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502 -
THE LAKESIDE LIBRARY.
Vou. IV.
asking him to take care of it while I went into the
hot room, I gave him the belt.. Th
down, and pointing to his head, conveyed to my
mind that his life would answer for the money.
He then led the way into.a second apartment.
Here there was a charcoal furnace, and on the fire
a quantity of large stones which were at a white-
heat. He threw three or four pailfuls of cold
water on the stones : the liquid was in an instant
converted into steam, and volumes of dense vapor
filled the apartment. ‘Hotter aud hotter it grew,
the atmosphere being so thick that the attendant
was invisible. After steaming for about half an
hour, he came to my side, and led me to a large
reservoir filled with water and floating ice; when,
seizing a bucket, he soused me from ead ‘to foot.
The process was over, there being no shampooing
ing, as in similar establishments in
Here many of the principal inhabitants ‘had as-
sembled, in order to have a look at the stranger
who, although a Christian, still liked washing.
One of them, an old moullah, could speak a little
Arabic, having twice performed the pilgrimage to
Mecca, He remembered Captain Abboit’s visit to
Khiva, forty years ago, and was under the impres-
sion that I, like that officer, had come to the Khi-
yan capital from India and Herat.
“ He was such a nice gentleman!” observed the
moullah, alluding to Abbott. “He was a medi-
cine-man too, and cured several sick people. We
heard afterward that he had been killed by the
Russians. Was that the case?” And on being
informed that Captain Abbott had returned in
safety to England, he gave praise to God. .
-“Your compatriot was with us about the time
that the Russians were attempting to reach Khi-
ya,” continued the moullah; “and people here then
thought that an army from Hindostan was com-
ing to help us; but we did not require any assist-
ance; the Winter killed the dogs by thousands.
Praise be to God!”, And this expression, which is
me asin Arabic, was devoutly re-
peated by the rest of the company. is .
.“ How did the Russians succeed in taking Khi-
ya?” Linquired, - | oe
a“ They came in the Summer. Allah did not fight
-“ It has been said,” I remarked, “ that your peo-
Re had poisoned some of the wells in the desert.
Was this the case?” . oo
The old man turned red with indignation.
.“ Poison the wells which God has given us! no,
never; for that would be a sin in his eyes,”
‘azar by this time had returned with the horses;
80, shaking hands with the principal people, who
arose at my departure I rode away, followed by
the blessings of. the old priest—the latter, from
the fact of my speaking Arabic, looking upon me
as not quitea Mohammedan, but as certainly a
very distinguished moullah in my own country.
Later on in the afternoon I received a visit from
no less a person than the Khan’s treasurer. He
Was a man, of about forty years of age,
and with a forbidding expression on_ his counte-
nance. He was extremely anxious to learn my
business, and to know if I had been sent to Khiva
by my Government, and was much surprised that
the Russians had not stopped me on the route.
“You have not been to Fort Petro-Alexan-
“No,” I replied. . .
-“Ah! that accounts for it,” he continued, with a
sarcastic laugh. “They do not much love you
English people, though, by all accounts, you are
now on speaking terms, and not at war.”
“Do you think this state of things will last
long?” I inquired. .
“They are pushing onward,” he said. “You
will have an opportunity of shaking hands with
your friends before long. Four years ago we
were quite as from Russia as you are now;
and you have not many white men in India.”
A succession of visitors came pouring in during
theevening, the arrival of an Englishman in Khiva
being looked upon as an extraordinary occurrence,
I have often pitied distinguished foreigners who,
when visiting London, are taken, among other
sights, to the Zoological Gardens on a Sunday—
the habitues of the Gardens staring at the unfor-
tunate stranger as if he were a choice specimen of
the gorilla or chimpanzee which has been import-
ed from some recently discovered region. The
lions and monkeys are deserted for the new ar-
rival, and his every gesture is scanned as if he
were not made of flesh, b! and bone, like an
ordinary mortal, and had nothing in common with
the restof humanity.. This was my own position.
My manner of eating with a knife and fork much
astonished some of the visitors, and one of them,
coming up, tried to imitate the proceeding, the
consequence being that he ran the fork into his
cheek, to the great amusement of the rest of the
P: .
The evening wore on, and taking an inkstand
out of my writing-case, I tried to write a letter.
