1824.] Commercial Rout from the Caspian Sea to Chiwaand Bucharia. 487 
the poor quarters, would be extermi- 
nated. In the narrow streets, the pe- 
cuniary advantages from increased 
light would be equal to those from im- 
proved air and ‘health, while house- 
owners would profit by the increased 
durability of their property. Indeed, 
independent of increased pleasure and 
health, the general habits of cleanli- 
ness, hereby introduced would induce 
wealthy persons in the principal streets 
to stucco and beautify the exterior of 
their houses, and. the. appearance of 
the whole. metropolis would, in conse- 
quence, ‘be in all respects improved. 
The effects altogether on this dirty and 
noisome city, would in two or three 
years be like that of enchantment. 
Nothing more would be requisite to 
effect these desirable objects, than that 
the Common Council. of London 
should originate the measure, or, that 
one of the members for London, West- 
minster, Middlesex, or Southwark, 
should. prepare and bring in a bill, 
having some such provisions as those 
indicated. ‘Vhere can be no doubt 
that it would be hailed as a salutary 
object in and out of parliament, and 
be carried into easy execution, at- 
tended by gratitude and applause to 
those who gave it the force of law. 
; Common SENSE. 
*.* The outline of this article appeared 
a few years ago, but it has since been 
enlarged and improved, and its importance 
entitles it to reiterated attention. Itsadop- 
tion wonld signalize any mayoralty, and 
raise into distinction any private citizen, 
——— 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
COMMERCIAL ROUT from the CASPIAN 
SEa to CHIWA and BUCHARIA. 
NHE merchants going from Astra- 
chan to Chiwa and Bucharia by 
way of the Caspian Sea, land on the 
south-western shore, called by the 
Turchomans, Mangishlak, and by the 
Russian sailors on that sea, the Man- 
gishlakshi harbour. Here the goods 
are disembarked, and are passed be- 
tween the islands of Kulala and Sswja- 
toi and Cape Karagan; here also the 
caravans embark for Astrachan. 
The merchandize was sent on camels 
across the mountains which surround 
the eastern and southern shore of the 
‘sea as far as Urgansh in Chiwa. This 
was formerly done by the Turchomans 
wandering near those shores, but these 
people have now nearly ceased their 
Nomadie life, and their stations are 
taken by Kirgees. 
These mountains are crossed in 
little more than twenty days, when 
they decline towards a valley, the 
mountains branching off in two lower 
ranges. The road across, the moun- 
tains is stony, and. almost. entirely 
without forests; wells are found in 
convenient spots by Kirgees, Turcho- 
mans, and caravantravellers. About 
the middle of the journey, a square 
building is found, consisting of a wall 
200 fathoms long and two fathoms 
high. These walls are called by the 
Turchomans olank, who say that they 
were built in ancient times by a 
people with whose name they are un- 
acquainted, and thatthe stones for the 
edifice were taken from the lake be- 
low. This assertion obtains some de- 
gree of probability from the circum- 
stance of the banks of the lake being 
of the same substance with the stones 
of those walls. The banks are very 
steep and high, and the surface of the 
water is reached by a narrow path 
only. The Jake is extremely deep, 
and never quiet; but there is.no fish 
init. Butwhatis most remarkable is, 
that the water of the lake and: many, 
wells in the hills, which forages past 
is known to have been brackish and 
bitter, has within the last eighteen 
years suddenly become sweet and. 
drinkable.»- About one day’s journey 
farther, a little to the left, another lake 
is found, which is exactly 300 fathoms. 
in circumference. It is very swampy, : 
and a great number of springs of better 
water fall with great noise from its, 
high and rocky banks into it. Ata 
distance from it is a high mountain, 
from which, in clear weather, a square 
castle. of stone is discovered. It is. 
not known what it contains ; tradition 
only says that it was built before Ma- 
homed by some conquéror, named 
Ishandar, or Sul-Karnain; that he, as 
well as his successor, Dshamshit, had 
concealed immense treasures in it, 
which they had plundered from the 
conquered nations ; and, finally, that 
Tamerlane intended to make: use of 
this.castle, which however, from some 
cause unknown, he omitted to do. 
Perhaps these circumstances gave rise 
to the strange name, Birsakilmos, he 
is gone, he has been lost, or, he goes 
away and does not return. 
In these hills are found horses, buf- 
faloes, foxes (called karatshanki), and 
hares. The former sometimes sport- 
ively approach the caravans, and are 
rather smaller in size than the common 
horses. 
