: gar eyes. Sixty moollahs (priests) extended in one line down one side of the court, and sixty of his highness's relations and the nobles of his court, down the other side. We (Brutus and I) were taken to the right side, and seated next the princes. When we arrived, the moollahs were loud in the discussions of some theological question, which they tore to pieces at a sad rate, without (in my eyes) a proper respect for the presence of royalty. The Koran was then brought, and a passage read, one of the moollahs attempting to expound; but he never could get through a sentence without meeting with interruption from some opponent three or four would join in on either side, and both parties were equally positive. I saw something very like jostling, and his majesty was more than once compelled to send his Vuzeer to call the parties to order. Three long hours did these theological discussions last they were carried on in Turkee, and explanatory of a book in Arabic. The sitting with the knees doubled on the bare ground was painful, and I was much rejoiced to see preparations making for the feast. At length long slips of chintz were brought in, and laid in front of the lines of visiters these were our table-cloths. On these were placed cakes of bread, which were brought in by thirty slaves, marching round in procession; `taking the time from the senior officer of the household, we tore up these cakes and eat them. The thirty slaves again entered in procession, each carrying two small china plates, which contained preserved fruits. After this another procession; the thirty slaves entered, carrying each a large bowl which contained a sort of national soup, which had such a very objectionable appearance that I did not touch it. The next procession of slaves brought in dishes of pillaw, which was not well cooked; and on their being removed, a great number of slaves entered bearing raisins and dried plums, which they deposited in front of the spot where his majesty was supposed to be still sitting; meaning by this to show, that those who received them should understand that they came direct from the hands of majesty. On some of these being handed to us, Brutus whispered me to take a large handful aud pocket them, which of course I did. A great number of loaves of sugar were now brought in, and placed in the centre of the square. About a dozen of these were split into two equal portions, but all the rest were broken into small pieces; the half is only given to men of rank, and Brutus appeared gratified at our receiving this distinction, and begged me to pocket mine. Luckily I wore an Affghan dress with large pockets, or I know not what I should have done with the spoils. After the sugar had been pocketed, all hands rose and moved towards the door, and so ended this festival. I was so cramped that I could hardly walk; and the idea of 120 human beings marching out, each with one pocket full of sugar, and the other full of raisins, was trying to one's risible faculties; but I followed the customs of the court, and carried off my spoils as grave as a judge. The Khan is a good-natured, unaffected person of about forty-five years of age; he has invariably treated me with much kindness, and appears very anxious to gain information regarding England, and Europe generally. He is much respected by his subjects, with whom he bears a high character for justice. He has a very large hawking establishment, and is very partial to this sport, for which he is in the habit of making frequent excursions on the opposite banks of the river, where game is said to be very abundant. He also moves out annually in the spring, to superintend the opening of the canals for irrigation. The whole of the cultivation is dependent on the supply of water drawn from the river by these canals, as the showers of rain are very slight. The fish in the Oxus are very abundant, of excellent quality; and lower down the river, at Rurrakulpauk, the natives subsist entirely on them. The trade is chiefly with Russia, from whence the sugar and broad cloth are sent in caravans. The teeth of the sea horse, from the polar regions, are also an article of commerce. From Mungisbauk to Khyva, a camel can carry his load in twentytwo days and from Petersburg to Mungisbauk there is one uninterrupted communication by water. Peter the Great formed the canal communication between Petersburg and the Volga, and thus won from Cowper the memorable line, «The astonished Caspian hears the distant Baltic roar.» With such advantages, it is unnecessary to say that we can hardly hope to compete with Russian merchants in the Khyvan market. Owing to the late war with Russia, no merchandise reached Khyva, except through Bokhara, from Ourenbourg; but a glance at the map will show that the proper outlet for merchandize from Eastern Russia into Northen Asia is not from Ourenbourg, but from Astrakhan, from whence sailing vessels cross in two days to Mungisbauk. So that, in twentyfour days, the Russian goods can be sent from one of their large towns directly to the capital of Toorkistaun. If the Khan of Khyva and his successors consult their own interest by giving 'protection to merchants, I think there is very little doubt of their having the whole of the Russian trade with Northern Asia carried through their city. August 3d.