However, this proved a difficult task, as the ink,
which was frozen into a solid Jump, had smashe
the bottle. The cold still remained as great as
ever; though now it was impossible for me to reg-
ister it, owing to my thermometer having been
broken during the journey. The small charcoal
hearth in myroom gave out but little warmth, and
the draught in the apertures through the roof and
walls was so great that it was impossible to un-
dress, There was nothing for it but to wrap my-
bowed | on
self in my fur pelisse, and thus attired, lie down
my air mattress—the latter a source of: the
eatest astonishment to the Khivans, who were
delighted when I explained how it could be used
on an emergency as araft. “We could cross the
Amu on it,” observed one of them. “And it is
light and soft,” added another, lifting it up be-
tween his finger and thumb.! “The Russians
have not such things,” chimed in a third, who
had once been inside Fort Petro-Alexandrovsk. ~
CHAPTER XXXII.
In the morning my host again appeared, accom-
panied by several servants bearing sweetmeats and
fruits, the invariable preludes to a breakfast at
iva, while a frozen block of milk was also sent
me, and some butter which was as hard as a bil-
iard ball, Nazar was all this time engaged in
brushing a black shooting-jacket, the only gar-
ment I possessed except my regular riding attire.
However, I had brought one white shirt, thinking
that I might possibly have an interview with some
Central Asian magnate or other, and, greatly to
my surprise, the article in question was not much
the worse for the journey.
While these preparations were going on, the
host kept plying Nazar with questions as to my
tehin (rank), a d as to whether I had any orders
or not, the Russian officers who had visited Khiva
having been covered with decorations, a success-
ful review or parade at St. Petersburg often ena-
bling an officer to obtain an order which, with us,
would only be given for services in the field. In
deed, I remember once seeing a Russian official
with his breast so covered with decorations, that,
struck with astonishment, I asked in what san-
guinary actions he had distinguished himself,
he om I addressed smiled. “He has
never been under fire,” was the reply, “but he is
useful to the State, as, through his agents, he
knows everything that goes on in Russia.” .
eYou have no orders?” inquired Nazar.
(0. ‘
“Well,I have told them that you havea great
many, but that you have not brought them with
you for fear of their being stolen. If I could only
tie a few pieces of ribbon on your coat it would
eople too, would think so much
more of me;” and my little Tartar servant swelled
out his chest, as much as to say, “I am a personof
considerable importance, though you do not seem
to see it.” . ee
I was a good deal annoyed with Nazar for hav-
ing thus imposed upon my host, and instantly de-
sired him to state that in my country officers only
received decorations for real services, consequently
there were not so many worn asin the Russian
army; while as to my rank, I was a captain, and
traveling at_my own expense and for my own
pleasure, and not in any way as an agent of the
ritish Government. . ..
In the afternoon two officials arrived from the
Khan’s palace, with an escort of six men on horse-
back and four on foot. . The elder of the two dig-
nitaries said that his Majesty was waiting to re-
ceive me, and my horse being brought round, I
mounted, and accompanied him toward the pal-
ace, The six men on horseback led the way, then
1 came between the two officials, and Nazar
brought up the rear with some attendants on foot,
who freely lashed the crowd with their whips
whenever any of the spectators approached our
horses too closely. :
After riding through several narrow streets,
where, in some instances, the house-tops were
thronged with people desirous of looking at our
procession, we emerged on a small, flat piece of
ound which was not built over, and which
‘ormed a sort of open square. Herea deep hole
was pointed out to me asthe spot where criminals
who have been found guilty of murder had their
throats cut from ear to ear,
The Khan’s palace is a large building, orna-
mented with pillars and domes, which, covered
with bright-colored tiles, flash in the sun and
attract the attention of the stranger approaching
hiva. A guard of thirty or forty men arm
with cimeters stood at the palace gates. We next
passed into a small court-yard. The Khan’s guards
were all attired in long flowing silk robes of vari-
ous patterns, bright-colored ‘sashes being girt
around their waists, and tall fur hats surmounting
their bronzed countenanves, The court-yard was
surrounded by a low pile of buildings, which
are the offices of the palace, and was filled with
attendants and menials of the court, while good-
looking boys of an effeminate appearance, with
long hair streaming down their shoulders, and
dressed a little like the women, lounged about,
and seemed to have nothing in particular to do. ”
door at the farther end of the court gave
access to a low passage, and, after passing through
some dirty corridors, where I had occasionally to
stoop in order to avoid knocking my head against
the ceiling, we came to a large, square-shaped
room. Here the treasurer was seated, with three
moullahs, who were squatted by his side, while
several attendants crouched in humble attitudes
at the opposite end of the apartment. The treas-
urer and his companions were busily engaged in
counting some rolls of ruble-notes and a heap of
silver, coin, which had been received from the
Khan’s subjects, and were now to be sent to Petro-
lexandrovsk as part of the tribute to the Tzar.
