Emir Mehemmed, born at Kandahar, had, after the occupation of his native city by the English, been compelled to fly on account of some crime he had committed. He had had frequent opportunities of seeing Europeans, and had recognized me as a European by my features. Consequently, from the very first moment he regarded me as a secret emissary traveling with hidden treasures under my mendicant disguise, one whom he might succeed in plundering at any time he wished, as he would always have at his service a formidable menace, namely, "denunciation." Often had he counseled me to separate from those mendicants and to join his own society; but I never omitted replying that dervish and merchant were elements too heterogeneous to offer any prospect of a suitable partnership; that it would be impossible to speak of sincere friendship until he had given up his vicious habit of opium-eating, and devoted himself to pious purifications and prayers. The resolute stand I took—and, indeed, I had no other course-made him furious; and as from his impiety he was the object of the hadjis' aversion, I can only regard his notorious enmity as a particular instance of good fortune.

About two hours after this occurrence, the kervanbanshi, who now assumed the command over the whole caravan, pointed out to us that every one ought to fill his water-skin with water, as we should not come to another well for three days. I therefore took my goatskin and went with the rest to the stream. Never having hitherto suffered much from the torment of thirst, I was filling it carelessly, when

CHAP. VI.

SEPARATION FROM ESCORT.

115

my colleagues repaired my error with the remark that in the desert every drop of water had life in it, and that this fount of existence should be kept by every one as the "apple of his eye." The preparations completed, the camels were packed, the kervanbashi had them counted, and we found that we possessed eighty camels, that we were forty travelers in all, among whom twenty-six were hadjis without weapons, and the rest tolerably armed Turkomans of the tribe Yomut, with one Özbeg and one Afghan. Consequently, we formed one of those small caravans that set out on their way in right Oriental fashion, leaving every thing to fate.

When we had all seated ourselves, we had still to take leave of our Turkoman escort, who had led us to the margin of the desert. The fatiha of the farewell was intoned on the one side by Hadji Bilal, and on the other by Kulkhan.

After the last amen had been said, and had been followed by the inseparable stroking of the beard, the two parties divided in contrary directions; and when our late escort had recrossed the Etrek and lost sight of us, they sent a few shots after us as a farewell. From this point we proceeded in a straight direction toward the north. For farther information on the political and social relations of the Turkomans, I beg to refer the reader to the Second Part of this volume.

CHAPTER VII.

KERVANBASHI INSISTS THAT THE AUTHOR SHOULD TAKE NO NOTES. EID MEHEMMED AND HIS BROTHER'S NOBLE CONDUCT.-GUIDE LOSES HIS WAY. — KÖRENTAGHI, ANCIENT RUINS, PROBABLY GREEK. — LITTLE AND GREAT BALKAN. ANCIENT BED OF THE OXUS.—VENDETTA.— SUFFERINGS FROM THIRST.

"C'était une obscurité vaste comme la mer, au sein de laquelle le guide s'égarait où périt le voyageur effrayé."-Victor Hugo, from Omaïah ben Aiëdz.

...

WITHOUT being able to discover the slightest trace of a path indicated by foot of camel or hoof of other animal, our caravan proceeded toward the north, directing its course in the day by the sun, and at night by the pole star. The latter is called by the Turkomans, from its immovability, temir kazik (the iron peg). The camels were attached to one another in a long row, and led by a man on foot; and although there was no positive place of honor, it was regarded as a certain sort of distinction to be placed near the kervanbashi. The districts on the farther side of Etrek, which form the foreground of the Great Desest, are indicated by the name of Bogdayla. We proceeded for two hours after sunset over a sandy bottom, which was not, however, particularly loose, and which presented an undulating, wavy surface, in no place of much elevation. By degrees the sand disappeared, and about midnight we had so firm a clayey soil under us, that the regulated tread of the

CHAP. VII.

AUTHOR'S APPEARANCE SUSPICIOUS.

117

distant camels echoed as if some one was beating time in the still night. The Turkomans name such spots takir; and as the one on which we were had a reddish color, it bore the name kizil-takir. We marched uninterruptedly till it was nearly dawn of day; altogether we had hardly advanced six miles, as they did not wish at the outset to distress the camels, but especially because the greatest personages in our company of travelers were unquestionably the buffaloes, of which one was in an interesting situation, and could not, with her unwieldy body, keep up even with the ordinary step of the camel; consequently there was a halt for repose until eight o'clock in the morning; and while the camels were eating their fill of thistles and other plants of the desert, we had time to take our breakfast, which had not yet ceased to be luxurious, as our skins were still richly stored with fresh water, and so our heavy unleavened bread slipped down aided by its sweet draughts. As we had encamped close together, I remarked that the kervanbashi, Ilias, and the chiefs of my companions were conversing, and, as they did so, kept casting glances at me. It was easy for me to divine the subject of their conversation. I pretended, however, to pay no attention; and after having for some time fervently turned over the leaves of the Koran, I made a movement as if I had proposed to take part in the conversation. When I had approached a few steps, I was met by honest Ilias and Hadji Salih, who called me aside, and told me that the kervanbashi was making many objections to my joining him on the journey to Khiva,

my appearance seeming suspicious to him; and he particularly feared the anger of the khan, as he had some years before conducted a Frenghi envoy to Khiva, who, in that single journey, took off a faithful copy of the whole route, and with his diabolical art had not forgotten to delineate any well or any hill on the paper. This had very much incensed the khan; he had had two men executed who had betrayed information, and the kervanbashi himself had only escaped with his life owing to the intercession of influential persons. "After many objections," said my friends, "that we could not leave thee here behind in the desert, we have so far prevailed with him that he will take thee with him on the condition that thou wilt, first, permit thyself to be searched to see if thou hast any drawings or wooden pens (lead-pencils), as the Frenghis generally have; and, secondly, that thou promise to take away with thee no secret notes respecting the hills and routes, for in the contrary case thou must remain behind, were we even in the midst of the desert."

I heard all with the greatest patience, and, when they had finished, I played the part of one very angry, turned round to Hadji Salih, and, speaking so loud that the kervanbashi could not fail to hear, said, "Hadji, thou sawest me in Teheran, and knowest who I am; tell Amandurdi (the name of the chief of our caravan) that it was by no means becoming in him, as an honest man, to lend ear to a drunken binamaz (one who does not repeat his prayers) like the Afghan. We must not jest with religion, and he shall never again have an opportunity to