Bokhara and Samarcand.

107

managed to see no little of the manners and customs of this sealed city. He affected great piety in what he calls

duced. But the chief incident in their passage over this dreary desert was from another source of peril-the tebbad, or hot wind, that brings the sand-storm." the Rome of Islam," wore an unusually Fortunately it did not come till they had reached the margin of the sand.

large turban, the Musselman's memento of his death, and suspended a large "The Kervanbashi and his people drew Koran from his neck in the approved our attention to a cloud of dust that was fashion of a dervish. But though his approaching, and told us to lose no time disguise had thus far answered well, he in dismounting from the camels. These was growing nervously anxious to leave poor brutes knew that it was the tebbad Bokhara. His curiosity tempted him to that was hurrying on; uttering a loud cry, stay; his caution urged him to depart. they fell on their knees, stretched their He very speedily quitted the city whose long necks along the ground, and strove to reputation is so equivocal. On his road bury their heads in the sand. We en- to Samarcand, which is "the focus of the trenched ourselves behind them, lying there as behind a wall; and scarcely had universe," according to the Persian poet, we in our turn knelt under their cover, he visited, with the rest of the pilgrims, the than the wind rushed over us with a dull, ruins of the summer palace, the mosque, clattering sound, leaving us, in its passage, the citadel, and the tomb of Timour. covered with a crust of sand two fingers Vámbéry found no trace in Samarcand thick. The first particles that touched of that famous Armenian Greek library, me seemed to burn like a rain of flakes of fire. Had we encountered it when we were six miles deeper in the desert, we should all have perished."

said to consist of many thousand rare manuscripts, and which Timour, accord. ing to a well-known tale, sent to that city on the backs of many thousand mules, hoping to familiarize his rude Tartars with foreign languages and history. Indeed, according to Vámbéry, it is the fable of an Armenian priest, one Hadjator, whom a French savan quoted in his "History of Armenia," and thus circulated in Europe. The new city of Samarcand is distant a full league from the ruins of the old walls, has six gates, and a few mosques.

"To-day's egg is better than tomorrow's fowl," says the Turkish proverb, and so thought our Hadji. Eight days had sufficed to satisfy his curiosity in Samarcand; but to his consternation, on the eve of his departure the Emir entered the capital of Timour. After a hasty and rather critical interview, Vámbéry hastened to Herat by way of Kerki, Andhuy, and Maymene, as the most accessible route to Persia. At least a hundred and fifty miles of this journey were desert. After various mishaps,

Bokhara has earned for itself an evil name. Conolly, Stoddart, and other travellers have paid for their boldness in visiting it with their lives. Vámbéry was more fortunate, although spies were always dogging his steps or seeking to make him betray himself in his talk. The astute Hungarian proved more than a match for these emissaries of a merciless despot who rules his people with a rod of iron. The police regulations of the city are very strict. No inhabitant dare show himself in the streets two hours after sunset. The population of Bokhara consists of Tartars, Arabs, Mervi (descendants of Persians), Hindoos, and Jews. Of the last there are several thousands living in the Khanat of Bokhara. The Jew, it appears, enjoys a curious immunity among these people they will plunder his property, but pronounce him unworthy of becoming a slave! Bokhara is a considerable city, some four miles in circumference, boasts once being seized as a runaway slave, of eleven gates, and numerous mosques and colleges. It has also, despite its fierce and parsimonious ruler, the reputation of being a holiday city, and is fond of lounging under the shady trees and sipping green tea. Of course Vámbéry did not escape the Bokhara pest, a worm which is bred in the skin through drinking its waters; but despite this inconvenience, and his chronic lameness, he

he reached Herat in such poverty, through the black mail levied by the different chiefs of the tribes whose territories they had crossed, that but for the alms which a faithful companion collected, he must have perished from want. He arrived at Teheran in January last year, and in June came to London.

The concluding portion of the book records in detail the fruit of his observa

tions and inquiries on the Turcomans; | Taganrok. In districts like Khiva, the the cities and districts or Khanats of Hadji profession is very profitable; but Khiva, Bokhara, and Khokand; Chinese in stony-hearted Bokhara the people Tartary; the routes in the three Khanats; trade and agriculture; the political relations of Central Asia; and the author's opinion of the policy of the Russians in the East. The Turcomans inhabit the desert which lies between

receive your blessings as a matter of course, and send you away penniless. Like our own beggars, the Hadjis know where to call.

Among other strange customs still existing in Turkestan is one not unlike the Laplander custom mentioned with such humour by Thomas Fuller, where the bride runs a race, and takes care to let the right man catch her.

"There is the marriage ceremonial,

where the young maiden, attired in bridal costume, mounts on a high-bred courser, goat, and setting off at full galop, is foltaking on her lap the carcase of a lamb or lowed by the bridegroom and the other young men of the party, also on horseback; but she is always to strive, by adroit turns, &c., to avoid her pursuers, that no one of them approach near enough to snatch the burden from her lap. This game is called Kokburi (green wolf), and is in use among all the nomads of Central Asia.”

