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 Hazzard’s
Geriatric Medicine and
Gerontology
 Notice
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 Seventh Edition

Hazzard’s
Geriatric Medicine and
Gerontology
Editors
Jeffrey B. Halter, MD
Professor Emeritus of Internal Medicine
Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Parkway Visiting Professor in Geriatrics
Department of Medicine
Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
National University of Singapore
Joseph G. Ouslander, MD
Professor and Senior Associate Dean for Geriatric Programs
Chair, Department of Integrated Medical Sciences
Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine
Professor (Courtesy), Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida
Stephanie Studenski, MD, MPH
Chief, Longitudinal Studies Section
Intramural Research Program
National Institute on Aging
Baltimore, Maryland
Kevin P. High, MD, MS
Executive Vice President, Health System Affairs
Wake Forest Baptist Health
Professor of Internal Medicine–Infectious Diseases
Wake Forest School of Medicine
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Sanjay Asthana, MD, FACP
Associate Dean for Gerontology
Professor and Head, Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology
Director, NIA/NIH Wisconsin Alzheimer Disease Research Center (ADRC)
Director, Madison VAMC Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC)
Duncan G. and Lottie H. Ballantine Endowed Chair in Geriatrics
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Madison, Wisconsin
Mark A. Supiano, MD
D. Keith Barnes, MD and Dottie Barnes Presidential Endowed Chair in Medicine
Professor and Chief, Division of Geriatrics
University of Utah School of Medicine
Director, VA Salt Lake City Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center
Executive Director, University of Utah Center on Aging
Salt Lake City, Utah
Christine Ritchie, MD, MSPH
Harris Fishbon Distinguished Professor of Medicine
University of California San Francisco
Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics
The Jewish Home of San Francisco
Center for Research on Aging
San Francisco, California

Editor Emeritus and Senior Advisor

William R. Hazzard, MD
Professor of Internal Medicine
J. Paul Sticht Center on Aging and Rehabilitation
Section on Gerontology & Geriatric Medicine
Wake Forest School of Medicine
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Senior Editorial Assistant

Nancy F. Woolard
Senior Manager for Clinical Research
Wake Forest School of Medicine
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

New York Chicago San Francisco Athens London Madrid Mexico City
Milan New Delhi Singapore Sydney Toronto
Hazzard’s Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Seventh Edition

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Names: Halter, Jeffrey B., editor. | Ouslander, Joseph G., editor. |

Studenski, Stephanie, editor. | High, Kevin P., editor. | Asthana,
Sanjay (Professor of gerontology), editor. | Supiano, Mark A., editor. |
Ritchie, Christine Seel, editor.
Title: Hazzard’s geriatric medicine and gerontology / editors, Jeffrey B. Halter,
Joseph G. Ouslander, Stephanie Studenski, Kevin P. High, Sanjay Asthana,
Mark A. Supiano, Christine Ritchie; editor emeritus and senior advisor,
William R. Hazzard ; senior editorial assistant, Nancy F. Woolard.
Other titles: Geriatric medicine and gerontology
Description: Seventh edition. | New York : McGraw-Hill Education Medical, [2017] |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016013521 (print) | LCCN 2016014860 (ebook) |
ISBN 9780071833455 (hardcover : alk. paper) | ISBN 0071833455 (hardcover : alk. paper) |
ISBN 9780071833462 (ebook) | ISBN 0071833463 (ebook)
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 Contents

Contributors
Foreword
Preface

Part I
Principles of Gerontology
1 Biology of Aging and Longevity
David B. Lombard, Richard A. Miller, Scott D. Pletcher
2 Genetics of Age-Dependent Human Disease
Lital Sharvit, Danielle Gutman, Huda Adwan, Rotem Vered, Gil Atzmon
3 Immunology of Aging
Albert C. Shaw, Thilinie Bandaranayake
4 Chronic Inflammation
Jeremy D. Walston
5 Demography and Epidemiology
Bonnielin Swenor, Jack M. Guralnik, Luigi Ferrucci
6 International Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine
Leonard C. Gray, Graziano Onder, Maysa S. Cendoroglo, AB Dey, Ana Beatriz G. Di Tommaso, Brant E. Fries, Rowan H.
Harwood, Jean Claude Henrard, John Hirdes, Naoki Ikegami, Palmi V. Jonsson, Bruce Leff, John N. Morris, Xiaomei Pei,
Naganath Narasimhan Prem, Roberto Bernabei
7 Psychosocial Aspects of Aging
Steven M. Albert, Daphna Gans
8 Sex Differences in Health and Longevity
Steven N. Austad

Part II
Principles of Geriatrics

SECTION A: Assessment
9 Evaluation, Management, and Decision Making
Daniel D. Matlock, Carmen L. Lewis
10 Principles of Geriatric Assessment
David B. Reuben, Sonja Rosen, Heather B. Schickedanz
11 Mental Status and Neurologic Examination
James E. Galvin
12 Assessment of Decisional Capacity and Competencies
Margaret A. Drickamer
13 Prevention and Screening
Sei J. Lee, Louise C. Walter

SECTION B: Organization of Care

14 Geriatrics Models of Care
Jonny Macias Tejada, Robert M. Palmer, Michael Malone
15 Transitions in Care
Andrea Gilmore-Bykovskyi, Korey Kennelty, Amy J. H. Kind
16 Acute Hospital Care
David H. Wesorick, Scott A. Flanders, Karen E. Hall, Caroline S. Blaum
17 Emergency Department Care
Scott T. Wilber, Lowell W. Gerson, Colleen Marie McQuown
18 Critical Care
Nathan E. Brummel, Timothy D. Girard
19 Subacute Care
Edward R. Marcantonio, Mark Yurkofsky
20 Nursing Home Care
Joseph G. Ouslander, Jill Shutes
21 Community-Based Long-Term Services and Support and Home Care
Jennifer Hayashi, Jessica Colburn, Bruce Leff
22 Rural Aging
Gail Bellamy, Anthony Speights, Kenneth Brummel-Smith
23 Quality of Care
Paul G. Shekelle, Catherine H. MacLean, Joseph G. Ouslander

SECTION C: Special Management Issues

24 General Principles of Pharmacology and Appropriate Prescribing
Paula A. Rochon, Sudeep S. Gill, Jerry H. Gurwitz
25 Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Seema Joshi, Joseph H. Flaherty
26 Team Care
Alice Bonner, Ellen Flaherty, Kathryn Hyer, Bradley Karlin, Terry Fulmer
27 Social Work
Ruth E. Dunkle, Angela K. Perone, Mary Kate Dennis
28 Self-Management of Health Behavior
Madelaine Gierc, Lawrence Brawley, W. Jack Rejeski
29 Rehabilitation
Cynthia J. Brown, Diane Clark
30 Legal Issues
Marshall B. Kapp

SECTION D: Surgical Management

31 Perioperative Evaluation and Management
Satyen S. Nichani, Paul J. Grant, Preeti N. Malani
32 Anesthesia
Jeffrey H. Silverstein, Stacie Deiner
33 Surgical Outcomes
Jennifer Kaplan, Emily Finlayson

SECTION E : Nutrition
34 Nutrition and Obesity
Dennis H. Sullivan, Larry E. Johnson
35 Malnutrition and Enteral/Parenteral Alimentation
Jeffrey I. Wallace
36 Disorders of Swallowing
Nicole Rogus-Pulia, Steven Barczi, JoAnne Robbins
37 Oral Health
Joseph M. Calabrese, Judith A. Jones

SECTION F : Sensory Function

38 Low Vision: Assessment and Rehabilitation
Gale R. Watson
39 The Auditory System
Su-Hua Sha, Andra E. Talaska, Jochen Schacht

SECTION G : Gender and Sexuality

40 Menopause and Midlife Health Changes
Carrie Karvonen-Gutierrez, Sioban D. Harlow
41 Sexuality, Sexual Function, and the Aging Woman
Stacy Tessler Lindau, Kaitlyn Fruin
42 Gynecologic Disorders
Karen L. Miller, Tomas L. Griebling
43 Sexuality, Sexual Function, and Androgen Replacement Therapy in the Aging Male
J. Lisa Tenover
44 Benign Prostate Disorders
Catherine E. DuBeau

Part III
Geriatric Syndromes
45 Aging and Homeostatic Regulation
George A. Kuchel
46 Frailty
Luigi Ferrucci, Elisa Fabbri, Jeremy D. Walston
47 Delirium
 Sharon K. Inouye, Matthew Growdon, Tamara Fong
48 Falls
Stephen R. Lord
49 Sleep Disorders
Armand Ryden, Cathy Alessi
50 Dizziness
Aman Nanda, Richard W. Besdine
51 Syncope
R. A. Kenny, Conal Cunningham
52 Pressure Ulcers
Barbara M. Bates-Jensen, Anabel Patlan
53 Incontinence
Camille P. Vaughan, Theodore M. Johnson, II
54 Elder Mistreatment
Mark S. Lachs, Tony Rosen

Part IV
Principles of Palliative Medicine and Ethics
55 Palliative Care and Special Management Issues
Paul Tatum, Shaida Talebreza, Jeanette S. Ross, Eric Widera
56 Pain Management
Bruce A. Ferrell
57 Common Nonpain Symptoms
Christine Ritchie, Alexander K. Smith, Christine Miaskowski
58 Effective Communication Strategies for Patients With Advanced Illness
Brook Calton, Wendy Anderson
59 Palliative Medicine Across the Continuum of Care Including Hospice
Nelia Jain, Alexander K. Smith
60 Spiritual Care
Najmeh Jafari, Katalin Roth, Christina Puchalski
61 Ethics
Elizabeth Vig, Christina Bell, Caroline Vitale

