392 
THROUGH ASIA 
called a paradise, because there were no women within its 
walls, was now honoured with the presence of the young 
wife of the new commandant, Madame Skersky. German 
by birth, and a lady of an exceptionally sweet and amiable 
disposition, she did the honours at table with exquisite 
charm. Tastes, as we know, differ ; but in my opinion the 
fort was now infinitely more like paradise than it had been 
before. Threadbare tunics and dusty boots had given 
place to a more becoming exterior, whilst linen cuffs, black- 
ing-, and the little arts of the toilet-table afforded evidence 
of their existence : everything in fact bore witness to the 
ennobling presence of woman. 
In addition the fort had also started a band of twelve 
men, which played during dinner every day outside the 
windows of the mess-room. The mess-room itself had 
been re-christened ; it now bore the name of vayenny 
sobranye or “ the military club,” and its walls were 
papered with maps of the Pamirs and plans of the fort. 
Fort Pamir is overlooked on the south by the latitudinal 
chain of mountains which divides the valley of the Murghab 
from the Alichur Pamirs, known as the Bazar-darah. Just 
at this point it makes a bend to the left, forcing the Murghab 
close in under the rocks, so that the river almost describes 
a semicircle, and in places sweeps along with great velocity. 
The Cossacks had rigged up a boat, by stretching oiled 
canvas over a light frame-work ; and with it they used to 
lay their nets and cross the river to the fishing-grounds 
under the opposite bank. One day Captain Saitseff and I 
tried our luck in this improvised craft. We embarked a 
good way up the river, each taking an oar ; then we let the 
boat drift with the current round the elbow, taking care to 
steer clear of some treacherous .sand-banks near the corner. 
Ill certain places, where the water was forced through deep 
narrow channels, the boat sped along at a giddy pace close 
to the cliffs. The panorama changed continually, and, 
owing to the numerous short twists and turns of the river, 
gave rise to the most curious optical illusions. Although 
the boat kept gliding onwards all the time, the horizon 
seemed to keep moving backwards and forwards, so that. 