-I have been too busy with office matters to resume this rambling journal up to this date; in the mean time the following occurences have taken place:Brutus has returned to Heraut; the Khan Huzarut has made over to me all the Russian prisoners, and I am to take them to a Russian fort on the eastern shore of the Caspian. The announcement of this determination put the mettle of my establishment to a severe test. The sufferings of Captain Abbott and his party, among the Cuzzacks, have not been forgotten; and as I gave out that I should take ship at Nova Alexandroff, it is hardly surprising that some of the muleteers and understrappers should have begged to be excused sharing my fortunes any further. Old Brutus seemed to consider it a matter of course that I should take him; and on my first breaking to him my determination to send him back to Heraut, he was loud in his exclamations of the impossibility of returning without me. He might live a thousand years, but he never would return to Heraut unless in my company. How could he? would not his face be blackened to all eternity? Heaven be praised! neither his father nor grandfather had eaten the salt of ingratitude; and as for himself! what petition should he make? was it not evident to all people that he lived but in the favour of the gentleman, &c. &c. The old man, I h really believe, had I wished it, would have accompanied me with the best grace in his power; but his age and infirmities prevented my ever dreaming of such a thing. I moved out to Zaca, a village about nine miles N. W. of Khyva, the first five miles being through very rich cultivation, and the remainder across a spur of the sand-hills. I am pitched in a garden belonging to H. M., and am to receive charge of the prisoners to-morrow. August 4th.-Busy all day paying the unfortunate priso ners. There are as yet 325 males, eighteen females, and eleven children; the latter were all born here. The average number of years of slavery of Toorkistaun is thus-males, ten years and a half; females, nearly seventeen. One of the males has been sixty years in slavery, and some of them only six months. With one exception they were all in fine health, and appear to be strong, stout men. They are all Christians of the Greek church. The poor women are small and plain; their husbands and children are with the party. The women were all seized near Ourenbourg; the men were seized thus:256 males fishing on the eastern shores of the Caspian, thirtyeight near Ourenbourg, and thirty-one bought or seized from the Persians; the last-mentioned chiefly belonged to the regiment of Russian deserters which was in the Persian army under Samson. I gave each man a ducat, and have hired a camel for every two. They all seemed, poor people, very grateful, and altogether it was one of the pleasantest duties I have ever executed. This evening one of the Russian women came to me in great distress, saying, that her two children were still detained in Khyva. I have promised to secure their release. The other Russian prisoners have told me of several of their countrymen who are still in captivity, and the collecting them will cause much delay. The minister came out here to see me this morning, which is considered a very high honour. I took the opportunity of speaking to him regarding the two children and the other slaves still detained, and he has promised to have them sent to me. August 5th.-Started at sunrise and marched fifteen miles, nearly the whole of the road through rich cultivation. Gar dens are to be seen on every hand; small villages and detached farm-houses are very numerous. At nine miles passed a large village called Caizabad, where there is a considerable bazaar, one mile from which crossed a very fine canal about thirty-five yards in breadth. The halting-place was at one of the numerous formal gardens. Before sunset started again, and marched twenty miles during the night, chiefly along the edge of sand-hills. This was merely a slip of sand, the cultivation being on either side of it. The river is said to be only a short day's march from this, about, I suppose, twenty miles; it is said to have encroached very much of late, and on this account the estates here have been much neglected. This place is called Dusht Houz; total distance this day, thirty-five miles. Caruley Yuz Bashe, the commandant of cavalry, accompanying me, is a handsome active man, and I am well pleased with him. He is much in favour with the Khan, and has received orders never to appear again at court unless he can give a good account of me. I was repeatedly asked by the Khan, before leaving, to fix the number of troopers I would like to have with me; but this I always refused, saying, I was his guest, and would go with one or two horsemen, or with a thousand; but until I reached the Russian frontier I trusted to his majesty for protection, with whom the disgrace must rest if any misfortune happened to me, as he could alone take the necessary precautions. Caruley was one of the party sent by the Khan to oppose the Russian advance under the Khoosh Beggie. This party succeeded in surprising and carrying off 200 camels belonging to the Russian army; but as no blood had been spilt, they decided on attacking a small Russian detachment which had taken up a position behind a slight intrenchment. Their mode of attack, after mature deliberation, was to drive on the camels which they had just seized, and to advance in their rear; the result was, as might have been anticipated, that the camels being wounded and frightened by the fire opened on them from the Russian intrenchment, turned on the Turcomans, throwing the latter into hopeless confusion; taking advantage of which, the Russians succeeded in securing such of the ca |