Part V
Organ Systems and Diseases

SECTION A: Neurology and Psychiatry

62 Cellular and Neurochemical Aspects of the Aging Brain
Luigi Puglielli, Mark P. Mattson
63 Cognitive Changes Associated With Normal and Pathologic Aging
Brenna Cholerton, Mark Reger, Suzanne Craft
64 Psychoactive Drug Therapy
Bruce G. Pollock, Philip Gerretsen, Thushanthi Balakumar, Todd P. Semla
65 Cerebrovascular Disease
Erica Camargo, Ming-Chieh Ding, Eli Zimmerman, Scott Silverman
66 Dementia Including Alzheimer Disease
Cynthia M. Carlsson, Carey E. Gleason, Luigi Puglielli, Sanjay Asthana
67 Parkinson Disease and Related Disorders
Vikas Kotagal, Nicolaas I. Bohnen
68 Other Neurodegenerative Disorders
Victor Valcour, Bruce Miller
69 Traumatic Brain Injury
Sterling C. Johnson, Christopher R. Nicholas
70 Epilepsy
Daniel Winkel, Ioannis Karakis
71 Evidence-Based Treatment and Prevention of Major Depressive Episodes in Later Life
Charles F. Reynolds, III
72 Schizophrenia
Danielle L. Anderson, Peter V. Rabins
73 General Topics in Geriatric Psychiatry
Daniel D. Sewell, Steve Koh, Jeanne Maglione, Ryan Greytak, Laura Marrone, Dilip V. Jeste
74 Management of Agitation in Dementia
Eitan Z. Kimchi, Constantine G. Lyketsos

SECTION B: Cardiovascular System

75 Effects of Aging on Cardiovascular Structure and Function
Dalane W. Kitzman, Bharathi Upadhya, Mark Haykowsky, George E. Taffet
76 Vascular Aging and Atherosclerosis
George A. Heckman, Daniel E. Forman, Susan Cheng
77 Coronary Heart Disease
Karen P. Alexander, Eric D. Peterson
78 Valvular Heart Disease
Alexandros N. Karavas, Niloo M. Edwards
79 Heart Failure
Michael W. Rich
80 Cardiac Arrhythmias
Fernando Tondato, Win-Kuang Shen
81 Peripheral Vascular Disease
Jason Johanning
82 Hypertension
Mark A. Supiano
SECTION C: Pulmonary

83 Aging of the Respiratory System

Swaroop Shanker, Mauricio Rojas, Chandler Caufield
84 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Carlos A. Vaz Fragoso, Kathleen M. Akgün, Sean M. Jeffery,Jennifer M. Kapo, Jennifer D. Possick, Carolyn L. Rochester,Patty
J. Lee
85 Diffuse Parenchymal Lung Disease
Mary Beth Scholand, Robert Paine

SECTION D: Nephrology
86 Aging of the Kidney
Jocelyn Wiggins, Sanjeevkumar R. Patel
87 Renal Disease
Markus Bitzer
88 End-Stage Renal Disease
Mark L. Unruh, Pooja Singh
89 Disorders of Fluid and Electrolyte Balance
Eleanor Lederer, Vibha Nayak

SECTION E : Gastroenterology
90 Aging of the Gastrointestinal System
Karen E. Hall
91 Hepatic Disease
Sean G. Kelly, Courtney Barancin, Michael R. Lucey
92 Biliary and Pancreatic Disease
Sean G. Kelly, Justin C. Rice, Mark Benson, Michael R. Lucey
93 Upper Gastrointestinal Disorders
Alberto Pilotto, Marilisa Franceschi
94 Common Large Intestinal Disorders
David A. Greenwald
95 Constipation
Andres Acosta, Eric G. Tangalos, Danielle Harari

SECTION F : Oncology
96 Oncology and Aging: General Principles
Arati V. Rao, Harvey Jay Cohen
97 Breast Disease
Rachel A. Freedman, Hyman B. Muss
98 Prostate Cancer
Mark C. Markowski, Kenneth J. Pienta
99 Lung Cancer
Carolyn Presley, Ronald Maggiore, Ajeet Gajra
100 Gastrointestinal Malignancies
Ryan Nipp, Nadine J. McCleary
101 Intracranial Neoplasms
Clayton L. Haldeman, Robert J. Dempsey
102 Skin Cancer
Kelly L. Harms, Amy Orsini, Timothy M. Johnson,Alison B. Durham

SECTION G : Hematology
103 Aging of the Hematopoietic System
William Tse, Maxwell M. Krem, Jino Park,Nathan A. Berger, Scot C. Remick
104 White Cell Disorders
Heidi D. Klepin, Bayard L. Powell
105 Non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin Lymphomas
Paul A. Hamlin, Colette Owens
106 Coagulation Disorders
Stacy A. Johnson, Matthew T. Rondina
107 Plasma Cell Disorders
Tanya M. Wildes

SECTION H: Endocrinology and Metabolism

108 Aging of the Endocrine System and Selected Endocrine Disorders
David A. Gruenewald, Alvin M. Matsumoto
109 Thyroid Diseases
Anne R. Cappola
110 Diabetes Mellitus
Pearl G. Lee, Jeffrey B. Halter
111 Dyslipoproteinemia
Leslie I. Katzel, Jacob B. Blumenthal, Andrew P. Goldberg
112 Hyperparathyroidism and Paget Disease of Bone
Christine M. Swanson, Kenneth W. Lyles, Eric S. Orwoll

SECTION I : Mobility and Rheumatology

113 Aging of the Muscles and Joints
Todd M. Manini, David M. Gundermann, Brian C. Clark
114 Biomechanics of Mobility
James A. Ashton-Miller, Neil B. Alexander
115 Exercise: Physiologic and Functional Effects
Kerry L. Hildreth, Edward L. Melanson, Kerrie L. Moreau
116 Mobility
Jennifer Brach, Caterina Rosano, Stephanie Studenski
117 Osteoarthritis
Ernest R. Vina, C. Kent Kwoh
118 Osteoporosis
Gustavo Duque, Oddom Demontiero, Bruce R. Troen
119 Hip Fractures
Ellen F. Binder, Denise Orwig, Ram R. Miller, Jay Magaziner
120 Myopathies, Polymyalgia Rheumatica, and Giant Cell Arteritis
Kenneth S. O’Rourke
121 Rheumatoid Arthritis and Other Autoimmune Diseases
Raymond Yung
122 Back Pain and Spinal Stenosis
Una E. Makris, M. Carrington Reid
123 Foot Problems
Arthur E. Helfand, Jeffrey M. Robbins
124 Fibromyalgia and Myofascial Pain Syndromes
Cheryl D. Bernstein, Jacqueline V. Aredo, Jay P. Shah, Debra K. Weiner

SECTION J: Infectious Diseases

125 Infection: General Principles
Kevin P. High
126 Pneumonia
Juan González del Castillo, Francisco Javier Martín Sánchez
127 Urinary Tract Infections
Theresa Rowe, Manisha Juthani-Mehta
128 Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection
Amy C. Justice
129 Herpes Zoster
Kenneth E. Schmader
130 Influenza and Respiratory Syncytial Virus
H. Keipp Talbot

