CHAPTER LV.
CHARJUI.
' . . . . PAGE Departure for the Oxus.—Meeting of Charjui officials.— Our lodging
and reception.—Pilau and native bread.— Visit to the Bek.—
Received with music.-—The place of execution, and the prison.—
Charjui bazaar and slave-trade. — A Bek’s official staff.—
Administration of the khanate, and taxes.—The governments
of the Tsar and the Emir, how respectively regarded by the
Bokhariots.— Return from Charjui to the Oxus.—The tarantass
regained.—Departure of our two attendants . . . . 175
CHAPTER LVI.
T H E U P P E R O XUS.
Names of the Oxus.— The Englishman Wood, its first explorer.— Its
source and issue from the mountains.;—Strategical importance
of the next reach of 200 miles.11—Alleged feasibilily or probability
of a Russian invasion of India.— Fords and ferries on
the Upper Oxus.— The Oxus at Kilif, and from Khojah-Saleh
to CharjuL—Reports on the profitable steam navigation of the
OxusE-The Amu-daria at Charjui. — Our boat for floating
down the river ............................................................ . 152
CHAPTER LVII.
FROM CHARJUI TO KABAKLI.
Prospect of floating 300 miles on the Oxus.— Escort for protection
against the Turkomans.“—Hydrography of the'river.—Journey
to Kheradj.— Rough hospitality .— Journey to Ustik.—Descrip-
tion of the river.— Compulsory servipe of boatmen.— Geological
phenomena.— Arrival at Ildjik. —Change of boat and oarsmen.—
A Bokhariot “ Siberia.”—Arrival at Kabakli.—Sheep attacked
by wolf.—Visit from the B e k ........................................... . 201
CHAPTER LVIIL.
FROM KABAKLI TO PETRO-ALEXANDROVSK.
Hydrography of river to Russian frontier.MDeparture from Kabakli.
— Ruins on the banks and tugais. — Precautions against
robbers. — Fauna of the islands and river banks. — Native
information.— Uzbeg notions of a future life.— Singing oarsmen.
—The Bokhariot frontier.— Flora of the river islands and banks.
—The “ Pitniak Curve” and “ Lion’ s Mouth.” — A dumb
journey thence by horses.— Shurakaneh.—Arrival at Petro-
Alexandrovsk . . . . . . . .' . . 213
CHAPTER LIX.
PETRO-ALEXANDROVSK AND THE LOWER OXUS.
By what route homewards ?—The Orenburg and Aralo-Caspian
routes.—A social evening at the Governor’s house.— Change
of weather.— Petro-Alexandrovsk and its institutions.— Proposed
desert journey.—Arrival of tarantass.—Distribution of
Scriptures.— Results of Bible work in Siberia and Central Asia.
—The Lower Oxus and its hydrography: its delta and fall into
the Aral.—Fish of the Amu-daria.|jDiscovery therein of the
Scafihirhy71chus.— Geological questions concerning it . • 229
CHAPTER LX.
FROM PETRO-ALEXANDROVSK TO KHIVA.
Departure with the Khivan Consul.— Journey to the Oxus and
crossing.— Arrival at Khanki. — Extraordinary sepulchres.—
Central Asian funerals.—-Our lunch and native food. The
Khivan oasis and its dimensions.— Its gardens and principal
aryks —Arrival in Khiva at the house of the Divan-beggi —
His antecedents and visit.—Inspection of his premises.— Our
visit to the Khan.— Khivan manuscripts and documents.
Burnaby’ s “ Ride to Khiva” - . • • • • ■ 246
CHAPTER LXI.
THE KHIVAN OASIS AND ITS HISTORY.
My informants.— Dimensions of the khanate : its soil, geology, and
botany.— Khivan melons, and efforts to introduce them into
England.— Khivan fauna, inhabitants, revenue, and foreign
relations.— Kharezm under the Arabs. Conquests of Jinghis
Khan and Tamerlane.—The Uzbeg khans, and commencement
of intercourse with Russia.— Raids of Cossacks, and expedition
of Cherkassky.— Khivan enslavement of Cossacks.— Kazak
khans.l-f- Perovsky’ s expedition and English mediation.
Shakespear’s conduct of Russian slaves. Russian capture of
Khiva . . 2fH