Travels Into Bokhara: Travels into BokharaJ. Murray, 1834 |
Common terms and phrases
Acora acquaintance Afghans amusing Aornus appeared arrival Asiatic Baber Bajour Bala Hissar Balkh Bameean banks bazar beautiful believe Belur Bokhara brother Cabool Cabool river Cafila-bashee called caravan Cashmeer chief of Cabool coins crossed custom delight distance Dost Mahommed Khan dress entered European favourable feet garden gave Ghuzni give ground halted heard Heibuk hills Hindoo Hindoo Koosh horse Huzaras Hydaspes Hyphasis idols India Indus infidel inhabitants Jelum journey Julalabad Kaffirs Khooloom king Koondooz Koran Lahore letter Mahommedans Manikyala manner medans merchants miles Moollah Moorcroft mosque mountains native Nawab Nazir never night ourselves Oxus party passed Persian person Peshawur Punjab racter road rock Runjeet Sing rupees Russian salt seen Seiks Shah Shiah snow Sooltan Mahommed Khan Sutlege Tartary Timour tion tomb took Toorkistan Toorkmun tope town traveller trees tribe Uzbeks valley village Vizier whole yards
Popular passages
Page 141 - Baber, which had been increased by a late perusal of his most interesting Commentaries. He had directed his body to be interred in this place, to him the choicest in his wide dominions. These are his own words regarding Cabool: — "The climate " is extremely delightful, and there is no such
Page 249 - They sometimes use four horses ; and in that case, two are fixed at the stern. These horses require no preparatory training, since they indiscriminately yoke all that cross the river. One of the boats was dragged over by the aid of two of our jaded ponies ; and the vessel which attempted to follow us without them, was carried so far down the stream as to detain us a whole day on the banks, till it could be brought up to the camp of our caravan. By this ingenious mode, we crossed a river nearly half...
Page 279 - I took an early opportunity of seeing the siave-baslave-bazar of Bokhara, which is held every Saturday morning. The Uzbeks manage all their affairs by means of slaves, who are chiefly brought from Persia by the Toorkmuns. Here these poor wretches are exposed for sale, and occupy thirty or forty stalls, where they are examined like cattle, only with this difference, that they are able to give an account of themselves vivd voce.
Page 182 - Bameean; one in particular—that a mother had lost her child among them, and recovered it after a lapse of twelve years ! The tale need not be believed ; but it will convey an idea of the extent of the works. There are excavations on all sides of the idols; and below the larger one, half a regiment might find quarters.
Page 274 - It is said, indeed, that three fourths of the people of Bokhara are of slave extraction ; for of the captives brought from Persia into Toorkistan few are permitted to return, and, by all accounts, there are many who have no inclination to do so. A great portion of the people of Bokhara appear on horseback; but, whether mounted or on foot, they are dressed in boots, and the pedestrians strut on high and small heels, in which it was difficult for me to walk or even stand. They are about an inch and...
Page 291 - The life of this king is less enviable than that of most private men. The water which he drinks is brought in skins from the river, under the charge and seal of two officers. It is opened by the Vizier, first tasted by his people and then by himself, when it is once more sealed and despatched to the king. The daily meals of his majesty undergo a like scrutiny; the minister eats, he gives to those around him, they wait the lapse of an hour to judge of their effect, when they are locked up in a box...
Page 273 - Uzbeks delight to appear before their king in a mottled garment of silk, called " udrus," made of the brightest colours, and which would be intolerable to any but an Uzbek. Some of the higher persons are clothed in brocade, and one may distinguish the gradations of the chiefs, since those in favour ride into the citadel, and the others dismount at the gate. Almost every individual who visits the king is attended by his slave ; and though this class of people are for the most part Persians or their...
Page 58 - A slab, with an inscription in that language, which had been lately dug up, was also shown to us ; and I learn from M. Court that he found a fluted pillar near this site with a capital very like the Corinthian order. It, however, had a Hindoo figure on it. 'At present there are no buildings standing ; but the ground is strewed with broken pieces of kilnburnt bricks and pottery, the latter of a superior description. On the opposite side of the Hydaspes...
Page 137 - I named the different nations, sketched out their relative power, and informed him, that our advancement in civilisation did no more exempt us from war and quarrels than his own country ; that we viewed each other's acts with jealousy, and endeavoured to maintain a balance of power, to prevent one king from overturning another. Of this, however, there were, I added, various instances in European history; and the chief himself had heard of Napoleon. He next requested me to inform him of the revenues...
Page 80 - Indus, fought a battle in this spot; and that the lights now seen are the spirits of the departed. I should not have credited the constancy of this will-o'-thewisp, had I not seen it. It may arise from the reflection of the water on the rock, smoothed by the current: but then it only shows itself on a particular spot, and the whole bank is smoothed. It may also be an exhalation of some gas from a fissure in the rock, but its position prevented our examining it.