Index
Exploring the Variety of Random
Documents with Different Content
underwood as on the northern bank of the Oxus. They, however, occurred in the
same succession and formation as have been there described: they were quite
soft, but the sand was not dusty, and the camels slid down them with their
burthens. Here and there we came upon a sheet of indurated clay, as if the sand-
hills here also rested on a base of that kind. In these hollows, and on the brow of
the hills, we found a shrub like tamarisk, called “kasura,” also a kind of grass, or
bent, called “salun.” There were likewise two thorny shrubs, called “kuzzak” and
“karaghan”[1], neither of them the common camel thorn, but on which the camels
delighted to browse. There was no water throughout the whole march, and no
signs of inhabitants but a ruined fort, that had once served as a look-out from the
Oxus. The Indian deserts of Jaysulmeer and Parkur sank into insignificance before
this vast ocean of sand. No sight is more imposing than a desert; and the eye
rests with a deep interest on the long line of camels, as it winds its crooked course
through the frightful waste. The simile of a ship in the ocean and a camel in the
desert may be hackneyed, but it is just. The objects animate impart a strong
interest to inanimate nature.
In the middle of our march through the desert, we met seven unfortunate
Persians, who had been captured by the Toorkmuns, and were now on their road
to Bokhara, where they would be sold. Five of them were chained together, and
trod their way through the deep sand. There was a general shout of compassion,
as the caravan passed these miserable beings; and the sympathy did not fail to
affect the poor creatures themselves. They cried, and gave a longing look, as the
last camel of the caravan passed to their dear native country. The camel on which
I rode happened to be in the rear, and I stayed to hear their tale of woe. They had
been seized by the Toorkmuns at Ghaeen, near Meshid, a few weeks before, when
the culture of their fields had led them beyond the threshold of their homes. They
were weary and thirsty, and I gave them all I could,—a single melon; a civility,
little as it was, which was received with gratitude. What a frightful notion must not
these unfortunate beings have entertained of the country they were entering, after
their travels in such a desert. The Toorkmuns evince but little compassion for their
Persian slaves; and what other treatment is to be expected from men who pass
their lives in selling human beings. They give them but a scanty supply of food and
water, that they may waste their strength, and prevent their escape; but beyond
this the Toorkmun inflicts no other ills. The tales which have been circulated of
their cutting the sinew of the heel, and of their passing a cord round the collar
bone, are at variance with truth, since these blemishes would diminish the value of
the slave. These unfortunate captives suffer a much heavier calamity,—they lose
their liberty.
As we reached our halting-ground in the morning, we had now an opportunity of
observing the number and composition of the caravan. There were upwards of
eighty camels, and about 150 persons, several of them men of the first
respectability, who accompanied their merchandise to the markets of Persia. Some
travelled in panniers placed on camels; others rode, some on horses, many on
donkeys; but every person, even the meanest, had some kind of conveyance. The
horsemen preceded the camels; and, stretching themselves out on the sand with
their bridles in their grasp, stole a few moments’ sleep, till the caravan overtook
them. The scene was altogether curious and novel. Among the party there were
eight or ten Persians, who had passed many years of slavery in Toorkistan, and,
after purchasing their liberty, were now returning by stealth to their homes. These
people were delighted with our enquiries; and, in the journey, many of them
became attached to us. They would bring melons for us; kill a sheep; draw water;
and were always at hand. Some of them had been no less than three times
captured, and as often had they redeemed themselves; for the Uzbeks are readily
imposed upon and cheated by their slaves, who make money in service. I
conversed with several of them; and it was equally painful to hear their past
sufferings and present anxiety. Their influential countrymen in the caravan had put
several of them in charge of a portion of their merchandise, that they might be the
less noticed, and considered rather as traders than emancipated slaves; for a
Persian merchant in a caravan is generally safe. In spite of all this arrangement,
some hard-hearted wretches had told tales on the banks of the Oxus: one
individual had been forced to return to Bokhara; and some of the others had
crossed with difficulty. One single hint to the people of Orgunje would, in all
probability, yet arrest their further progress; but every one had been well tutored.
What must be the feelings of some of these men as they approach Persia. One of
them told me that he had had a wife and a numerous family when sold into
captivity, twenty-two years before; of whom he had not heard any account since
that period. If any of them are alive, the parent will show himself among them as
an apparition from the tomb. Another of these unfortunate individuals had a tale
which was not less touching. He had been seized along with his family, and,
indeed, all the inhabitants of his village, near Toorshish; and delivered up, by one
of the Khorasan chiefs, to the Toorkmuns, who drove, on this occasion, upwards of
a hundred people to Bokhara. At Maimunu, which is on the road, they were
disposed of to other Toorkmuns, and at Bokhara finally sold. There this
unfortunate man saw his wife sold to one, his daughter and son to others, and
himself to a different person. A humane man, hearing of his misfortunes, released
him, since he believed it good in the sight of God; and the poor fellow lurked in
Bokhara, like a bird near its nest that is robbed, in hopes of relieving the other
members of his family. He had failed, and was now travelling into his own country,
to excite the compassion and pity of those who had known him in his prosperity. It
would harrow up a man’s heart, to listen to all the tales of the woe which is
inflicted upon mankind by these plundering Toorkmuns.
In marching from Karoul, we quitted the high road of the caravans, which leads to
Merve, and proceeded westward into the desert, by a way that is altogether
unfrequented. We had no option in the selection of such a route, since the officer
who commands the Orgunje army sent a messenger to direct our march upon his
camp. We were thus thrown into the jaws of the lion, but were helpless; and the
merchants appeared to regret it more than ourselves. After the usual halt, we
reached the well of Balghooee twenty-four miles distant, on the morning of the
23d. It was a small and single well, about four feet in diameter, as deep as that at
Karoul; and the Toorkmuns only discovered it after a zigzag search of some hours.
We soon emptied it (for the water was good), and had to wait a night till it again
filled.
In this march the desert was overgrown with brushwood, but the tract was entirely
destitute of water; and a few rats, lizards, and beetles, with here and there a
solitary bird, were its only inhabitants. Some of the sand-hills now attained the
height of sixty feet: but at that elevation they are invariably bare of all vegetation;
which, I suppose, cannot thrive in such an exposed situation. The highest hills
were about a distance of eight miles from the halting-place, and named “sheer i
shootr,” or “the camel’s milk,” from some allusion to that useful animal. There was
nothing peculiar in the colour of the sand, which was quartzose. There was no
turf, grass, or creeping plants; every shrub grew separately; and the grass, which I
before mentioned, was only to be found in clumps. The heat of the sand rose to
150°: and that of the atmosphere exceeded 100°, but the wind blew steadily; nor
do I believe it would be possible to traverse this tract in summer, if it ceased to
blow: the steady manner in which it comes from one direction is remarkable in this
inland country. It is true, that in every direction except the north we have
mountains, but they are too distant to impede the winds. Our caravan advanced at
a firm and equal pace among the sand; nor can I discover that the progress of a
camel is much impeded in the desert. They moved at the rate of two miles and
one eighth in the hour (3740 yards); and I have since found, that the judicious
Volney assigns the distance of 3600 yards as the hourly journey of a camel in the
sands of Egypt and Syria.
We had before heard of the deserts south of the Oxus; and had now the means of
forming a judgment from personal observation. We saw the skeletons of camels
and horses now bleaching in the sun, which had perished from thirst. The nature
of the roads or pathways admits of their easy obliteration; and, if the beaten track
be once forsaken, the traveller and his jaded animal generally perish. A
circumstance of this very nature occurred but a few days previous to our leaving
Charjooee. A party of three persons travelling from the Orgunje camp lost the
road, and their supply of water failed them. Two of their horses sank under the
parching thirst; and the unfortunate men opened the vein of their surviving camel,
sucked its blood, and reached Charjooee from the nourishment which they thus
derived. The camel died. These are facts of frequent occurrence. The Khan of
Orgunje, in his late march into the desert, lost upwards of two thousand camels,
that had been loaded with water and provisions for his men. He dug his wells as
he advanced; but the supply of water was scanty. Camels are very patient under
thirst: it is a vulgar error, however, to believe that they can live any length of time
without water. They generally pine, and die on the fourth day, and, under great
heat, will even sink sooner.
After a day’s detention to rest the camels, we marched at sunrise, and continued
our progress, with a short halt, till the same time next day. We journied thirty-five
miles, and alighted at a fetid well called Seerab; and from well to well we had no
water. We appeared to have lost the great sand hills in our advance westward. The
desert, though it had the same features as before, now presented an undulating
and uneven country of sand, partially covered with shrubs. The soil was salt in
some places; but the water of the well was good enough after it was some time
drawn. Our Toorkmun Sirdar made his appearance shortly after our arrival, to
claim his cup of tea; and never was a schoolboy more fond of sugar than this
hoary-headed Toorkmun. I used to give it to him to have the pleasure of seeing
him grind it, though some of the merchants wondered at our wasting it on such a
person. I always felt the happier in the company of this man, for I looked upon
him as the only bond between us and the barbarians we were to encounter. He
used also to tell us the news of the caravan, and all the particulars of the country,
which he even knew that we noted down. Ernuzzer did not deceive us, and the tea
and the sugar which he consumed, were but a small tax for his service. In return
for these favours, he promised to give me a bonne bouche, when we reached the
first camp of the Toorkmuns; and when I expected nothing else than “kimmiz” or
“boozu,” mare’s milk or fermented liquor, he brought me camel’s milk, which is the
only drink of the Toorkmuns. The milk is mixed with water, and the cream is then
drawn off. It is called “chal,” and has a salt, bitter taste. The thinner part of the
milk is considered a grateful draught by the people, but to me it tasted sour and
acrid. I believed that the Uzbeks and Toorkmuns drank mare’s milk and fermented
liquors; but these are unknown in Bokhara, and only peculiar to the Kuzzaks and
Kirgizzes, between that city and Russia.
A caravan is a complete republic; but I do not believe that most republics are so
orderly. Of our eighty camels every three or four belonged to different individuals;
and there were four Cafila-bashees. Still there was no disputing about the
arrangement or order of the march; and it is a point of honour, that the one shall
at all times wait for the other. If a single camel throws its load, the whole line halts
till it is replaced; and one feels pleased at such universal sympathy. These feelings