The great man now made a sign to some of his
attendants, when a large wooden box, bearing
signs of having been manufactured in Russia, was
pushed a little from the wall and_ offered to me as’
a seat.. Nazar was accommodated among the de-
pendants at the other end of the room. | After the
usual salaams had been made, the functionary con-
tinued his task, leaving. me in ignorance as to
what was to be the next part of the programme, )
After I had been kept waiting for about a quar-
ter of an hour, a messenger entered the room and
informed the treasurer that the Khan was disen-
gaged, and ready to receive me.’ We now entered
along corridor, whick led to an inner court-yari
Here we found the reception-hall, a large tent, or
kibitka, of a dome-like shape. The treasurer, lift-
ing up a fold of thick cloth, motioned to me to
enter, and on doing so I found myself face to face
with the celebrated Khan, who was: reclining
against some pillows or cushions, and seated on a
handsome Persian rug, warming his feet by a cir-
cular hearth filled with burning charcoal, He
raised his hand to his forehead as I stood before
him, a salute which I returned by touching my
cap. He then made a sign for me to sit down by
his side. ‘ ta
Before I relate our conversation, it may not be
uninteresting if I describe the sovereign. He is
taller than the average of his subjects, being quite
five feet ten in height, and is strongly built: his
face isof a broad, massive type, he a low,
square forehead, large dark eyes, a short straight
nose with dilated nostrils, and a coal-black beard
and mustache; while an enormous mouth, with
- | irregular but white teeth, and a chin somewhat
concealed by his beard, and not at all in character
with the otherwise determined appearance of his
face, must complete the picture. .
e
not Jook more than eight-and-twenty, |
and has a pleasant, genial smile, and a merr:
twinkle in his eye, very unusual athong Orientalss|
in fact, to me an expression in Spanish would
better describe his face than any English one I
can think of. It is very simpatica, and I must say
I was greatly surprised, after all that has been
written in Russian newspapers about the eruelties
and other iniquities perpetrated by -this Khi
potentate, to find him such a cheery sort of fellow.
=
s countenance was of a very different type |
from his treasurer’s, The hang-dog expression of
the latter made me bilious to look at him, and it
was said that he carried to great lengths those pe-
culiar vices and depraved habits to whi
are so often addicted. The Khan was dressed in a
similar sort of costume to that generally worn by
his subjects, but it was made of much richer ma-
terials, and a jeweled sword was lying by his seat.
His head was covered by .a tall black Astrakhan
hat, of a sugar-loaf shape; and on my seeing that
all the officials who were in the room at the same
time as myself kept on their fur hats, I did so.
The sovereign, turning to an attendant, gave an
order ina low tone, when tea was instantly brought, '
and handed to me ina small porcelain tea-cup. A
conversation with the Khan was now commenced, '
and carried on through Nazar and a Kirghiz inter-
preter who spoke Russian, and occasionally by
means of a moullah, who was acquainted with
Arabic, and had spent some time in Egypt. The
Khan, when he wished to say any thing which
was not intended for the ears of the other attend-
nts, murmured his questions to this official, who
would then translate them to me. ‘
The first question asked was how far England
2
is from Russia, and whether Englishmen and Ger-
mans are of the same nation? ‘thus showing
rather a deficiency in geographical knowledge,
Fortunately Ihad Wyld’s map of the countries |
lying between Pngland and India in my pocket,
and producing it, I unfolded the map before him,
He at once asked where India was,
JI pointed to it, 2
1
“No,” he said, “ India is there,” pointing to the :
south-east. i
He was seated facing the south, and could not‘
understand that it was necessary to read the map
to the reverse hand. :
As I was not quite certain where the north was,
I desired Nazar to give me my compass, which he
wore round his neck., When he handed it to me I
observed the countenances of the Khan’s followers
assume an expression of alarm, and they looked
as if they thought that it was an infernal machine
and might go off. However, the sovereign him-
self instantly recognized the use of the instru-
ment, and said that he had'two which had been
given him some time previous by a traveler.
now adjusted the map to the north, and
showed him all the different places he mentioned,
atthe same time pointing with my finger to the
direction in which he would have to ride if he
should wish to visit them. :
eatly struck with
space that Great
“China, where the
belonged to England, and was
the size of India, and the sma!
Britain takes up on the map.
tea comes from, belongs to you also?” he in-
quired, evidently thinking that’ England has the
same relations with the Celestial Empire as Russia
with Kokan.
The Khan then putting his hand on Hindostan
on the map, observed that India was large, but not
so large as Russia, which required nearly tw
hands to cover it.
There remarked that extent of territory does not
make up the strength of a nation, and that India
contained nearly three times as many inhabitan!
ne On
1Vvan °
ich Orientals |
He was under the impression that Afghanistan