1857.] Kolcan and other places in Central Asia. 257 



the air-way. I have spoken there of taking out one fire bar, but 

 I am not sure that where the shoulders of the bars are narrow or 

 the furnace large, this would be enough ; yet to take out two would 

 perhaps leave the spaces so wide, that the small coal would fall 

 through before it was burnt ? and it should not be forgotten that 

 these questions, though without very accurate experiments and mea- 

 surements we can only estimate them roughly, are really questions 

 of nice adjustment. 



Notes on Kokan, Kashghdr, YdrJcand, and other places in Central 

 Asia. — By Lieut. H. G. Ea.veett, 3rd Begt. Bombay, JV. L\ 

 Assistant Commissioner, Multdn. 



About six years since, the Eight Hon'ble B. Disraeli, M. P., at 

 the prayer of the sisters of the unfortunate Lieutenant Wyburd of 

 the Indian Navy, at that time supposed to be in slavery at Kokan, 

 the capital of one of the petty states of Central Asia, had, by a 

 motion in the House of Commons, endeavoured to rouse the British 

 Government to effect his release. 



This officer had been despatched from Persia to Bokhara for the 

 purpose of making enquiry into the fate of Stoddard and Conolly, 

 and had never returned. He appears to have been sold into slavery 

 by the ruler of Bokhara. 



Some months previous to the motion of Mr. Disraeli, an agent, 

 said to have been despatched by the reigning chief of Kokan, had 

 arrived at Pes'hawar, with information, that a European calling 

 himself Wypart, was then in confinement in that city under the 

 suspicion of being a spy of the Russians (with whom the Kokan 

 chief was at enmity) ; but that he protested he was an Englishman 

 and had escaped from slavery at Bokhara. The agent in question, 

 I was informed, had stated the readiness of the Chief to release 

 the unfortunate man, if any British officer were sent for that pur- 

 pose, and would satisfy him as to his being a British subject. 



As soon as I became aware of these circumstances, I tendered 

 my humble services, both to the Government of Bombay, and the 



