1839] Russian Mission from Orenbourg to Bokhara. 163 



preaching us, by addressing us a few obliging words in the Russian 

 language. Their signs of astonishment — their cries, and in fact, the tu- 

 multuous agitation of the whole crowd, gave our entry into Bokhara the 

 appearance of a festival, which we should have enjoyed, but for the pre- 

 sence of the people connected with the police — whose voice sounded 

 above all the tumult, and who armed with great sticks, struck indiscrimi- 

 nately on every side to make room for us. The sight of this violence 

 saddened us when we remembered that our arrival was the occasion of 

 all this confusion, and that the wish to see so many Ourousses was 

 stronger than the fear of blows. 



It was with feelings of the most pyinful nature, that we observed, in 

 the midst of this Asiatic population, some Russian soldiers reduced to 

 the sad condition of slaves. The greater part of them were -old and in- 

 firm ; at the sight of their countrymen they could not restrain their tears; 

 they faltered out a few words of their mother tongue — they strove to 

 cast themselves among us — so great was their emotion at the sight of 

 our warriors. It is impossible to describe these affecting scenes which 

 wrung our hearts. 



We were informed at Khatoun-koudouk that the Couch-beghi, one of 

 the principal officers of the Bokharian government, was waiting for us 

 at the next village — at the distance of about a verst, from where cultiva- 

 tion begins, a chief of 100 men, Pendja-bachi, came to meet us with 200 

 horsemen. He led us through the crowd, and our infantry, beating 

 drums, marched to the tent where the Couch-beghi was seated. We 

 dismounted about 30 toises from it to advance through two rows of foot 

 soldiers seated on the ground, who rose when the charge d' affaires 

 passed. We saw several tents of different colours, a great number of 

 richly caparisoned horses, covered with chabragues embroidered in gold 

 were picketted, tied by the head and the hind feet; the tents were sur- 

 rounded by officers and slaves ; and, in short,every thing that surround- 

 ed us added to the solemnity of this our first interview. 



The Couch-beghi, named Hakim-beg, was seated in his tent with four 

 Bokharian noblemen; when Monsieur de Negri had taken the seat 

 assigned to him, the chief addressing himself to the persons attached to 

 the embassy, paid " Be seated, for you are strangers to us, and 

 we feel great pleasure in seeing you." M. de Negri having afterwards 

 conferred with the Couch-beghi, about the ceremonies to be observed on 

 his presentation to the khan, did not agree entirely with that officer. The 

 audiences had begun under most favourable auspices, but before its ter- 

 mination, the Bokharian character was completely unveiled. The 

 Couch-beghi was so indiscreet as to request M. de Negri would present 



