I do not therefore insert his table from the Philosophical Magazine now before me, but at once conclude with a general summary of the dilatations which our experiments in India have established, in a manner worthy, I hope, of entire confidence. IRON, 1,001213 Dilatations of metals determined at Calcutta. nearly pure, (10 feet long) ... one-inch pipe, (25 feet) .... 1,0012101,001215 1,001256 1,001438 1,001904 1,001691 1,001906 1,002954 The apparatus used in the foregoing experiments is preserved, in case it should ever become a desideratum to try the expansion of other metals or substances by the same process. IV. Continuation of Dr. J. Gerard's Route with Lieutenant Burnes, from Bokhára to Meshid. [Extracted from letters to his brother Captain P. Gerard.] Mírabád, 31st July, 1832. We took leave of Bokhára on the 21st ultimo, and are now in a Túrkoman village, about 36 miles distant, awaiting the arrival of the merchants, &c. who are to form the Kafila; but we may be here long enough, as the Urganj army is still in our way. Ghos Bég sent for us before starting, and made us over to the Túrkomans and Kafila bashi, with every demonstration of good will, and enjoining them to convey us safe to Meshid at their peril. **** The weather has been uniformly sultry;-thermometer daily above 100°, even as high as 110°, and our sitting room is but a few degrees cooler, but the extreme dryness of the air counteracts the sensation of heat. The nights have generally been pleasant and the mornings always temperate ;-thermometer 66°. Though it is now the middle of August, the climate can scarcely be said to have changed, except that the nights are cooler. Meshid, 17th September, 1832.-Here we are safe in Persia, after a journey of no ordinary difficulty. We left the village (Mirabad) so long our prison, on the 16th of August, and crossed the Oxus on the following morning, intending (as we had believed upon faithless resolutions), to accomplish the trip in fifteen or sixteen days. Our first detention commenced at Sarjué on the bank of the river, but as this Other Ka was not occasioned by any untoward event we cared less. filas joined us here, and on the 21st we resumed the journey across the ⚫desert. The weather had undergone a great change, and was now temperate. We almost immediately entered amongst sand heaps, which succeeded in rising heights, and extended till they bordered the horizon on all sides; and the Shimal or north wind sweeping away the loose surface, made it appear like the sea spray, while the heaps themselves represented the waves. The camels trod heavily through the sand drifts, and the horses plunged as if they were fording a river. Several belts of this sort occurred between them, tracts of sand covered with bushes or shrubs, and then a ridge of the desert composed of hillocks or sand waves, which at a distance looked like a vast roller just going to break. Scarce any track is visible, the wind defacing the prints of the camels' feet; but there is a general line of route which is followed. The sand heaps are of every size and shape, but have commonly their cliff to the south; deep chasms are formed by the junction of their bases, and basins or cavities which would resemble pools if filled with water. The scene was quite new and magnificent. It was altogether a wilderness. We passed several dead carcases of camels and horses, the drivers of which, having missed the wells, killed some of them for sustenance. Most of the wells were saliferous, but the water answered for our horses and some of the people, who live little better. The climate had evidently turned from its extreme temperature, and in this respect we had not to complain. The nights, contrary to expectation, were very mild. A very long march brought us to a well of bad water, after having been without any except what we brought from a distance. This was a relief the more grateful, as we had nearly missed the spot, and perseverance alone in feeling for the road kept us in a proper direction, till the barking of a dog announced our proximity to a Túrkoman camp. On the 27th we reached a baked arid plain, on which was planted a tented village of Túrkomans. Here we were to be taxed by the Urganj authorities, who came down to us from the ancient city of Mawur or Myhr, now almost level with the face of the desert, and no longer an inhabited spot. The Urganj army was close upon us, but on their homeward route. On the 28th the collector arrived, and inspected the Kafila. The merchants presented him, as customary, with various articles: we sat mute in our camel panniers, and were duly reported as Musafirs upon a pilgrimage to the places of fire worship; our offering to the taxman consisted of loaf sugar and tea. Our prodigality was nearly ruining us; fortunately a Russian merchant (a Mahomedan who traded to Russia, whose avarice had conquered all pride of self-sufficiency), from a regard to his own interests, checked our liberality, and instead of presenting a couple of sugar-loaves and a handful of tea, broke off the end of one, and with a few raisins made up our nazar. Several of his train peeped into our creels and asked after our business, and were quite satisfied on being told that we were Afghans from Kabúl: so little are those people acquainted with the colour and characteristics of Europeans. In this respect, therefore, our faces are real masks, and it was here only the name of our country that we had an object in concealing, since to the services of those in Abbas Mirza's army especially, not a little of the bad feeling between the Khan of Urganj and the Persians is owing. Russians and Englishmen are alike their enemies, or rather the Urganjis are hostile to both. In the afternoon we ventured out of our camel baskets as the enemy was departing, but as some of his dependents were lingering behind we were warned back. In the evening we got out and laughed heartily at the transaction. In truth we were quite at our ease all the time, not believing that there was an individual in our camp who had any object in betraying us; but it was not long till we discovered that wretches are to be found in every community, and people whose fair faces belie their feelings. We had only a week's march between us and Meshid, and we started again with fine prospects. On the 1st of September we came in sight of the mountains of Persia, and next day arrived at Shiraks, a Túrkoman village with a fort. Here we were to be taxed, but misfortunes seldom come single; and if the merchants had to complain of an imposition, we certainly had not bargained for a share of