376 



GEOGRAPHICAL PROGRESS AND DISCOVERY. 



which were deserted, but since the Russian an- 

 nexation have been repeopled. From Ducbak 

 the roads to Serakhs, Meshed, and Herat di- 

 verge, and the railway curves to the northeast, 

 and strikes across the desert to Merv, which is 

 on an oasis on the banks of the Murghab. The 

 118 miles from Merv to the Oxus is a sandy 

 desert covered with a dense vegetation of 

 "saxaul " (Haloxylon ammodendron), and other 

 plants of the same family. This was the most 

 difficult part of the line to construct ; not so 

 much on account of the drifting sand, as of 

 the want of water, which was scarce and often 

 brackish. The line crosses two important 

 rivers, the Tejend and the Murghab, both of 

 which lose themselves in the sand, and in win- 

 ter are dry or very low ; but in summer their 

 volume is considerable and the water is drawn 

 off in canals to long distances for irrigation. 

 This railway is of great importance, politically 

 as well as commercially, for it gives Russia an 

 opportunity to bring a large force to the bor- 

 ders of Afghanistan without delay, in case of 

 need, and to compete advantageously with In- 

 dia in the trade of Central Asia. 



The cultivation of cotton promises to become 

 an important industry in this part of Asia. 

 The Central Asian Commercial Company has 

 received a large tract from the Ameer of Bo- 

 khara on the Amu-Darya, near the Chadjni sta- 

 tion of the Trans-Caspian Railway, and this they 

 intend to devote to the raising of cotton. The 

 company has permanent agencies at Merv, 

 Askabad, Kutshan, and Meshed, and it has 

 lately sent a trading-caravan into Thibet. 



The English-Russian Boundary Commission 

 began its work by surveying the northern line 

 and marking it with pillars from the Persian 

 boundary nearly to the Amu-Darya or Oxus, 

 at Chodschat-Salih. The commission could not 

 agree upon the merits of the conflicting claims 

 to the district of Khamiab, and therefore the 

 last 40 of the 560 kilometres of the line were 

 left without the land-marks. 



A noteworthy book of travel, published in 

 Paris this year, is " Across Central Asia" ( U A 

 Traverse 1'Asie Centrale "), by H. Moser, an ac- 

 count of his experiences in his last journey 

 through that region in 1883-'84. He attributes 

 to the Russian advances there the great im- 

 provements wrought in late years, an;l the 

 safety with which travelers of all nationalities 

 can now visit that part of Asia. Twenty-five 

 years ago Arminius Vambery adopted the dis- 

 guise of a dervish in order to travel through 

 Central Asia, and even then was in frequent 

 danger of his life ; M. Moser himself in his first 

 travels there in 1868-'69 found the state of the 

 country far different from that of the present 

 day; and he very naturally attributes the 

 change to the civilizing influence of Russia. 

 The principal value of his work lies in its eth- 

 nologic observations. 



The following summary of the work of M. 

 Prejevalski, the distinguished explorer of Cen- 

 tral Asia, has appeared in European journals: 



" The first journey of M. PrejevaL<ki lasted 

 three years (1871-"73). Making the best use 

 he could of the small resources at his command, 

 he remained two years in Thibet, and pene- 

 trated as far as the source of the Blue river. 

 He was the first to explore the eastern part of 

 Central Asia (11,000 versts' journey). The 

 years 1874 and 1875 he devoted to the arrange- 

 ment of the scientific results of his first jour- 

 ney, and to the preparations for a second. 

 This time the explorer was well equipped, hav- 

 ing laid out a sum of 24,000 rubles, granted 

 him by the command of the late Emperor 

 Alexander II, on the advice of Count Milutin, 

 Minister of War. Six Cossacks were placed at 

 his disposal. The expedition betook itself into 

 Thian-Shan and to Tarim, but, being unable to 

 advance, returned to Russia at the beginning 

 of 1877, by way of Eastern Turkistan. Its 

 scientific results were, however, of importance. 

 The third journey began in 1878. The expe- 

 dition was composed of twelve persons. The 

 proposal to penetrate as far as Sadji in Thibet 

 could not be carried out, owing to the want of 

 food and means of transport. After having 

 explored Lake Zaisan, and Thibet as far as Sai- 

 dam, M. Prejevalski was stopped at a distance of 

 250 versts from the capital of the country. 

 The sources of the Hoang-Ho were explored in 

 1879. Lastly, in 1883, M. Prejevalski set out on 

 his fourth journey in the same region, follow- 

 ing a desert track toward the Hoang-Ho. The 

 month of February, 1884, was passed among 

 the Thibet mountains in completing collections 

 in ornithology. Hunting provided the travelers 

 with food, and they used also tea and small 

 cakes. The roasted meal of the country, called 

 zamba, took the place of bread. In May, the 

 expedition advanced into southern Saidam, the 

 ruler of which wished to oppose its passage, 

 but was compelled to give them a guide and 

 some camels. Leaving the provisions under the 

 charge of seven Cossacks, M. Prejevalski pro- 

 ceeded to the sources of the Hoang-Ho. Here 

 this river is only from fifteen to twenty sazh- 

 ens broad, but as it turns toward the south- 

 west it attains an immense size. This stream 

 is of great moment to the Chinese, who, to 

 heighten its importance, have instituted annual 

 sacrifices of great solemnity. It is noticeable 

 that the country near the source of the Hoang- 

 Ho is inhabited ; and the herds of yaks are in- 

 numerable. From the source of the Hoang- 

 Ho, M. Prejevalski turned southward to the 

 source of the Blue river. After a march of 

 150 versts, the travelers encountered some 

 Tungutes, who showed themselves very hostile. 

 A few shots made them retreat, but it was 

 found impossible to pass the Blue river, and 

 M. Prejevalski was obliged to turn back. Two 

 fresh attacks of the Tungutes did not prevent 

 him from returning to the source of the Ho- 

 ang-Ho, where one of the lakes that feed the 

 river has received the name of ' Expedition 

 Lake.' From this time the travelers advanced 

 for many consecutive weeks, having continu- 



