RECONNAISSANCE IN TURKESTAN 273 



danovitch, and by Mr. Chernachef, now director of the Imperial 

 Russian Geological Survey. 



In Turkestan we enjoyed the hospitality and assistance of their 

 Excellencies the Governor General and Madame Ivanof ; General 

 Medinsky, governor of Samarkand ; General Nalifkin, vice gov- 

 ernor of Fergana, and Madame Nalifkin ; General Oussakovsky, 

 governor of Trans Caspia ; Colonel and Madame Volkovnikof, local 

 governor of Krasnovodsk ; Colonel Kukol-Yasnopolski, governor of 

 Ashkabad ; General Uliauin, director of the Trans-Caspian railway ; 

 General Poslovsky, and General Gedienof. I owe the success of 

 our Pamir expedition chiefly to the active interest and help of 

 Colonel Zaitza, governor of Osh. To Baron Cherkasof, political 

 agent at Bokhara, I owe much for his kindness during my visit to 

 that place. At Old Mervwe were entertained with great hospitality 

 by Mr. Dubosof, superintendent of the imperial estate. 



Using the railroad as a base and having horses and escorts wher- 

 ever needed, we made flying excursions to many points, at different 

 distances from the railroad, both in going and coming. 



From Ashkabad we made an excursion across the mountains of 

 Khorassan into Persia, accompanied by Mr. Yanchevetzki, secretary 

 of the governor, and his intimate acquaintance with the water prob- 

 lems and with the country from the Aral south was of great use to 

 us. On our return to Ashkabad we were joined by Mr. Richard 

 Norton, who accompanied me throughout the journey. 



The next stop was at Old Merv, where we spent several days 

 among the extensive mines. Thence passing by Bokhara and making 

 only a preliminary visit to Samarkand, we went to Tashkend, the 

 residence of the governor general of Turkestan. Here the party 

 divided. Professor Davis and Mr. Huntington going eastward to 

 Issikul, where, after a month of joint work, they separated, Mr. 

 Davis returning to America via Omsk and St. Petersburg, and Mr. 

 Huntington going on to Kashgar. 



After Tashkend, I visited Margelan and Audi j an, the end of the 

 railroad. 



Continuing our journey to Osh, at the entrance to the mountain 

 region, we organized an expedition to the Pamir, with the courteous 

 aid of its governor. Colonel Zaitza. The way to the Pamir covered 

 part of the route and two of the passes, the Terek and Taldik, in 

 one of the great currents of ancient trade between China and west- 

 ern Asia, and it promised light on the physico-geographical part of 

 our problem. After returning from the Pamir we visited the ruins 



