots and warm mit- tens, and were taken in sledges along the post road, finding warm kiditkas, food and a hittle vodka soon ready for them at the stations, and in this way easily made fifty and sixty milesa day. Pe- rofsky’s disastrous expedition to Khiva was in Winter, but the Winter was unusually severe, the routes anknown, and Peroffsky'’s men were im- Properly clothed and without the practice and ex- perience that enable the Russian soldier of the prevent day to face the coldest weather success- lully. With the construction of a railway every- thing will be easy, and Russia will pe as secure on the Yaxartes as on the Neva. There are no enormous difMiculties in the way, none 80 great as were successfully overcome in the con- struction of the Pacific Railroad. The ground rises and falls in easy gradients, and will neceassi- tate few curves, cuttings or embankments, Wood for ties can be had in the Ural mountains, and can be brought to the spot as easily as it was to our Western plains; iron for ratis is abundant in the Ural, and fuel can be obtained from the rich coal ficlds lately discovered on the upper course of the Syr-Daria, ‘This 'raflway to Central Asta ts no mere dream, for explorations have already been begun for \t, and General Beznosikof has just arrived here on business connected with it. A railway from Orenburg to Tashkend, from the Volga to the Yaxartes, means the civilization and enlighten- ment of Central Asia, the restoration of peace and security where peace and security have been for centuries unknown, the development of a rich commerce, the reclamation of the desert by irrigation, and the return of Transoxanta to the state of prosperity in which it was left by Tamer- Jane, It meane the fall of the greatest strong- hold of Islamism, the spread of intelligence and culture, the daily HexaLD the on reading room tables of the clubs of Samareand, Bokhara, Khiva and Herat. A railway to Tashkend means the spread of Russian influence and authority to the summit of the Hindoo Koosh, It means that Cabul is nearer to St. Petersburg than to London, LIFE ON THE KOAD, As there was little variety in the scenery of the steppe, and it was not always that we could see anything to shoot at, the incidents of our journey were chiefly concentrated in the scenes that occasionally passed at the stations. Some- times, however, we amused ourselves on the road. If the horses or camels went very slowly we were able, when it was not too cold, to read in the carriage, and we got through in this way “Middlemarch,” a couple of French novels and most of the Koran. The last, of course, we read with interest in this Mussulman region, Very tre- quently indeed there were no horses to be had, or only very bad ones, and we were obliged to take camels, At frst we were much amused at seving these lumbering, unwieldy beasts harnessed to a carriage; but they went so slowly—rarely more than two miles an hour—that we conceived the greatest aversion to them. Ifone of them wis in the slightest degree dissatisfied he would begin to how! wite most discordant noise, and would keep it up for hours at a time until we arrived at the next station, The camel seemed to me a nonde- script antmal, far more resembling a bird than a beast, and I classed him in my fancy asa sort of cross between a cow and a cassowary, partaking more of the nature of the latter. KINGUEEZ NOME LIFE, At Tokan, the first station after leaving Ovsk, the Cossack told us, after we had waited a long | while, that though the Kirgheez who kept the sta- | tion had twelve horses, he refused to give us any, and had driven away with blows the men sent to fetch them. He tuld us, farther, that nothing would do him so much good as a severe drubbing, and advised us to go ourselves and administer it. We accordingly, under the guidance of tite Cossack, with revolvers in hand, set out for the neighboring | aul, or Kirgheez village, where this tyrant lived, de- | termined tu have the horses by fair means or foul. The oid Kirgheez seemed astonished at this unusual apparition, and, alter he had been well beaten by the faithful Ak-Mametef, fell down at fall length at our feet aad sued ‘or pardon. With many tears and groans he furnished us with the horses we demand- ed in the space of about two hours. Faster noteven our weapons could make him work. In the me time we had an