296 Manners and Habits of the Torkoman Tribes. QNo. 112. 



means of blown cow or buffaloe skins, which are fastened to a slight 

 raft of twigs. These rafts are called jallahs ; they are very troublesome 

 to manage, and dangerous, and accidents often happen. While the bag- 

 gage and owners are thus ferried across, the cattle following each other 

 swim to the opposite side. The Oxus is frequently frozen over; when this 

 is the case, it can be crossed upon the ice. It abounds in fish, but we 

 do not know that fishing is an occupation much followed by those 

 who reside on its banks. Before it reaches the Aral it would seem to 

 be divided into several streams, besides those canals which have been 

 cut for the purpose of being conducted to remote spots of cultivation : 

 the principal towns situated on these divided streams are Oorgunge, 

 Khiva, Toorbat, Suggur, and Sulughan ;* but these are probably 

 little better than large encampments, except Khiva and Oorgunge, 

 which are walled, and have ditches ; but these defences are very mi- 

 serable even in the opinion of the people of Bokhara. The southern 

 bank of the river, and perhaps the other likewise, is covered for a con- 

 siderable distance from the river with lofty reeds, which form a kind 

 of forest, in which the Torkomans pitch their tents and feed their cattle ; 

 and I rather suspect that wild beasts also exist in these masses of 

 reeds. Whence the ancients called this river the Oxus, as it bears no 

 resemblance to the modern names, the Ammoo and the Jehoon has 

 not yet been ascertained. Mr. Moorcroft has offered a supposition, that 

 that it is derived from the Turkish word aksoo ; this appears to 

 me a happy etymology, as it characterizes the river, the word signify- 

 ing a white river. 



The banks of this stream are much frequented by the Torko- 

 mans; they annually cultivate small patches to supply themselves 

 with grain on this side of the river; the best and most approved 

 horses are bred, especially the karrabay, reared by the Torkomans. 

 It is one of the finest castes which is procurable. The government 

 of the Torkoman resembles that of a father over his family ; each head 

 of a family exercises absolute authority over its members ; these 

 consist of his wives, his children, his slaves, and such dependents 



* At Oorgunge my informant left the banks of the Oxus, situated eight cossfrom the 

 main channel. From this he travelled to the N. N. W. passing the towns of Toorbal, 

 Suggar, and Sulughan on to the city of Khiva, situated on the banks of a large river 

 called the Heelem, nearly as large as the Oxus. — Lieut. Macartney's Memoirs, see 

 Appendix to Elphinstone' s Cabool, page 648. 





