on that Yakoob out of this rope had been making a
little harvest for himself. I had received a hint at
Samarkand that I must look sharp after Yakoob, for
that, although he was not a thief, yet he had his
own notions of honesty. Yakoob told us that in one
commission we had entrusted to the new interpreter
he had overcharged us sufficiently to allow of his purchasing
a store of tobacco. For the future, therefore,
I sent Yakoob on errands, not thinking that his probable
reason for “ splitting upon ” Rosi was that he
might get the business into his own hands.
My costly felts, that I expected would be put over
the goods to keep them clean, Tailly coolly folded, and
placed beneath the baggage to keep it from rubbing
the camels’ sides. I rather demurred, thinking that
the owner ought to provide that much for his own
animals. I urged that I wanted the felts to keep the
things from rain. Here no doubt he laughed in his
sleeve at my ignorance, as he replied, “ We will put
them on the top when the rain comes.” We did not
have a drop all across the desert, and evidently, by
Tailly, rain was as little expected as when Samuel
called for a storm in harvest.*
I confess to being a little disappointed at the look o f
the camels hired for us. I had given the best price,
that he might secure the best animals, which I supposed
to be the graceful, long-haired, two-humped Bactrian
camel. Instead of this appeared five short-haired,
one-humped, gaunt-looking creatures o f anything but
attractive appearance. I was reconciled, however, to
the new animals on Yakoob’s telling me that the onehumped
(nar tuya) animals are stronger than the twohumped
(tuya). Accordingly, when our camels were
* i Sam. xii. 17.
loaded, our little string of five filed out of the Bek’s
yard, and I was somewhat amused at this novel fashion
o f removing my baggage.
I imagine, however, that there was a serious side to
the affair, that my ignorance did not permit me to see,
but which seemed to be present to the mind of the
Bek. He had, I presume, never before seen two
foreigners, comparatively unarmed, starting with three
natives only to cross the Turkoman desert. The
Russian surveying parties had been escorted by a
guard of Cossacks, and the two private parties I have
alluded to did not come so far north as Kunia Urgenj.
T he Bek, too, knew the dangers of the desert better
than I, and sent for a man who offered himself as
guide ; but this did not seem necessary, I thought,
since Tailly was supposed to have made adequate provision
on this score, and every individual added to the
company rendered necessary the taking also of his
provision for nearly three weeks.
What were really the Bek’s fears, if he had any, I
know not, but it looked rather ominous when, just
before starting, he asked me for a written statement
that I had in safety left him, and been properly treated.
I, therefore, formally wrote, “ This is to certify that
Dr. Lansdell, having received much kindness and
attention from the Bek of Kunia Urgenj, leaves
to-day for Krasnovodsk, with Mr. Sevier and Rosi
Mahmet as interpreters, and under the guidance of
(1) Tailly, (2) Nazar Muhammad, (3) Murad, and (4)
Yakoob,” and then handing this to the Bek, with a
slight touch of the feeling with which I suppose a
mariner puts a paper in a bottle for what may, perhaps,
be his floating epitaph, I mounted Diotrephes and
prepared for the start.