1839] 



Russian Mission from Orenhourg to Bokhara. 159 



the Khivians, who assembled at the well of Boukhan, fell upon them, 

 and pursued the fugitives as far as the Kizil-coum, where they met, and 

 engaged with a troop of Kirghiz. On our return we found on the road 

 the bodies of more than 100 people who had perished on the occasion 

 of this irruption of the Khivians.* 



Almost every day we met with caravans of Kirghiz coming from Bokha- 

 ra; who, after selling their sheep, brought back barley, tobacco, meal and 

 cotton, from that town. We felt much pleasure in conversing with these 

 bazartchi (that is to say people returning from market), and felt great 

 interest in hearing accounts of Bokhara, and enquired how long it was 

 since they had left the city. We considered ourselves very fortunate 

 in being so near the end of so long and troublesome a journey, of which 

 we were beginning to get heartily tired. 



We had travelled in the Kizil-coum, from 42 to 46 verstes (30§ miles) 

 a day — the marches were very long, as we were constantly encountering 

 deep sand-hills— it was absolutely necessary we should not loiter, ho as 

 to be too long without the opportunity of getting fresh water. 



Our horses had met with very indifferent forage in the Kizil-coum, 

 and were becoming visibly thinner. The Bachkir horses were skele- 

 tons, and could no longer draw the six waggons that remained of 25 

 which we brought from Orenhourg, and we were obliged to replace them 

 by Cossack horses, which had until then been employed to carry for- 

 age. All our people, and particularly the foot soldiers, were much 

 emaciated— in short it was absolutely necessary we should arrive very 

 shortly. We carried ice, and the water of the Djan-deria in leather 

 bags, or barrels, notwithstanding it was very difficult to convey suffici- 

 ent water for four and a half days, for our numerous party of men and 

 horses. 



On our arrival at Iouz-koudouk, one of the baggage horses drank 

 to such excess that he fell, and was not able to rise for several hours. 

 Notwithstanding these numerous inconveniences, not one of our saddle 

 horses died, but we lost almost all the cart horses ; particularly one day, 

 when six were so perfectly exhausted, they could not follow us. 



From the Djan-deria to Iouz-koudouk, the distance is two hundred 

 and eleven verstes (51 leagues), which we traversed in five days with the 

 artillery, through a sandy desert, destitute of water and grass, that after 

 having performed 1000 verstes with the greatest celerity, camels car- 

 ried our infantry by turns ; but after all it was very difficult for a mili- 

 tary body to accomplish such a march in so short a time. 



* Two pages of ray copy of M. Meyendorff's work arc here lost.— Translator. 