make it agreeable to travel in a caravan, for the detentions are much fewer than
would really be imagined. The more I mingled with Asiatics in their own sphere,
and judged them by their own standard, I imbibed more favourable impressions
regarding them. One does not see in civilised Europe that generous feeling, which
induces the natives of Asia, great and small, to share with each other every
mouthful that they possess. Among Mahommedans we have no distinction of
gentleman and villain,—at least, so far as hospitality is concerned. The khan fares
as simply as the peasant; and never offers to raise a morsel to his lips till he has
shared it with those near him. I myself frequently have been partaker of this
bounty from rich and poor, for nothing is enjoyed without society. How different is
the feeling that besets the sots of lower society in Britain! Nor is this good
fellowship among the Asiatics confined to the travelled merchant: it is to be found
in the towns as well as the country. It is a pity that civilisation, with all its
advantages, does not retain for us these virtues. Barbarians are hospitable,
civilised men are polite; but hospitality added to politeness makes it more
acceptable. A caravan is an interesting scene at all times; and the shifts of the
pious to prevent its detention in the Toorkmun desert were not unworthy of notice.
The line was too extended to sound a general halt for prayers; and at the
appointed time, each individual was to be seen on the back of his camel or in his
pannier, performing his orisons before the Deity, in the best manner which he
could accomplish them. The laws of the Prophet admit of a true believer being
cleansed by sand, where there is no water; and the back of a horse or a camel is
as legitimate a position for prayer, as the most splendid mosque of a city. The busy
scene on our reaching the halting-ground in the evening, was both lively and
entertaining. The Uzbeks, like ourselves, do not water their horses when they are
warm: in this journey, we had no sooner arrived than we again took our
departure, the horses were therefore permitted to quench their thirst; and to
prevent any evil effects from the water, the animal was immediately mounted and
galloped at speed over hill and dale, for miles. This brought the water, as the
Uzbeks would tell you, to the heated temperature of the animal’s body. The easy
carriage of some of the cavaliers, and the light saddles which they rode,—some of
them little larger than racing saddles,—imparted an interest to these scampering
freaks which was most exciting.
Our next march brought us at midnight to Oochghooee, or the Three Wells, which
we had great difficulty in finding. We wandered to the right and to the left, and
the Toorkmuns dismounted in the dark, and felt for the pathway with their hands
among the sand. We had almost despaired of recovering it, and were preparing for
our bivouac, when the bark of a dog, and a distant answer to our repeated calls
dispelled our anxiety, and we were soon encamped at the well. We here found a
few wandering Toorkmuns, the first we had seen since leaving the Oxus. The well
was bitter; but these shepherds seem indifferent to the quality of the water. The
country continued to change still further as we advanced, becoming more flat and
free from sand, but still running in alternate ridges and hollows. In these we
discovered some small red sharp-edged pebbles, not unlike iron pyrites; nor did
the wells which were dug in them, yet exceed the depth of thirty feet: in the
Indian desert they are 300. The Toorkmuns rallied round us next morning, and we
had the freest intercourse with them; for they were quite ignorant of our
character, and the presence of one of their own tribe, our Toorkmun Ernuzzer,
proved a sufficient attraction to these “children of the desert.” They spoke of the
piercing cold of the winters in this country; and assured us that the snow
sometimes lay a foot deep. We ourselves had experienced a depression of ten
degrees in the temperature since leaving the Oxus.
We were now informed that we were approaching the camp of the Khan of
Orgunje, which, it appears, was on the banks of the Moorghab, or Merve river,
considerably below the place of that name, and about thirty miles distant from us.
We set out at noon, and by the time the sun had set, found ourselves among the
ruins of forts and villages, now deserted, which rose in castellated groups over an
extensive plain. I have observed that we had been gradually emerging from the
sand-hills; and these marks of human industry, which we had now approached,
were the ancient remnants of civilisation of the famous kingdom of Merve, or, as
our historians have erroneously called it, Meroo. Before we had approached them,
we had not wanted signs of our being delivered from the ocean of sand, since
several flocks of birds had passed over us. As the mariner is assured by such
indications that he nears land, we had the satisfaction of knowing that we were
approaching the water, after a journey of 150 miles through a sterile waste, where
we had suffered considerable inconvenience from the want of it. We were not yet
within the pale of habitations; but after a cool and pleasant march, over a
perfectly flat and hard plain, every where interspersed with forts and ruins, we
found ourselves, about nine in the following morning, at a large Toorkmun camp,
(or, as it is called, an Oba,) near the banks of the Moorghab. The name of the
place was Khwaju Abdoolla, and the whole colony sallied forth to meet the
caravan. We took up a position on a hillock about two or three hundred yards
distant; and the merchants instructed us to huddle together among themselves,
and appear lowly and humble. We did so, and the Toorkmuns of the encampment
soon crowded around us, begging for tobacco, for which they brought loads of the
most luscious melons, that we cut up, and enjoyed in the company of camel
drivers and slaves, braving the sun, though I cannot say to the detriment of our
already sun-burned complexions. It now was discovered that the Orgunje camp lay
on the other side of the river, which was not fordable but in certain places; and the
merchants decided that they themselves, with all the Cafila-bashees, should
forthwith proceed in person to the spot, and use their utmost to conciliate the
officer in charge, for the Khan had returned within these few days to Khiva. Their
great object seemed to be to effect a discharge of the duties in the spot where
they were now encamped, since no one relished trusting their property within
reach of an Orgunje detachment. If the party prayed for success, I can add that
we were equally fervent, and the deputation set out accordingly with the good
wishes of every one. We were left among the “oi polloi” of the caravan; and when
night came, stretched our felts under a clear and cloudless sky, and slept without
fear or anxiety from our man-selling neighbours. This state of security among such
people and countries is very remarkable; but a Toorkmun, though he can engage
in a foray, and execute it with unexampled address, cannot commit a theft in a
quiet way, which is not congenial to his nature.
I have now a little leisure to speak of the desert which we had traversed on our
route to the Moorghab. In a military point of view, the scarcity of water is a great
obstacle. In some places the wells were thirty-six miles apart; and, generally, the
water was both bitter and scanty. The water which we had transported with us
from the Oxus was not less nauseous than that of the desert; for it must be
carried in skins, and these must be oiled to preserve them from bursting. The
grease mixes with the water, which latterly became so tainted that the horses even
refused to drink it. There is nothing of which we feel the want so much as good
water. In the march, several people of the caravan, particularly the camel-drivers,
were attacked with inflammation of the eyes; I suppose, from the sand, glare, and
dust. With such an enumeration of petty vexations and physical obstacles, it is
dubious if an army could cross it at this point. The heavy sandy pathways, for
there are no roads, might certainly be rendered passable to guns, by placing
brushwood on the sand; but there is a great scarcity of grass for cattle, and the
few horses which accompanied the caravan, were jaded and worn out before they
reached the river. A horse which travels with a camel, has great injustice done to
him; but an army could not outstrip the motions of a caravan, and fatigues would
still fall heavily upon them. History tells us, that many armies have fought in and
crossed this desert; but they consisted of hordes of light cavalry, that could move
with rapidity. It is to be remembered, that we had not a foot-passenger in our
party. Light horse might pass such a desert, by divisions, and separate routes; for
besides the high road to Merve, there is a road both to the east and the west. It
would, at all times, be a difficult task for a great body of men to pass from the
Moorghab to the Oxus, since our caravan, of eighty camels, emptied the wells; and
it would be easy to hide, or even fill up these scanty reservoirs. Where water lies
within thirty feet of the surface, an energetic commander may remedy his wants,
since we have an instance of it in the advance of the Orgunje Khan to the banks of
the Moorghab. But after I have written, and, perhaps, diffusely, on the passage of
such a desert, I may ask myself, who seeks to cross it, and in the line of what
invader it lies? It is not in the route between India and Europe; and if the
descendants of the Scythians and Parthians wish to invade and tyrannize over
each other, they may do so without, perhaps, exciting even the notice of the
“fierce Britons.”
The Toorkmun camp, or “oba,” at which we halted, presented to us a scene of
great novelty. It consisted of about 150 conical moveable huts, called “khirgahs,”
which were perched on a rising ground. There was no order in the distribution,
and they stood like so many gigantic beehives, which, if they had not had black
roofs, might not be a bad comparison; and we might also take the children as the
bees, for they were very numerous. I wondered at the collection of so many rising
plunderers. Seeing the Toorkmuns in a body, it may be certainly distinguished, that
they have something Tatar in their appearance; their eyes are small, and the
eyelids appear swollen. They are a handsome race of people. All of them were
dressed in the “tilpak,” a square or conical black cap of sheep-skin, about a foot
high, which is far more becoming than a turban, and gives to a party of
Toorkmuns the appearance of a soldierlike and disciplined body. The Toorkmuns
are remarkably fond of bright-coloured clothes, and choose the lightest shades of
red, green, and yellow, as the patterns of their flowing “chupkuns,” or pelisses.
They sauntered about their encampment in a great state of listlessness; and what
have they to do but to live on the proceeds of their last foray? They have but few
fields, and one or two individuals may tend their countless flocks at pasture. Their
dogs, indeed, perform this office for them. These animals are very docile, but
ferocious to a stranger: they are shaggy, appearing to be of the mastiff breed, and
bear a high price even among these people. The martial habits of the Toorkmuns
appeared in my eyes the more striking, as they had cleared the circle of their
encampment of brushwood for about a mile round. It had, I believe, been cut for
firewood; but the resemblance to an esplanade, or a parade ground, was none the
less on that account. In my notice of the Toorkmuns, I must not now forget the
ladies, whose head-dress would do honour to the galaxy of an English ball-room.
It consists of a lofty white turban, shaped like a military chako, but higher, over
which a red or white scarf is thrown, that falls down to the waist. Some of these
Toorkmun females were fair and handsome, adorning themselves with a variety of
ornaments, that were attached to their hair, which hangs in tresses over their
shoulders. Their head-dress is, perhaps, a little large, but they themselves are
generally on a large scale, and as they never veil it becomes them. The other part
of their costume is a long gown that reaches to the ancle, and hides both it and
the waist, the very standard points of beauty in our country; but so it is, that
nations remote from each other differ not more in language and laws than in taste
and manners.
