Identifier: russiancentralas02lans (find matches)
Title: Russian Central Asia : including Kuldja, Bokhara, Khiva and Merv
Year: 1885 (1880s)
Authors: Lansdell, Henry, 1841-1919 Lansdell, Henry, 1841-1919, inscriber. ins
Subjects:
Publisher: London : Sampson Low, Marston, Searle and Rivington
Contributing Library: Harold B. Lee Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University

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Wales. Sofar as mere area is concerned these figures are ap-proximately correct, but the reader will have anexaggerated idea of the oasis if he supposes it toconsist throughout of gardens and fields. I havebefore me my Russian map of largest scale, whereinthe cultivated soil is coloured green, the sands orange,and the uncultivated land is not coloured at all. Onthis map the famous gardens of Khiva shrink to verysmall proportions. They are, in fact, the lands bor-dering on the aryks and canals ; and where the waterfrom these does not reach, there is sandy desert, orbarren or unoccupied land. * I can fitly describe the arable surface of the khanate in connectionwith its aryks and canals. At Pitniak there is a small patch of greenabout 8 miles long and f mile wide. Ten miles further downthe Amu there leaves the river the great Palvan-Ata-aryk, runningalmost due west, a course of about 50 miles past Hazarasp and Bagat toKhiva. It throws out canals and smaller branches all along this stem,
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254 RUSSIAN CENTRAL ASIA. I was reminded of the arid character of the soil bymy horse making for a water-trough at the side of theroad, which was unhappily empty, and we had to gosome distance further, not seeing a road-side pool, orstream, till we came to what they called a Sart station,where water was drawn from a well for our animals.We saw cattle in two or three places near the numerousfortified farm-houses, or havlis, and, as we drew near toKhiva, met a large number of arbas returning frommarket. At sunset we came in sight of the city, andbeholding, with satisfaction, its towers and minaretsstanding out against a reddened sky, we entered thegates at half-past 5. They called the distance 60versts, or 40 miles, but by neither of my maps can Imake it more than 50 versts. Captain Burnaby rodebetween Khiva and Khanki, a distance he calls 60 (butwhich should be 30) versts, in 6 hours, so I suppose wehad done fairly well in accomplishing 50 versts in 8hours, excluding rest, and crossing

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