wall, and was pierced by twelve gates, called darwazas-
The wall took a circular form, and had a circumference'
of 13 miles, the gates bearing the names of the towns-
in the direction of which they faced. Now, towards-
the Russian quarter, the whole of this wall has been
taken down and the ground levelled. The gates, toOj,
here have been removed, though they still remain in
the other directions.
^ Through one of these gates we entered about eight
o'clock on the evening of the 15 th September, not a.
little pleased at being back once more within the region
of comparative civilization, and perceiving Russian
cabs and soldiers about the streets, though there was
little enough of light proceeding from the street oil
lamps to see them very clearly. We made for what
had been recommended to us as the best hotel, but
where they had no room, so that we had to try the
Hotel “ Nicolaeff,” a sorry place, yet we were glad of a
rest, and still more of a bath, after which it was a real
comfort once more to get into beds, to which we had
been strangers since leaving Vierny.
I have now glanced at Russian Turkistan in general,,
and more particularly at one of its two northern
divisions — namely, the Syr-daria province, within
the capital of which we arrived. Before describing it,
I think it better briefly to treat of the Amu-daria
province, and thus avoid the necessity of coming
back to Russian affairs after our boat is launched in
Bokhariot and Khivan waters.
C H A P T E R X X IX .
TH E AM U -D A R IA P R O V IN C E .
The Amu-daria province ; its boundaries and dimensions.-—The Kyzyl-
Kum Steppe : its sands, marshes, and mountains.— De Mamy on
its geology.— His deductions questioned.— Lake A r a l : its dimensions,
climate, and shores.— Its islands and lessening circumference.
— Meteorology of the province and health of population .E C lassifi-
cation of inhabitants according to.race s,— The Karakalpaks.—-
Recent statistics concerning habitations.— Agriculture of settled
population.-— Improved condition of natives.— Difficulties of the
nomads.— Introduction of Russian administration.— Revenue.
TH E Amu-adria oblast is bounded on the north
and east by its sister oblast of the Syr-daria,
on the south by Bokhara, and on the west by the
Lower Oxus and part of the Sea of Aral. Oblong in
shape, it measures on the 32nd meridian 86 miles by
318 miles on the 43rd parallel. It has an area o f
33,363 square miles, or the size of Portugal, of which
no less than five-sixths of the whole, or a tract the
size of Bavaria, forms the south-west portion of the
Kyzyl- Kum desert. The remainder is made up o f
1,549 square miles of river-bank country, and 4,456
square miles of islands in the Amu delta. These
figures may be regarded as the latest. I have them
from a report drawn up by command of the Governor-
General, a copy of which was obligingly given me