The party which had proceeded to the Orgunje camp, returned next morning with
the deputy of the Yooz-bashee, or the Commander of an Hundred, and his very
appearance made the hearts of the merchants thrill with fear. No taxes had been
collected before this, and every thing was uncertain. The deputy was an elderly
man, with a large “tilpak” stuck on his head, like a regimental cap. He was
accompanied by a party of desert Toorkmuns, among whom was a chief, or
“aksukal,” (literally, a white beard,) of the great tribe of Saruk. The merchants
seated the deputation in the place of honour, addressed the deputy as he had
been the Yooz-bashee himself, refreshed him with tea and tobacco (for they now
smoked in public), and presented him with silks, cloths, raisins, and sugar, and
then proceeded to display their merchandize. Every person made an offering, and
we sent two handfuls of raisins and a bit of sugar as our homage. We sat at a
short distance in our panniers, and witnessed the whole scene. The Yooz-bashee,
as I also must call him, now spoke out to all the members of the caravan, and in
the most candid language, said, that he had been directed to levy the lawful tax of
one in forty, but that he would dispense with opening the bales. Truth, said he,
had better be told; for, if I have reason to doubt any of you, I will then examine
them, and you will experience the wrath of the Khan of Orgunje, my lord and
master. This speech was listened to with terror; some, I believe, actually said that
they had more goods than they really possessed; and, as far as I could judge, no
one deviated from the truth. Pen and ink were called for, and the congress
proceeded to make a list of the merchandize, which was no easy matter.
While the merchants were disputing about tillas, and flattering the Yooz-bashee,
we had taken up a quiet position, and even pretended to be wrapped in sleep. I
never was more awake in my life, and was near enough to hear and see every
thing. There were several questions put regarding us, and the principal merchants
spoke with earnestness and kindness. We had never instructed them, but they
now chose to denominate us Hindoos from Cabool, who were proceeding on a
pilgrimage to the flames of Bakoo, on the Caspian. We had been successively
Englishmen, Afghans, Uzbeks, Armenians, and Jews, and they now denominated
us Hindoos. These people are very simple; nor do they ever interrogate closely.
Shortly after the subject of our character and objects had been discussed, the
Toorkmun Aksukal rose from the party, and most unwelcomely seated himself by
us. “Aksukal,” as I have said, means white beard, though this personage had a
black enough plumage to his chin: he wore a splendid scarlet pelisse, and never
did our national uniform appear to me more formidable than on his person; for he
might have proved himself “a very Tartar” under his British colours. He spoke a
little Persian, and said, “You are from Cabool?” to which I gave a nod of assent.
The Doctor stretched himself back in his panier, and our visitor addressed himself
to an Afghan, one of our people, of which I was glad, since it would keep up the
illusion. It is said that the natives of Orgunje are, of all the tribes in Toorkistan,
most hostile to Europeans, as well from their vicinity to Russia, as their knowledge
that the Persians, who threaten their country, are assisted by them. They of
course know nothing of the different nations of Europe, and look upon all
Europeans as their enemies. I was not sorry when the Toorkmun chief selected
another group, and that this patriarchal “white beard” had made no discovery,
even after seeing us, and entering into conversation. The whole scene appeared to
me a perfect riddle, for we ourselves had mixed with the Toorkmuns of our party
as Europeans; and our real character was known to every individual of the
caravan. Fear may have prevented some of them from making a full disclosure,
but it was very creditable; since I have reason to believe that the people of the
Orgunje Khan would not have willingly extended their favour towards us. We,
however, had one instance of bad feeling, in a quarter where we least of all looked
for it, at the hands of our Cafila-bashee. He required money to pay the just taxes
on goods, which he had at the outset hoped to smuggle, and though all
settlement had been made between us, and he had nearly received the full hire of
his camels, he sent in the middle of the confusion to say, that the caravan would
be detained on our account, if we did not lend him some tillas. What a moment,
and what a trial for the temper. It was useless to complain of ungenerous
treatment, and it would have been worse to show that we felt it. I considered a
couple of tillas enough to give the wretch, though we had provided ourselves with
some three hundred of them, which I knew might befriend us, where men are sold
and bought like sheep. Evening advanced, and our transactions with the Orgunje
Yooz-bashee drew to a close. The commander of a hundred carried off two
hundred golden tillas, and all the merchants accompanied him to his horse, and
saw him beyond the limits of our camp. Such is the dread of authority, and the
power of the meanest man who wears it. In the dusk the merchants came to visit
us, and to relate the affairs of the day over a cup of tea. We had to thank an
Uzbek, named Ullahdad, and Abdool, a Persian; but we had to make some
acknowledgment to all, for we had now become intimate with every body.
Whenever the horsemen of the caravan passed us on the road, they would shout
out to us, “Ah, Meerza! how are you?” with all the consecutive compliments of
their language. Little did many of them know, that the name of “Meerza Sikunder,”
or the secretary Alexander, which they had given me, was so well merited; since I
took every opportunity that I secretly could to use the pen and ink, and give a
secretary’s account of all their proceedings. On this day I felt pleased with
mankind, for we were now free to prosecute our journey. The Bokharees assured
me that they were interested in our favour, from the commands of their minister
the Koosh Begee; and the Persians, of whom there were many in the caravan,
dreaded the friendship between Abbas Meerza and the English. Individually, I did
not presume to believe that either of these great personages bestowed much care
upon us, but it was pleasant to know that such were the opinions of our
companions.
 CHAP. XIII.
CONTINUATION OF THE JOURNEY IN THE TOORKMUN
DESERT.
On the morning of the 29th of August we moved at dawn, with buoyant spirits,
and followed the course of the Moorghab, or river of Merve, for twelve miles
before we could cross it. We found it about eighty yards wide and five feet deep,
running within steep clayey banks, at the rate of five miles an hour. We crossed by
an indifferent ford, over a clay bottom with many holes. There was no village; but
the place is called Uleesha. This river rises on the mountains of Huzara, and was
long believed to fall into the Oxus or the Caspian. Both opinions are erroneous,
since it forms a lake, or loses itself in one, about fifty miles N.W. of Merve. This
river was formerly dammed above Merve, which turned the principal part of its
waters to that neighbourhood, and raised that city to the state of richness and
opulence which it once enjoyed. The dam was thrown down about forty-five years
ago, by Shah Moorad, a king of Bokhara, and the river only now irrigates the
country in its immediate vicinity, where it is covered with the tenements, or “obas,”
of the Toorkmuns; for there are no fixed villages. These people cultivate by
irrigation, and every thing grows in rich luxuriance. The Juwaree (holcus sorghum)
has a stalk thicker than a walking-stick, and in the uncultivated parts there is the
richest fodder for cattle and the finest thorny shrubs for the camel, an animal
which is here found in vast herds. Above Merve the country is called Maroochak,
and said to be unhealthy: there is a proverb, at least, which runs thus,—“Before
God gets intelligence, the water of Maroochak has killed the man.”[2] This river is
the Epardus of Arrian, a word which, I observe in one author, is said to mean
irrigator,—nor is it here misapplied. The historian would even appear to have been
acquainted with its course; for we are told that the Epardus “hides its streams in
the sand, as did many other great rivers.”[3]
The transition which we had experienced, from a sandy desert to the verge of a
running stream, was most gratifying; every one seemed delighted, and even the
animals appeared to feel the change. Throughout the day the banks presented a
spectacle of merriment and joy; the Toorkmuns plunging into the water with their
horses, and the greater part of the caravan sporting about in the stream. We hit
upon a contrivance, which contributed not a little to our sport, and produced a
“tunga,” or the third part of a rupee, which was to be the reward of the person
who could first cross the river. The enormous sum was solemnly vested in a
committee; I believe even the blessing was said; and sixteen competitors
appeared on the occasion. It was won by a Toorkmun of Shurukhs, who had the
art of running quickest in the deep water.
We were now in the vicinity of Merve, and several members of the caravan, on
their approach to the river, declared that they had a view of the elevated mound of
its ruined castle. I sought in vain, but the other spectators were looking for their
native city, and wished, perhaps, to persuade themselves that they beheld it. I
listened to the tales of valour which these people related to me of one Bairam
Khan and a chosen body of seven hundred, that long resisted the arms of the
Uzbeks of Bokhara, till Shah Moorad finally subdued them by a stratagem in war,
and forcibly transferred the whole population to his capital. Nor was I less gratified
to hear the patriotic tale of the heroines of Merve, the wives and daughters of the
gallant band. It is recorded, and it is believed, that on one occasion, when the
forces of Bokhara invaded the land of Merve, during the absence of Bairam Khan
and his knights, these fair ones embodied and appeared in the field. The Uzbeks
were intimidated at the sight of troops whom they believed they had surprised,
and fled with precipitation, leaving the heroines of Merve their virtuous victors: nor
is this a solitary instance of female triumph over man. The people of Merve, in
their loss of country and liberty, retain the same reputation for valour which
characterised their ancestors; and, to this day, when they quit the country, their
valiant partners are held in Bokhara as a pledge of their fidelity, and may on no
account cross the Oxus.
Some circumstances here came to our knowledge that called for prudence and
caution, and which appeared to excite the justest alarm. As our party had arrived
at the Orgunje camp, they found the chief in the act of despatching a body of 350
Toorkmuns on a foray to the frontiers of Persia. Our friends had arrived even in
time to give these barbarians the usual “fatha;” for, whatever they felt, it was
impossible to appear otherwise than pleased at their intentions. The Yooz-bashee
in their presence charged the robbers to be of good cheer, and remember the
good work on which they were to be engaged, and the golden “tillas” to be reaped
in the country of the Kuzzilbash. “Go,” exclaimed he, “and bring the Prince Royal of
Persia, Abbas Meerza himself to the feet of the Khan Huzrut.” The Allamans
mounted in a moment, and one of the merchants, who seemed to have had his
senses about him, begged that the formidable band would spare our caravan. The
Yooz-bashee gave instructions to that effect; but they now shook their heads, and
seemed but little disposed to put the honesty of such men to a trial. They turned
over all the bearings of the case in their minds, and looked very woful. As a
member of the party, I could not help asking for information on the blessings
which they had been called on gratuitously to bestow on such a horde. “Fatha,”
said a Persian, “I did take the name of the holy Prophet, but it was that these
man-selling scoundrels might never return.” Our conductor Ernuzzer himself said,
that it was an abomination to have made such a use of the first sentence of the
Koran; so easy is it to make the ritual of a faith correspond with the wishes. The
doctor and myself, I believe, were the only members of the caravan who would
have liked to have a peep at the ferocious Allamans; but I dare say it was