the Oxus and the Caspian. They are divided into nine tribes, and number in all nearly two hundred thousand tents, with an average of five persons to a tent. Their government is of the simplest kind. "We are all equal," say the Turcomans, "and every one is king." Mahommedanism in eight centuries has but little changed the "deb" or "usage" by which alone they are bound. A whole race of robbers, they yet bow to this "usage" as to the will of a despot. In many points they are like the Bedoween Arabs, as confirmed in their nomadic habits, as superstitious, and as dependent upon and attached to their horses. The Turcoman, like the Arab, thinks his work is done when his horse is cared for, and either lounges the rest M. Vámbéry contends that Russia is of the day in his tent, or gossips in his stealthily pressing on towards the south. neighbour's. His dress consists of a fur She has selected the left bank of the cap and a red silk shirt, which last is river Jaxartes as the real line of her also the whole home attire of the operations, and, having recently taken women. The rustling sound of the silk the city of Tashkend, possesses an unhas a great charm to the ears of all Tur- broken chain of forts that reach within comans. They are ready believers in a hundred and fifty miles of Samarcand. the curative powers of "the holy breath" Tashkend, according to M. Vámbéry, is of pilgrims, of "holy dust" (earth from the key to all the conquests in Central Mecca), and "holy water." This last Asia, and that key is now in the hands is concocted in the following way: a of Russia. He is even disposed to updervish has placed before him a cup of braid the English for the marked indifwater; after every prayer he spits into ference they have paid to Russian the cup; and hence the holy properties progress in the East, and evidently it possesses! Vámbéry was somewhat thinks that at no distant day the Northern embarrassed on his first arrival at Bear will not only claim the Oxus as Gomushtepe to find that both men and his natural frontier, but may even put women rushed forward with outstretched his paw on the Koh-i-Baba (father of arms to embrace the filthy tatterde- mountains), under whose shadows Cabool malions who had tramped all the way may be said almost to nestle. But howfrom Mecca, and was, as became a bash- ever little his English readers may ful European, disposed to refuse the esteem him as a prophet, all will at once proffered respect, until rebuked for his acknowledge their large indebtedness for un-dervishlike conduct by his instructor. amusement and instruction to the EuroOne of the Hadjis, as a knife-grinder, pean dervish who showed such contempt had travelled on foot over the whole of for danger in his search after knowledge, Asia, had been as far as Constantinople and who possesses the ability of recordand Mecca, had visited upon occasions ing his experiences among a rude and Thibet and Calcutta, and twice the fanatical people with such simple and Kirghish Steppes, to Orenburg and unaffected eloquence.

Intelligence.

occasion to welcome our pastor were all ing our Annual Missionary Meeting was interesting, instructive, and brotherly held, and very appropriate addresses in their tone. Several of the friends were delivered by the ministers of the from Crowle sang effectively the hymn, "Friends, Good Night."

The REV. JAMES GREENWOOD, B.A., has commenced his ministerial labours at Bourn, and will be publicly set apart to the pastoral office early in March.

MISCELLANEOUS.

town, and the Rev. H. Wilkinson. The attendance at each of the services was good considering the inclemency of the weather. Collections and subscriptions for the year amount to £32 13s. 2d.

CHILWELL COLLEGE.

J. B.

THE TREASURER begs to acknowledge

General Account.

£

s. d.

PACKINGTON, near Ashby-de-la-Zouch.
-A committee of twelve ladies, Mrs. the following sums :—
Thomas Oakey, of Normanton, in the
chair, met on the 9th of February at
Mrs. Joseph Smith's, at Packington, to
consider how funds could be raised for
the internal improvement of Packington
chapel. The committee decided to raise
a sum of money by a Bazaar, which is to
be opened in the early part of June next.
Twenty pounds are now in hand for the
purpose, and the committee respectfully Kirkby

Legacy from the late Rev. Jona-
than Ingham, Halifax...... 100 0 0
Rent of Land, &c., at Chilwell 15 10 0

Houses at Sherwood Rise
Cottages at Carrington ..
Derby, Osmaston Road
Burton-on-Trent
Birchcliffe

......

.....

ask their friends in different parts of the J. Nall, Esq., Hoveringham
country to assist them by small contri- Mr. Jas. Granger, Nottingham
butions, which will be thankfully ac- Ford
knowledged by Mrs. Thomas Oakey, Ripley

Normanton-le-heath, Mrs. Joseph Smith, Loughborough, Baxter-gate
Packington, and Mrs. Arthur Mills, Coventry
Ashby-de-la-Zouch.

Purchase Account.

......

500 4 8 4

12 15 0

6 18 2

3 10 6

1 12 0
150

0 10 0
3 0
5 0 0

6

3 3 0

500 BURTON-ON-TRENT.-On Lord's-day, Rev. W. Taylor, Stoke January 29, the Rev. H. Wilkinson, of THE COLLEGE LIBRARY.-On a recent Leicester, preached two sermons on be- visit to Halifax, the President of the half of our Mission. In the afternoon College received a cheque for £10 from he delivered an interesting address to the John Crossley, Esq., to expend in the scholars and friends. On Monday even-purchase of books for the College Library.

MR. WILLIAM GARDNER.

Obituary.

tion to others, it pleased the Holy Spirit to give saving knowledge to the teacher THE subject of the following brief sketch himself; he saw his exceeding sinfulness, was born on the 8th of July, 1810, in the and felt his need of a present and alltown of Leek, in Staffordshire. He was a sufficient Saviour, and by faith he soon descendant of the suffering but heroic obtained grace through our Lord Jesus Huguenots, who, in the time of their per- Christ, and was enabled to go on his way secution and peril, sought protection and rejoicing. He was baptized and received liberty on the free soil of England. In into the fellowship of the church when he early life our departed brother was led to was about eighteen years of age. For remove to Macclesfield, where, through some time his christian joy continued in the kind attentions of some of the young all its freshness and fulness; the love of people connected with our Sunday school, Christ dwelt richly in his soul, and he was he was induced to enter as a scholar; and greatly delighted by the services of the passing from one class to another with sanctuary, and by the privileges and labours growing interest and an increasing attach- of his new and holy calling. But his ment to the place and people, he soon fervent zeal and sweet enjoyment did became fully prepared to discharge the im- not long continue without interruption. portant duties of a Sunday school teacher. Gradually and almost unconsciously he While thus engaged in imparting instruc- fell a victim to the spirit of indifference,

Mr. William Gardner.