their burdens and a load of our own besides. While in our former embarrassment near Myhr, we superadded to it the pleasant prospect of meeting a body of Allemans, whom the merchants of our Kafila actually saw marched off upon a predatory excursion to the borders of Meshid. The tax-gatherer, who had an interest in the safety of the Kafilas, exacted a promise from them, that should they cross our path we had nothing to fear: but a robber's pledge is like lover's vow graved upon some insect's filmy wing, and lasts only till the bait is thrown out. No fewer than seven hundred of those armed ruffians were thus let loose. At Shiraks we learnt that the Allemans were still in pursuit of booty, and the Kafila took up its position till they should have passed us on their return. Apprehensions were now turned into real horror, at least with me, when we beheld the cold-blooded monsters racing into the village, with their spears poized and their horses almost dead from fatigue in their infernal occupation. They U brushed past our encampment, some of them stopping and conversing with the Kafila, and relating their adventures to the merchants, who in pursuance of their trade took a heartless interest in that of the robbers, as upon their success more or less would rest their own security. Upwards of 100 Kuzlbashes were seized for the Bokhára market, and a number of camels and cows which they drove off from within sight of the walls of Meshid. Their encampment was close to us, and we were almost tempted to take a look at it. Some of the Allemans were disabled, while their horses were scarce able to carry them. Many had returned empty-handed, finding the work too heavy; all those who touched at the village came for refreshment or to visit their friends. This is a strange state of society, yet these intrepid adventurers, when seen in the ordinary relations of life, are not only sociable companions, but even prepossessing in their natural simplicity and easy manners. The guard of Túrkomans we had were the same people, and every individual of it could enumerate his exploits in the inglorious field; but this is perhaps not quite fair, as it requires a considerable share of courage to meet the various perils of their vocation: pillage alone is their aim, and, of all others, human beings are their greatest prize; nor is it much to be wondered at that, amongst people who are naturally prone to rapine, their fellow creatures should be most coveted, as long as the infamous markets of Bokhára and Urganj offer a premium for the traffic. The Russians have, I believe, succeeded in restraining slavery as regards Bokhára : but what reliance is to be placed upon any compact that is both adverse to mercenary interests and religious zeal? There are several hundred Russian slaves now in the dominions of the Bokhara dynasty, and as long as Túrkomans offer them for sale there will be purchasers; and what does Russia know of her black population or of her fugitive soldiers, who wander amongst half savage hordes at the extremities of her territory? At Shiraks there was a Persian girl of unquestionable beauty who had been in slavery for a couple of years, with the Túrkomans of course; her transfer was delayed in hopes of an enhanced price, and a Kafila which followed us, picked her up at what may appear a high valuation, if indeed we can make any estimate of what is in itself unappreciable! But you will excuse me for treating the subject in this loose way, having resided so long in a quarter of our own dominions where female slavery is as notorious as the sun at noon day, and if not quite so glaring, is, I fear, scarcely less remarkable, while it is as genial to the people's feelings as his rays to their frozen solitudes. The Persian girl was sold for upwards of 60 tilas, more than 420 rupees, a sum that would purchase at least a dozen of females in the Himálayan regions. When this infernal traffic is so profitable, can we expect that the hungry Túrkomans of the desert will restrain their cupidity for human flesh ?—but this is a subject for sages in their closet, and not for travellers. Our detention at Shiraks till the roads were cleared of lingering robbers was necessarily prejudicial to us, as we were still in the Urganj territories, though virtually subject to Abbas Mirza: but you may judge of his authority by the successful obtrusions of the Túrkomans even to the gates of this holy city. Our protests against imposition on the previous occasion of paying taxes had given umbrage to several of the merchants, who seemed to have leagued together to make what they could of us; and finding us still self-confident, had recourse to the mean tricks natural to the trade, and betrayed us. We were now to be locked up in the fort till the Khan of Urganj sent for us ; and at first we saw nothing but certain misfortune, slavery at the very least, and we prepared for flight with the evening's twilight at the risk of falling into the hands of the Allemans, or half perishing for thirst in the desert. When thus turning over our thoughts, one of the merchants, a Persian, whose state of health had made him extremely grateful for our curative attentions, relieved us from our suspense, and, together with the avaricious Russian trader, offered to conciliate the Túrkoman chiefs, and pass us off as pilgrims or any other species of wanderers. A couple of tilas and a little tea and sugar, with sweet words, satisfied their expectations; but fortune favoured us more than our presents, as it happened that our friend the Persian was a most intimate acquaintance of the very people who pressed us so closely. Having got out of this snare, we divested ourselves of every comfort we might have had over our fellow travellers, sat in the sun or in our creels, and ceased to cook our dinner as usual, as the fire collected a swarm of Túrkomans as a candle does insects. Still delayed, new difficulties arose, a plot to extort money or tea was again begun, and our apprehensions of rumours of our disguise reaching the chiefs of the Urganj army were too well grounded. A fresh body of Allemans had issued from Múwar, and were approaching Meshid; our consternation was further raised on learning that Abbas Mirza's Elchee (ambassador) on his way to Herát was seized by the very people we were amongst, and was actually a prisoner in irons in the village, so that on every side we were environed by difficulties of one sort or other; at last a Kafila from Meshid made its appearance, and our irresolute associates got under weigh, much to our satisfaction, after nine days of the most |