fortunate that our curiosity was not gratified. Since such a horde of plunderers was
abroad, it was decided that we should march upon Shurukhs, a large Toorkmun
settlement, and there await the result of their expedition, which the merchants of
the caravan had more desire to hear of than witness. The party had been
instructed to proceed by easy marches, as the Toorkmuns always do in their
forays, and was expected to return on the tenth day.
On the 30th of August we retraced the greater part of yesterday’s route, and
travelled down the opposite bank of the river for about sixteen miles, when we
again halted among the Toorkmuns in their native state, at an encampment called
Kunjookoolan. We here mixed among them without hesitation, and gathered many
particulars concerning them. The Toorkmuns are Toorks; but they differ from the
Uzbeks, and are entirely devoted to a pastoral life. There are several great tribes
of the race, all of whom claim a common origin; we had seen the Ersarees on the
Oxus, and were now mingling with the tribe of Saruk, beyond which are the
Salore. Towards the Caspian lie the Tuka, Goklan, and Yumood, all of them great
tribes, and of which I shall speak as we advance. Among our Saruk acquaintances
there was one individual who had passed his days in making incursions into Persia,
and in his odious traffic had acquired a perfect knowledge of the language of that
country, which enabled me to learn the genuine sentiments of a Toorkmun robber.
His name was Noornyaz; and in his forays he had accompanied the largest and
smallest parties: he had, indeed, only returned with three captives, that had been
secured by the small number of six horsemen. He described the manner of
approaching Persia by slow and short stages, and that, after reaching the
frontiers, they frequently hovered for days in sight of a fort to watch for a
favourable opportunity of capture. If none presents itself, they make a dash in
upon the fields in the morning, as the shepherds and husbandmen pursue their
occupations, and bear off with speed whoever they may seize. If hotly pursued,
they relinquish a spare horse with which every two individuals is provided, and
carry off the more valuable slave. In such a transient expedition every thing
depends on the fleetness of their horses, and the Toorkmuns accordingly bestow
the utmost care upon them. My Toorkmun acquaintance said, that he was now
preparing his horse for another foray, which consists in exercising him most
severely after a long abstinence from food and water, which brings the animal to a
matchless state of hardihood. They do not permit them to taste green forage, but
confine them to dry food, which they believe hardens the flesh. They sweat them
till their fat entirely disappears, and of this they judge by the quantity of water
which the horse drinks, since it is very small if his flesh has been properly reduced.
The Toorkmun horse, with such a training, far surpasses in bottom those of Europe
and Arabia; but he is a coarse-looking animal, and has neither the sleekness nor
beauty of coat which we see in India or our own country. Since the life and fortune
of the Toorkmun are identified with the goodness of his horse, we can account for
the care and attention that he bestows upon him. The little food to which he is
inured enables his rider to provide with ease for his own wants: he carries the
grain for the horse and himself, as well as bread and flour: in his advance he
sometimes buries these in a well-known place, till he shall return from the foray;
and when the Toorkmun retreats into his native desert, he is thus supplied with
provisions, though he may have been weeks from his camp, which he shares with
the victims of his capture, whom he drags into miserable servitude.
In the catalogue of human miseries there are few more severely felt, and the
consequences of which are more destructive to domestic happiness, than the cruel
system of man-stealing. Great as are the miseries produced by this, the hordes
who engage in it appear to derive none of the luxuries or enjoyment of human life
from such an occupation, and live in rags and penury, seemingly without
advantage from their devastations. The terror which the Toorkmuns inspire among
the people of the neighbouring countries is fearful, nor is this surprising, since
they evince such fortitude and persevering energy in their dangerous occupation.
We cannot fail to admire their address, and acknowledge their valour, at the time
that we deplore the lot of the unhappy country on which they display their
prowess. The manners and customs of the Toorkmuns, in the odious practices
which they pursue against their fellow man, sap the best principles of human
nature, and we consequently find this people wanting in much of the honour
which is often seen among half-civilised nations. “A Toorkmun,” the people will tell
you, “is a dog, and will only be kept quiet with a bit of bread, like a dog: give it
then, is the doctrine of the traveller, and pass on unmolested.” They have likewise
the character of being perfidious and treacherous, nor is it altogether unmerited.
The Persians have endeavoured, but without success, to put a stop to these
reckless inroads of the Toorkmun, but he himself lives in a desert where he is safe,
and is encouraged by the ready sale which he finds for his captives in the favoured
countries that lie beyond his own desolate region. In their expeditions into Persia,
some Toorkmuns are occasionally captured, and an exorbitant ransom has been
placed upon their heads, but yet they have been redeemed by their kinsmen. A
Toorkmun passes his life either in a foray, or in preparing for one; and it is a
disgraceful fact, that the chiefs of Khorasan have long and unnaturally leagued
with these enemies of their religion and their country, to barter a still greater
portion of unfortunate Persians into their hands, and eternal slavery. Avarice is the
most baneful of our vices.
Now that we were beyond the power of the Orgunje troops, the merchants of the
caravan assembled in conclave to bemoan the loss of their money in a new tax,
and to devise ways and means to recover it. It appeared to the majority, that the
Firingees, that is, ourselves, should bear a portion of the burthen, and the
assemblage waited on us in the evening to express their wishes, and request that
we would bear one fourth of all the duties. Since the payment of the regular
customs had induced the officer to forego the usual fee on each pair of panniers,
we had certainly escaped every kind of tax, and this was evidently owing to the
wealth and size of the caravan with which we were travelling. The Orgunje officer,
too, it was now stated, had been bribed to the amount of ten tillas. It appeared
both reasonable and just that we should bear our share of this outlay, and I
therefore offered the usual tax of a tilla on each of our camels, since it would tend
to diminish the general expenditure of the caravan. It was a point that called for
the exercise of discretion and judgment, since a total denial might have converted
a friendly into a hostile party; and, on the other hand, it at all times behoved us to
be most sparing in our expenses. In the present instance, I had the good fortune
to conciliate by my concession the principal merchants of the party. There were
several who still called on us to pay a fourth share of the tax; but as I ascertained
that no additional expenses had been incurred on our account, and the duties
would have been levied whether we had been present or absent, I declined
compliance, and stated to them that we were travellers, and their guests, in a
foreign land, and hoped for their forbearance and justice. The Toorkmun chief, our
friend Ernuzzer, appeared at this stage of our conversation, to enter his protest
against such an outrage to hospitality as the demand which had been made upon
us; but I had already made up my mind, and passed my word. The rights of the
stranger are much respected among these people, and the cry of the many died
away into the feeble vociferations of the poorer traders, whose scanty means
made them feel more heavily the levy that had been made upon them. In one
respect the character of an European in such countries is ill suited for a traveller;
he is believed to possess boundless wealth, though he may be sunk in poverty; an
Asiatic, in his expenses, has nothing in common with the opinions of an European.
We now commenced our march in the desert westward of the Moorghab river, and
made a progress of thirty-seven miles. The tract was entirely different from the
opposite side, and about the middle of the journey the desert changed into a level,
hard, flat surface, which it ever afterwards preserved. The camels moved up in
four strings abreast of each other, and we continued to advance in that order. The
tract put me much in mind of the Run of Cutch, though there were patches of
bushes, which are not to be seen in that most singular region.[4] The country was
destitute of water, but there were many remains of caravansarais and cisterns that
had been built by the philanthropic Abdulla Khan of Bokhara. In this
neighbourhood, and more particularly while on the banks of the river, we
witnessed a constant succession of whirlwinds, that raised the dust to a great
height, and moved over the plain like water-spouts at sea. In India these
phenomena are familiarly known by the name of devils, where they sometimes
unroof a house; but I had not seen them in that country either of such size or
frequency as now prevailed in the Toorkmun desert. They appeared to rise from
gusts of wind, for the air itself was not disturbed but by the usual north wind that
blows steadily in this desert.
As we halted in the morning of the 1st of September, at a ruin which bore the
name of Kalournee, we descried the hills of Persian Khorasan. In the direction
where they rose I had observed the atmosphere to be clouded since we reached
the banks of the Moorghab, and we might have perhaps seen them sooner, though
they still appeared in the haze of distance. As we discovered these mountains at
sunrise, a magnificent mirage shone in the same direction. One could trace a river,
and its steep and opposite banks; but, as the sun ascended, the appearance
vanished, and left the same flat and cheerless country in which we were now
encamped. The high banks of the river had no existence, and the water was but
vapour set in the rays of light.
As we approached Shurukhs, we could distinguish a gradual, though almost
imperceptible rise in the country. We exchanged the shrubs that I have before
described, for the tamarisk and the camel’s thorn, which does not grow in the
desert. The most singular of the plants which a new zone presented to us, was
one called “gyk chenak” in the Toorkee language, which literally means, the deer’s
cup. It grows like hemlock or assafœtida (and has as bad a smell), only that a leaf,
shaped precisely like a cup, surrounds each knot or division of the plant’s stalk. In
this natural bowl the rains of spring are collected, and supply the deer with water.
Such is the popular belief, and such is the name. We afterwards saw a plant not
unlike the deer’s cup among the hills eastward of Meshid. A gum, like tallow,
exuded from it, and it shot up as an annual among the high lands.
We had been treading in our last marches on the very ground which had been
disturbed by the hoofs of the Toorkmuns who were advancing on Persia. It was
with no small delight that we at last lost our traces of the formidable band, which
we could discover had branched off the high road towards Meshid. Had we
encountered them, a second negotiation would have been necessary, and the
demands of robbers might not have been easily satisfied. “Allamans” seldom
attack a caravan, but still there are authenticated instances of their having
murdered a whole party in the very road we were travelling. Men with arms in
their hands, and in power, are not to be restrained. After losing all traces of this
band, we came suddenly upon a small party of Allamans, seven in number, who
were returning from an unsuccessful expedition. They were young men, well
mounted and caparisoned, in the Toorkmun manner; a lance and a sword formed
their arms; they had no bows, and but one led horse. Their party had been
discomfited, and four of them had fallen into the hands of the Persians. They told
us of their disasters, and asked for bread, which some of our party gave them. I
wish that all their expeditions would terminate like this.