opportunity of observing a Kirghe Winter dwelling. Under sheds covered with straw and earth, filled with cattle and sheep, we passed into a crooked undergroand passage, and emerged into a sort of den big enough for two people, but filled to the uttermost by three men, four women, three children, several sheep and a sick horse. A hole answered for & window, and in one corner was 3 mud stove, with the huge pot, which ts the chief piece of furniture in atl Kirgheez dwellings. The children, who were sitting in a picturesque group on the top of the stove, were fair, with dark eyes and very pretty faces. "is a pity they ger ugly so soon! At another time on a rainy night we got lost tu the steppe, and had to watt till morning at a Rirgheez awd, This was much further south, and the Kir family were already in their Sum- mer habitation, the Aibitka. This 1s a round tent made of a very light wooden framework and covered with felt. The whole 1s so light that it can be carried ou the back of one camel and so simple that it can be put in place In ten or filteen min- utes, Here we found a family of two men and their wives and children sitting on their haunches on pieces of felt, while their tea was boiling over an open fire of camel dung in the middle, the smoke of which escaped through a hole in the rool. They received us hospitably, spread the best quiit for us tu sit on, and Jooked on with great inter- est, cracking jokes with our servauts, while we made and drank our tea and eat our supper of bread, sardines and cold wild goose, laying in return for our shelter regaled our host with our tea and presented him with @ knife and fork, in the use of which he had seemed so profoundly in- terested, we retived to our (ararntass to siecp till daylight. The Kirgheeze are a singular people, appearing to belong, $0 far as physical type goes, to the Mon- golian race, but speaking a Tartar dialect, This is the Middie Horde, living in Winter near the shores af the Aral Sea, and in Summer wandering up to Orenburg and the Northeast. They are periectly nomadic in their habits, their whole wealth con- Sisting tn their flocks und herds, their horses, sud- dies and the furniture of their kibitkas, They rarely cultivate the ground except in the vicinity | of settlements, and there raising only # few melons and a little barley, They live now contentedly uo- der the dominion of Russia, though im 1869 they were in a state of rebellion in consequence of the tntro- duction of a new system, All thatisnow over. They are governed by men ol their own race, ander Russian supervision, and pay their tax three rubles a kibuka—with « wonderful punctoality and regularity, being rarely in arrears. They are nominally Mohammedan Ww religion, bat clog to many Pagan habits, and trouble themseives litte about prayers and ceremonies, They are kind, hospitable and simple, but at the sume ume cow: | | ardly and abject. Ihave had aman I threatened grovelling on the ground at ty feet; and another, who was astonished at receiving rather more tor his services than he had counted on, came up to me in the most grandly simple way and gratefully pressed my hand, Another, meeting us on the road, without solicitation changed his own good horse for one of our bad ones, At one of the last stations we found that the only room was occupied and locked, We were rather indignant, but were speedily pacified by learning that a baby had been born there the day before to the wife of a Tashkend oMcial, who was accompanying her husband to St. Petersburg. We pitied the poor woman confined on the open steppe, had our rugs spread in the warm sun oul- oo o side, and, as we were taking tea, sent in to say that anything from onr stores was at the lady's service, The happy father thanked us, told as | all was going on well, and accepted a bottle of claret and a can of condensed milk for the infante The country around Fort No. 118 all cnt ap with canals, and. the overfow of the river has covered the country with water, so that we were forced yesterday on arriving to make a long détour. We were stuck in one of these sloughs for about two hours, with the water over the axletrees, and the carriage slowly sinking; and it was only alter getting out, riding the horses to dry land, and coming back with more, that we succeeded in ex- tricating ourselves, and getting into town, where