178 BOKHARA THE NOBLE. 



CHAPTER XYI. 



BOKHARA THE NOBLE. 



New Bokhara — The fascination of Old Bokhara — Its bazaars — A picture 

 for an artist's brush — A scourge of the East — Monuments of the past 

 — The power of the King of Bokhara — The citadel — Its ancient clock 

 — A piteous tale — Violent death — The State prison — Its jailer — The 

 scene inside ^Khanikoff's description of the lower dungeon — The 

 story of Stoddart and Conolly — Nasrullah, King of Bokhara — The 

 journey of Dr Wolff — The notorious vermin pit — Bokhara described 

 as it is to-day — Authoritative writers on Bokhara. 



I THINK Bokhara is one of the most fascinating places 

 which I have seen in the East — real Bokhara, of course, 

 that is. There is nothing in the smallest degree 

 fascinating about New Bokhara, which is simply a 

 Russian town. It has its conveniences certainly, and 

 that is something to be thankful for, even though they 

 be devoid of attraction. For there is a hotel at New 

 Bokhara, and it is even tolerably clean. It is not kept 

 by a Russian if I remember right, but you at once 

 realise that you are in a Russian town by the huge 

 penny-in-the-slot musical-box, which is the most con- 

 spicuous piece of furniture in the apartment set aside 

 for meals. It does not seem to matter to a Russian in 

 the least what the music is like, so long as there is 

 music of some sort to accompany him through his 

 repast. 



But to return to Old Bokhara, eight miles away 