We reached Shurukhs at sun-rise on the 2d, after having performed a journey of
seventy miles in forty-four hours, including every halt. During this period we had
only marched for thirty-two hours, and the camels sometimes stepped out at the
rate of two and a half miles an hour, which I had never before seen. All the camels
were males, since they are believed to undergo fatigue better than females. Our
caravan alighted round an old tomb, with a lofty dome, and it was unanimously
decided, that so long as the Allamans were abroad, it would not be prudent to
prosecute our journey. It was therefore resolved to sleep in Shurukhs (to use a
phrase of their own), the greatest haunt of the Toorkmun robbers; a paradox truly,
since we were to settle among thieves to avoid the thieves abroad. We, however,
possessed but humble influence in the party, and had only to meet the general
wish. The merchandize was piled round the tomb, the people took up a position
outside of it, and at night the camels and horses formed a triple barrier. Such were
the arrangements for our protection, and, as will be seen, not more than were
necessary. The Toorkmuns crowded among us during the day, and brought tunics
of camel-cloth for sale, which were readily purchased; but there was not an
individual of the caravan who trusted himself at a distance from it: and how could
it be otherwise, when we hourly saw the “Allamans” passing and repassing in front
of us, and knew that the chief subsistence of the people was derived from these
“chupaos?”
The Toorkmun settlement of Shurukhs consists of a small and weak fort, almost in
ruins, situated on a hillock, under cover of which most of the inhabitants have
pitched their tenements. There are a few mud houses, which have been built by
the Jews of Meshid, who trade with these people; but the Toorkmuns themselves
live in the conical houses or khirgahs, peculiar to their tribe. They are constructed
of wood, surrounded by a mat of reeds, and covered in the roof with felts, that
become black with soot. Shurukhs is the residence of the Salore Toorkmuns, the
noblest of the race. Two thousand families are here domiciled, and an equal
number of horses, of the finest blood, may be raised in case of need. If unable to
cope with their enemies, these people flee to the deserts, which lie before them,
and there await the termination of the storm. They pay a sparing and doubtful
allegiance to Orgunje and Persia, but it is only an impending force that leads to
their submission. When we were at Shurukhs they had a Persian ambassador in
chains, and refused to grant a share of the transit duties to the Khan of Orgunje,
which they had promised in the preceding month, when that chief was near them.
These are commentaries on their allegiance. The Salore Toorkmuns are ruled by
twelve aksukals, the heads of the different families; but they acknowledge no
particular allegiance to any individual person. The country around Shurukhs is well
watered by aqueducts from the rivulet of Tejend, which is a little brackish, but its
waters are usefully employed in fertilising its fields. The soil is exceedingly rich,
and possesses great aptness for agriculture; the seed is scattered, and vegetates
almost without labour. The harvest is rich, and they reap it, like true republicans,
without a tax. The inhabitants repeat a tradition, that the first of men tilled in
Shurukhs, which was his garden, while Serendib or Ceylon was his house! There is
not a tree or a bush to enliven the landscape, for the Toorkmuns despise
gardening. The crops of wheat and juwaree are here most abundant, and the
melons are only inferior to those of Bokhara.
Two days after our arrival at Shurukhs, and when I venture to say we had often
congratulated ourselves at the near prospect of successfully terminating our
journey, we experienced an alarm that at least showed our congratulations were
premature. One of the Toorkmun chiefs of the place appeared in our part of the
encampment, and summoned the Hajee, one of our people, to attend him, near
enough for me to overhear their conversation. He commenced a long list of
interrogatories regarding us, and stated that he had heard from persons in the
caravan that we possessed great wealth, and had travelled into the remotest parts
of Toorkistan. Such being the case, continued he, it was impossible for him to
grant us permission to prosecute our journey, until the commands of Ullah Koli,
Khan of Orgunje, were received concerning us. This formidable announcement
would even have appeared more frightful, had not the Toorkmun added on his
departure, that his fellow chiefs were ignorant of our presence in the caravan, and
that we might perhaps consider his good wishes not unworthy of being purchased.
The matter was however serious, since it discovered that there were persons in
the caravan who were ill-disposed towards us, and it was certain that the
Toorkmuns had the power of enforcing all which the person in question had
threatened. Immediate measures were necessary, and I lost no time in adopting
them. There were five or six merchants of respectability in the caravan, and I went
to the two principal persons, whom I have before named, and related the affair to
them with perfect candour. I should have gone to Ernuzzer the Toorkmun, but he
had in former days lived at Shurukhs, and, in his change to the life of a citizen,
had forfeited much of the influence he might be supposed to possess among his
countrymen; nor did I even unfold to him the circumstances till we reached
Meshid. I observed that the communication equally excited the uneasiness of the
merchants, and once more discovered that these people were really concerned for
our safety. They poured forth their wrath against the informer, and expressed in
unequivocal language the fears which they entertained from the Vizier of Bokhara
on one side, and the Prince Royal of Persia on the other. One of the merchants
advised that I should immediately produce the firman of the King of Bokhara; but
in this I differed, and the opinion of the other was more in consonance with my
own judgment. Abdool undertook to negotiate the feeding of the dog of a
Toorkmun; but it may be imagined that there was little to cheer us under such
circumstances. A cheerful countenance was, however, indispensable, that we
might the better meet the difficulties, and, if possible, frustrate the hopes of the
villain who had betrayed us.
The first piece of intelligence which assailed us on the following morning was the
loss of a beautiful little black pony, which had been stolen from his pickets during
night. It is customary in this country to chain the horse’s leg to the iron pin, and
then padlock it; but we had not adopted this precaution. I regretted this loss more
than I might have done a more serious misfortune. The sturdy little creature had
followed me from Poona in the centre of India, had borne me in many a weary
journey, and I cannot tell how much it vexed me to leave him in such a country,
and in such hands. The whole caravan assembled to express their regret at the
theft, and assured me that I should either have the pony or his value; but they did
not understand that in my estimation he stood above all price. I was obliged to
turn to other matters, and it was a more solid source of consolation to find that we
had satisfied the demands, and silenced the threats of the Toorkmun chief at a
most moderate sacrifice. He became master of our stock of tea, and we should
have added the sugar, had it been worth presenting; and this peace offering,
crowned with two gold tillas (each valued at about six and a half rupees), satisfied
a chief who had us in his power. Doonmus, for so he was named, was the
“Aksukal” of 300 families, and one of those who share in the plunder and taxation
of Shurukhs. We were much indebted in this difficulty to Abdool, who happened to
be an acquaintance of the Toorkmun, and whom we had brought over to us by
some acts of civility. We might not have escaped so readily from the talons of any
of the others; and it was curious that the fellow who had wished to profit by us
was the friend of the merchant with whom we were most intimate.
This sunshine of our prosperity admitted of our entering with greater spirit into our
enquiries regarding the Toorkmuns, and I gathered some characteristic incidents
of the people. They are as romantic in their customs of marriage as in their habits
of plunder. They do not enter into the conjugal state with the simple forms of
Mahommedans; for the communication between the sexes is unrestrained, and
attachments are formed that ripen into love. But the daughter of a Toorkmun has
a high price, and the swain, in despair of making a legitimate purchase, seizes his
sweetheart, seats her behind him on the same horse, and gallops off to the
nearest camp, where the parties are united, and separation is impossible. The
parents and relatives pursue the lovers, and the matter is adjusted by an
intermarriage with some female relation of the bridegroom, while he himself
becomes bound to pay so many camels and horses as the price of his bride. If the
person be rich, these are generally paid on the spot; but if, as more often
happens, he is without property, he binds himself to discharge his debt, which is
viewed as one of honour; and he proceeds on forays to Persia, till he has gained
enough to fulfil his engagement. His success in these generally converts him into a
robber for the rest of his days; and the capture of the Kuzzilbash has now become
indispensable to settle in life the family of a Toorkmun. The young lady, after her
Gretna Green union, returns to the house of her parents, and passes a year in
preparing the carpets and clothes, which are necessary for a Toorkmun tent; and,
on the anniversary of her elopement, she is finally transferred to the arms and
house of her gallant lover.
A circumstance lately happened at Shurukhs, which was repeated to us by many
of the people, and exhibits additional examples of the love of liberty, and the
despair which is inspired by the loss of it. A Persian youth, who had been captured
by the Toorkmuns, dragged out a miserable life of servitude in Shurukhs. He was
resolved to be free, and chose the opportunity of his master being at an
entertainment, to effect his object. He saddled the best horse of his stable, and on
the very eve of departure was discovered by the daughter of his lord, who
attempted to give the alarm. He drew his sword, and put the girl to death. Her
cries alarmed the mother, whom he also slew; and as he was bidding his final
farewell to Shurukhs, the master himself arrived. The speed of the horse, which
had so often been employed in the capture of his countrymen, now availed this
fugitive, who was pursued, but not overtaken; and thus, by an exertion of
desperate boldness, did he regain his liberty, leaving his master to deplore the loss
of his wife and his daughter, his horse and his slave.
I have mentioned that our camp at Shurukhs lay by the shrine of a Mahommedan
saint. He flourished 824 years since, under the name of Aboolfuzzul Hoosn, as
appears by an inscription on the tomb, and he is yet revered by all the Toorkmuns.
If one of them fall sick, he invokes the manes of the saint; if his horse or his camel
suffer from disease, he circumambulates his tomb, in the hope and conviction of
relief. The Toorkmuns have no mosques; they say their prayers in the tent or in
the desert, without ablution, and without a carpet. They have few Moollahs or
priests, for the church has little honour among them, and they are but poor
followers of the prophet. They have no education to assuage the fiercer passions,
which renders the men unsusceptible of pity, and the women indifferent to
chastity. The men perform all the out-door employments, and the women work at
home. The Toorkmuns are a race of people who court alternate activity and
idleness. Abroad they evince the greatest spirit, and at home saunter about in
idleness and indolence. They are fond of their horses, and of singing songs in
honour of them. At night I have listened to the panegyrics on the feats of the
“Chupraslee” and “Karooghlee” horses, the never-ending theme of praise.
“Karooghlee” means a warrior as well as a horse, but it describes a famous breed
now said to be extinct. “Chupraslee,” though it means but swift, is applied to a
particular horse of reputed speed. I longed to record some of these Toorkmun
songs, but at Shurukhs we could gather only these few lines:—

