Imagens das páginas
PDF
ePub

pilgrims, bound for different parts of Turkestan, was collecting there. Losing no time, Gardner covered the thirty-five miles to Ghorian by sunset, but, to his intense vexation, found that he had been misinformed, and that the caravan was really ending, not beginning, its journey. It was bound for Herat, there to rest some time before proceeding eastward. The kafila (caravan) was a very small one, and had been no less than eighteen months on the march from Месса.

Nevertheless, some of its devoted members had still to toil as far as the north-eastern boundaries of Khokand, Kashgar, and Yarkand, and even to the more distant regions of Mongolia.

Gardner returned with the kafila to Herat, and having made acquaintances among the pilgrims, determined to remain with them during their stay at Herat, and to travel towards Kunduz in their company. He was now, at the age of thirty-four, about to enter on a career of apparently aimless wandering, which he pursued until his arrival in the Panjab in August 1831, a period of twelve years. Occasionally he settled down for a time, but soon the force of circum

A ROLLING STONE.

27

stances, or a roving and lawless disposition, compelled him to move on.

We can now leave Gardner to tell in his own language the tale of his first journey in the wilds of Central Asia, on which he started on January 19, 1819.

pilgrims, bound for different parts of Turkestan, was collecting there. Losing no time, Gardner covered the thirty-five miles to Ghorian by sunset, but, to his intense vexation, found that he had been misinformed, and that the caravan was really ending, not beginning, its journey. It was bound for Herat, there to rest some time before proceeding eastward. The kafila (caravan) was a very small one, and had been no less than eighteen months on the march from Mecca.

Nevertheless, some of its devoted members had still to toil as far as the north-eastern boundaries of Khokand, Kashgar, and Yarkand, and even to the more distant regions of Mongolia.

Gardner returned with the kafila to Herat, and having made acquaintances among the pilgrims, determined to remain with them during their stay at Herat, and to travel towards Kunduz in their company. He was now, at the age of thirty-four, about to enter on a career of apparently aimless wandering, which he pursued until his arrival in the Panjab in August 1831, a period of twelve years. Occasionally he settled down for a time, but soon the force of circum

A ROLLING STONE.

27

stances, or a roving and lawless disposition, compelled him to move on.

We can now leave Gardner to tell in his own language the tale of his first journey in the wilds of Central Asia, on which he started on January 19, 1819.

28

CHAPTER III.

ADVENTURES AMONG THE HAZARAS, 1819.

THE ANCIENT KAFIRS

[ocr errors]

SAVAGE HOSPITALITY-THE KHALZAIS (DAI KUNDI HAZARAS) — THE
THERBAHS
GARDNER ACQUIRES A
FAITHFUL FOLLOWER-THE SLAVE-DEALERS-GARDNER'S NOM
DE VOYAGE"-A GENEROUS HOST-GARDNER'S DANGEROUS ILL-
NESS-THE KHAN OF KHIVA-A GEOGRAPHICAL PROBLEM-AD-
VENTURES OF M. STURZKY-GARDNER RETURNS TO ASTRAKHAN.

WE left Herat at daybreak, and as the melting of the snow might soon be confidently expected, the kafila took a direct, but little-frequented, road over the snowy ranges of the Western Hindu Kush. We were, in all about 100 persons, bound for various parts of Turkestan, and by general agreement amongst us the city of Kunduz, the capital of the kingdom of that name, then under the sway of Mir Murad Ali Beg, was to be our first destination. Arrived there, or near there, we intended to break off into small parties which could make their own arrangements for reaching their homes. Most of us were provided with

« AnteriorContinuar »