72 THIRTY-FIVE YEARS IN THE EAST, 



buried in the middle of the city a new horse-hide, which 

 is easily procured there ; as the inhabitants of Bokhara eat 

 more horse-flesh than any other kind of meat, and which 

 is probably the cause of this odd idea. The Affghans have 

 also a peculiar method of curing nervous fevers. They 

 envelop the patient in the skin of a newly-killed animal 

 ( goat or sheep ), in which he falls into a perspiration, and 

 in this state he is left for a whole night. A decoction of 

 bran is also said to be a good sudorific, but considered as 

 a mild one, and is not generally in use. 



To cure the guinea-worm, the natives of the East make 

 use of many curious remedies, which will be found in the 

 second volume. 



At Bokhara, I met two unfortunate Armenians from 

 Astrakhan, who requested me to use my influence in their 

 behalf. Three years previously, when Count Suchtelen was 

 Governor of Orenburg, they had laid claim to a considerable 

 sum due to them as their legal portion of an inheritance 

 at Bokhara ; to which place they received letters of re- 

 commendation from the governor, and were sent thither 

 to urge their claims, with directions, should they not 

 succeed, to return to Orenburg, and the Russian govern- 

 ment would assist them. On their arrival there, the 

 settlement of their affairs presented some difficulty, as the 

 government had confiscated the legacy, under various 

 pretexts. The two heirs — who, in their endeavours to 

 obtain their property, seemed not to have lost all hope, 

 in spite of the evasive promises they had for many years 

 received — thought it requisite to use their utmost energies 

 to get their rights at last ; for which purpose they solicited 

 my assistance, representing to me their awkward situation, 

 and saying that the Russian ambassador, who had recently 

 arrived, refused to interfere, but by my influence they 

 hoped to obtain a happy result. I could not reject their 

 application, and by so much the more, as I was informed 

 that the Russian government was desirous to negotiate 

 for the liberty of its subjects then in slavery at Bokhara. 

 These two ArmeniaDs were indeed in a state worse thaa 