“I keep an Arab horse for the day of battle,

I live on that day under his shade,
In the conflict I slay a hero,—
Keep an Arab horse, hold a shield of iron.
Kurooghlee!

“In the day of battle I bend my bow of iron,

Erect on my horse, no one can dismount me.
I am an only child, I have no brother or sister,—
Keep an Arab horse, hold a shield of iron.
Kurooghlee!
 “If I breathe, the ice of the mountains melts,
The water of my eyes would turn a mill,
So said Jonas the Puree,—
Keep an Arab horse, hold a shield of iron.
Kurooghlee!”
After the alarm which we had already experienced in Shurukhs, it was not
desirable that we should mingle much with the people; but I had great curiosity to
see them, and our Toorkmun Ernuzzer said I was invited to a friend’s house, and I
accompanied him without further consideration. I was very agreeably surprised to
find these wandering people living here, at least, in luxury. The tent or khirgah
was spacious, and had a diameter of about twenty-five feet. The sides were of
lattice-work, and the roof was formed of laths, which branched from a circular
hoop, about three feet in diameter, through which the light is admitted. The floor
was spread with felts and carpets, of the richest manufacture, which looked like
velvet. Fringed carpets were also hung up round the tent, which gave it a great
finish, and their beauty was no doubt enhanced by their being the work of wives
and daughters. On one side of the tent was a small press, in which the females of
the family kept their clothes, and above it were piled the quilts on which they
slept. These are of variegated coloured cloth, both silk and cotton. From the
circular aperture in the roof, three large tassels of silk were suspended, differing in
colour, and neatly wrought by some fair young hand. Altogether, the apartment
and its furniture bespoke any thing but an erratic people; yet the host explained to
me that the whole house could be transported on one camel, and its furniture on
another. On my return I expressed my surprise at such comfort, but my
companions in the caravan bade me not wonder at such a display, since the
Toorkmuns were man-eaters (adum khor), and got their food for nothing. Many a
nation has been written down as cannibals on as slight grounds; but the people
merely meant to tell me that they lived on the proceeds of man-selling. Before I
quitted the tent, the host produced bread and melons, according to their custom,
of which we partook, with about fifteen other Toorkmuns, who had dropped in.
They cut up a melon with great dexterity and neatness, separate the pulp from the
skin, which is not thicker than that of an orange, by a single sweep of the knife,
then dividing it into a dozen pieces. I listened for about half an hour to their
conversation, the subject of which I could comprehend to be slaves and horses.
They took me for a native of Cabool, from the loongee which I wore as a turban,
nor did I undeceive them. They all got up as I left, and bade me good-bye with all
the respect of a good Mahommedan. They might not have injured me had they
known the truth, but they would have detained me with endless questions; and, as
it was, I saw their customs without inconvenience. I was never so much struck
with the Tatar features as in this assemblage. The Toorkmun has a skull like a
Chinese, his face is flat, his cheek bones project, and his countenance tapers to
the chin, which has a most scanty crop of hair. He is by no means ugly, and his
body and features are alike manly. Their women are remarkably fair, and often
handsome.
I might have followed up my acquaintance, and dined with the Toorkmuns in the
evening; but, since I did not do so, I shall describe their feast from Toorkmun
authority. When they invite a stranger to dinner, they send to say they have killed
a sheep. They are not very choice in their cookery. Their cakes are baked about
two feet in diameter, and an inch thick, of the coarsest flour, and generally mixed
up with slices of pumpkin. These are always eaten fresh. When the party
assembles, the cloth is spread, and each person crumbles down the piece of cake
which is laid before him. The meat is then brought, which consists of one entire
sheep, boiled in a huge Russian pot. They separate the flesh from the bones, and
tear it into as small pieces as the bread, with which it is mixed. They shred about
a dozen of onions, and throw the whole mess into the pot where the meat has
been boiled, and mix it up with the soup. It is then served out in wooden bowls,
one of which is placed before every two persons. Their mode of eating is as
singular as that of preparation; they fill their open hand, and commencing from
the wrist, lick it up like dogs, holding the head over the bowl, which catches all
that falls. Each of the two in his turn fills his hand, and holds his head over the
bowl. Melons follow, and the repast concludes with a pipe of tobacco. The women
do not eat with the men.
On the seventh day after our arrival at Shurukhs, when every one was enquiring
about the “Allamans,” or robbers, who had preceded us, they began to drop in
upon us by twos and threes, with their horses lame and jaded, and by evening
upwards of a hundred had arrived. They stopped by the caravan, and gave us a
glowing account of their foray, congratulating themselves in boastful strains at
their success. They had made their descent near Meshid four days previously,
about ten in the morning, and rode up to the very walls of the city, driving men
and animals before them. Not a soul appeared to arrest their progress; and when
they numbered their spoil a few miles from the city, they found 115 human beings,
200 camels, and as many cattle. Since then they had returned without haste, and
now skirted Shurukhs for refreshment. On the way they had already divided their
booty. A fifth was given to the Khan of Orgunje, and the party had to congratulate
themselves at the number of able-bodied men, and the few white-beards, old
ones, among their prisoners. Returning through the hills, they encountered the
videttes of a small party of horse, who are stationed to give information at
Durbund, which lies between Shurukhs and Meshid. In the scuffle, one of the
Toorkmuns was wounded, and they captured one of the videttes and fifteen
horses. They put the unfortunate Persian to death, as an offering to God for the
success which attended them; since they pretend to consider the murder of a
heretic Kuzzilbash as grateful to the Almighty; and they generally kill most of the
old persons who fall into their hands, as a propitiatory offering to the Creator. The
Toorkmuns, indeed, defend their capture of these unfortunate human beings, on
the ground of their conversion to a true religion, and consequent salvation.
Unhappily for mankind, the history of the world presents us with too many and
similar instances of this mistaken and religious zeal. The Spaniards pursued their
conquests in the New World under the specious pretence of disseminating
Christianity; they sacked the empires of Mexico and Peru, and butchered their
inoffending inhabitants; while their priests impiously blessed their inhuman
outrages.[5] They, too, like the Toorkmuns, propitiated their king by a present of a
fifth of their spoil. Human nature, under king or khan, is the same in all countries,
whether we contemplate the frenzy and avarice of the Spaniards in America, or
the roaming Toorkmun in the Scythian deserts.
The opportunity which was afforded us of seeing these robbers, inspired a good
opinion of their courage, for many of them were indifferently armed. They all had
swords, most had light, long lances, quite different from those used by the
Uzbeks, and a few had small matchlocks. Their horses looked quite done up, and
walked as if on beds of gravel; but they had been thirteen days in motion, with
scanty food and much work. While we admire the courage of these men, what
shall we think of the Persians, who are encamped within two days’ journey of
Meshid, under the heir-apparent of their throne, and numbering an army of twenty
thousand men?
The return of the Orgunje Allamans should have now settled our movements, but
some timid being spread a rumour that half of the robbers yet lay in wait for our
caravan on the Persian frontier. Our departure was therefore still put off, and I
cannot say that I felt comfortable in such quarters. We had no tent or shelter for
ten days but the rotten walls of an old tomb, which were infested with reptiles.
Though our bed had always been the ground, and we had long ceased to feel the
aches which one experiences from an occasional bivouac in civilised life, we could
not now spread a carpet, lest we should appear too rich among the Toorkmuns,
who stated in upon us at all times, and frequently asked us questions. Our bread,
too, had been ten times coarser than “bannocks of barley meal,” not half so
palatable. We could with great difficulty read or write for a single hour during the
day, and the time passed as heavily as possible, exhausting our patience. During
our detention, one of the camels was said to have gone mad, whether from ennui
or some more cogent cause I knew not. The poor creature foamed at the mouth,
groaned, and refused its food. The case was referred to us, as he was pronounced
to be possessed of a devil; but of course without avail. At length they fell on the
expedient of frightening the camel, by clashing a lighted torch before his eyes and
body, and kindling reeds and furze under his nose. They also passed a red-hot iron
over his head; and the animal assuredly improved under this rough treatment, of
burning the devil who had lodged in so ugly a creature.
At length, on the 11th of September, after a detention of ten long days, we joyfully
quitted Shurukhs at sunrise. The Toorkmuns maintained their character to the last.
After giving us leave, and agreeing to tax us at the first stage, they waited till we
had fairly started, and then sent orders to stop the caravan. They demanded a tilla
and a half on every camel; which is the customary transit duty for an escort to the
Persian frontier. The party came only a few miles, and then returned, tired of
escorting; nor were we sorry to get so well rid of them. Our caravan had now
been increased by the junction of two others, which had come up during our stay,
and formed a numerous body: but I fear there were more timid than fighting
hearts among us. There were men, women, and children; merchants, travellers,
pilgrims, and emancipated slaves. There were Uzbeks, Arabs, Persians, Afghans,
Hindoos, Jews, natives of Budukhshan and Cashmeer; Toorks and Toorkmuns; a
Nogai Tatar, a wandering Kirghiz from Pameer, and ourselves, natives of Europe.
Last, not least, was a young Persian girl, about fifteen years old, whom we had
picked up at Shurukhs, and who was said to be of exquisite beauty. She had been
captured by the Toorkmuns; and her loveliness overcoming their avarice, she had
at first been detained by her captor. The arrival of our caravan and so many
merchants, however, tempted his cupidity; and he offered his charge for sale. A
merchant of Tehran purchased her for seventy-seven gold tillas; and the poor girl,
who was walking about a few hours before, and saw and was seen by every one,
was now literally packed up in a pannier. She had changed her character from
slave to wife; for it signifies nought that she may have another husband, since she
is surely born again who comes out of the hands of the Toorkmuns. This was a
leap year; but a lady may be there allowed at all times to fall in love. The fair one
of whom I speak made a set at the first merchant who visited her; and stated, as
an inducement to her purchase, that she would join any creed they liked. This
Persian girl is not the first of her sex who has changed her doctrines with her
name.
We halted in the afternoon at a cistern, eighteen miles distant from Shurukhs, the
fort of which was yet visible; for we had travelled over level country, broken in
some places by gravelly hillocks. At the third mile we crossed the dry and pebbly
bed of the small river of Tejend, which rises in the neighbouring hills, and is lost in
the sands. This is not the Herat river, nor is it the Ochus, for no such great river as
appears in our maps has existence. Its pools were saline, and much of the soil was
also salt. There were remnants of civilisation, but neither fields nor inhabitants.
We again set out about eight at night with a full moon; and, after an advance of
seven or eight miles, entered among defiles and hills, and found ourselves at
Moozderan or Durbund, the frontier post in Persia, a little after sunrise, and forty-
five miles from Shurukhs. The whole of the latter part of the route lay in a deep
ravine, where there is imminent danger in travelling from the “Allamans” of the
desert. We pushed on with great celerity and greater fear: every instrument of war
was in requisition, every match was lit, and the slightest sound brought the
horsemen to a halt; for we hourly expected to encounter the Toorkmuns. After a
night of such anxiety, we beheld with pleasure the look-out towers of Durbund,
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