we are established in the only hotel the place affords, 1am now within less thhn five hundred miles of Khiva, but the hardest part ef my journey ts yet to JERSEY CITY, MURDER IN The Demon of Drunkenness Again at Work. A Qnarrel Between Railroad Employes and the Consequences~An Innocent Man the Vio» tim—Peaceful Mediation Exercised at the Cost of Life—The Alleged Murderer in Custody. No murder more unjustifiable was ever perpe- trated than that which was entered on the criminal records of Jersey City yesterday. No fatal wound More undeserved was ever inficted than thas which hurried to an untimely end John Adams, an employé of the Pennsylvania Ratlroad Company at the depot in Jersey City. The facts of this murder need no varnishing. Nothing appears in the case to mitigate the atrocity of the act except the stale defence of rum and its maddening effects. If drunkenness can be urged in extenuation of murder @ defence based on that may be introduced here, though such a defence has very little weight ina Jersey Court, The efficacy of such a delence was thoroughly tested in the case of Bill Woolley, who was hanged at Freehold, in Monmouth connty, a few years ago. In his case there were many ex- tenuating circumstances that cannot be tound in the present one. The recital of the bare facts wilh suffice to make this evident, Nathan Britton, the alleged murderer, was em- ployed as a yardman in the depot of the Pennsylva- nia Railroad, at Jersey City. On Monday night his boss, James McCann, told him to go into the yard of the Union freight line and assist the hands there, as there was a scarcity of men in that department at the time, Britton grumbled at what he considered an arbitrary orde;, and after some hesitation re- fused to go. McCann warned him of the consequences disobedience, and final Britton consented, but as he went he nursed wratl in nis bosom. ‘This circumstance ts the key to tne whole case, and tv this is traceable that fierce re- sentment which resuited in the shedding of blood. Britton did not remain more than an hour in the discharge of the duty forced upon him when he returned and demanded his “time,’’ an expression well understood railroad men as a preinde to resignation. McCann offered no obstacle, and the recalcitrant workman left and went to New York. This concludes what may be set down as the first chapter. Britton next turns up on Tuesday night about ten o'clock at the depot, where he made ioud threats to take McCann's life, He went among the employvés, inquired for MeCann, and avowed nis determination not to leave the neighborhood till he would blow the brains out of the ——, Om- cer Romaine crossed bis path, and was about to | arrest him, when John Adams_ appears the scene as a peacemaker to soothe feclings of the excited man. Adams, the benefactor—the disinterested benefactor—an em- loys at the depot, ts ere introduced to the reader fn @ scene which was destined to close with his earthly career ip a brief space of time, He had no | presentment of the awiul doom that awaited him as he appealed to the ofMicer tn belialf of the inturi- ated man—“George, don't take him in; Il take re of him and pul him to sleep.” And here ends chapter No, 2. Adams, the benefactor, and Britton, the raving, profane, blasphemous drunkard, started up the | Ine toward the *vound house.” Here an interval occurs in the story, and all trace of Britton is lost tll midnight, when he jumped on the drill engine No, 784, and wold Maloney, the engineer, that he wanted to find McCann, as he inteuded to shoot him. The engineer replied that he did not know where McCann was, ‘but, added he, “there goes Clothier, the driil master.” At this anneuncement Britton started and s: “Well, be’ll do; Ti shoot hin, the —," at the sume time drawing his re- volver. Maloney grappled with hin and reminded | him in very “forcivie. terms that he must | not play any game of that kind just then. Very | soon after Britton encountered this samo | Clothier and demanded in language more | forcible than elegant his “time” of pim | othier answered that the regular custom was to call at the ofice, and that Britton ought to know that. The latter became furious, and, drawing ns revolver, poured out a torrent of unprecations, end- ing with “Tl take it out of you with tnis,’? brandishing the re 1 juneture the friendly arm of Ada the benefactor, grasped Britton, ‘The crisis was at hand, “ Don’t fire!’ | cried Adams. Britton-was thirsting for biood. He was swooping down on lis quarry, and Adams crossed nis path and frustrated his purpose, The desperate man's blood bad been boiling for an hour, aud now it was at fever heat. “Letgo, I | say!” rang out on the one side. and “Don’t, ob don’t shoot!’ on the other. The time was Uiteen minutes past twelve. One desperate man, goaded to fury, is a match for two mep of average strength fu a sober mood. Adams could not stand up against the wild, raving, crazed Britton. The last’ remarks were foliowed by @ sudden Movement on ibe part of Britton, who wheeled around, an i the whirhgig of his madness, cried out, “flien Pil shoot you!” Flash, crack—Adams fell pack wards und turned piteously to the bystanders, Clothier and erg wo whom he said, “Oh, my God, boys! I'm shot; ve got it here; send for the doctor.” Filteen minutes after- wards poor Adams was a corpse. ‘The ball entered the leit groin, severing the in- testines, and deatn ensued from juternal hem- orrhage. Britton was secured and taken to Police Headquarters. He was taken before Justice Sey- | mMour yesterday morning, and without apy exam- nat He he was Comin to the County Jatl to awalt the result of the Coroner's inquest, Corgner Reinbardt took charge of the body and he will hola an inqnest to-morrow afternoon. The body now Nes at Kowland’s Morgue, in the Rink, where it was viewed by 4 Henan reporter yes‘erday after- noon. The eXpression is a4 calm and placid ag | though the uniortunate man had lapsed into a quiet slumber. But for the habiliments of death and the gloomy surroundings one would hardly Suppose that he had sunk to sleep “after life's tit- ful fever.” Among those who called was the bereaved, broken-tearted wife, whose atiiction is the more poignant us he was a model husband. She sank upon she cold body, and for afew moments sie was leit undisturbed. Hers was a silent grief that corrodes the heart, and clings to the being 16 crushes in close companionship ull life's last unger- ing hour. ‘Dou't disturb her," said the kind. hearted undertaker, Kowland. jon’t disturb ye his time with her will be short enough, G knows.” Adams was a hardy son of toll, with sharp features and a good physical development for one who was only twenty-five years of age. The wileged murderer is only twenty yeurs ofage. Mr. F. Wol- cott Jackson, Genera! Superintendent 01 the Penn- sylvania Kailroad, notified the undertaker that the raitroad company will bear the expenses of te in~ terment. ART MATTERS. ccepscipcoadnna ttt Swiss Carved Work. The Summer apathy will be enlivened during one or two afternoons and evenings of Dext week with the sale of some fine carved furniture and knick- nackery, the produce, we believe, of the Swise Maaufacturing Company. To remark that the sale 1s a bona fide and thorougBly legitimate one sounds like merciless satire on the system apon which these sort of auctions are sometimes conducted. Clinton Hall is to be the scene ef the disposal, and we believe that the exhibition dates from to-day. The sale will be a large one and ts expected to be of a good deal of interest to the trade, as well us to private buyers. Meanwhile it is worth more than Mention aa being & pleasant and lronest expression ef peculiar and highly popular sphere of art. Mr. Copet Pictures. Mr. Alfred B, Copeland, who lately came hither from Antwerp, and expects to return there in Juiy, to remain a couple of years, has removed to the hail of the Young Men's Christian Association the pictures which he recently fad on exhibition im De Garmo's Hall, in the building mainly occupied by the Somerville Art Gallery. Some of these pic. tures are scriptural in design, and are copies of the most celebrated works of Rubens, Van Dyck, and soon. Among those now on View at Assocta- tion Hall are “The Presentation of Christ to St Gerome” and “The Education of the Virgin” (Ru- bens) ; "St. George and the Dragon” (Van Dyck) 5 “mt. Nicholas Bringing Food to the Sufferers trom Famine” and “St. Nicholas bringing Money to a (Vaenius); “The Ravages. of War’? : “Old Woman and Varaffe” (Adrien da Fisher Hoy” (Franz Halls) ; and sev. ‘al Original studies of Mr, Copeland’s. These plo tures are all for sale, and their removal 20 Assoct® on Hall is calculated to promote that yrrention