At about half a league distance from Ashourada, we passed several sea-marks, consisting of long painted poles. I was told by Yakoub that they had been placed there by the 'Inghiliz,' to mark the limits of the Russian waters, the other side belonging to the Turkomans, whom the 'Inghiliz 'would always protect against the attack of the Russians. It was always a riddle to me to discover who had instilled into these wild sons of the desert such far-reaching ideas of policy. It is not for me to discriminate these [{44}] sea-marks; still less to weigh the amount of sympathy felt by England for the Turkomans.
[Arrival at Gömüshtepe and at the Mouth of the Gorghen.]
In less than an hour the Turkoman coast lay well defined before us, appearing as a long tract of land with elevated ground here and there. We followed the direction indicated by other craft which were running in before us: the sails were soon lowered, for we had reached the end of the navigable waters, and lay off about a mile and a half from the mouth of the Görghen. On both of its banks we saw the encampment of Gömüshtepe, in form like a hundred beehives lying close together.
As it had been at Karatepe, so was it also here, on account of the shallowness: even boats that draw little water cannot approach the shore, or run into the river Görghen, which is itself tolerably deep and never wants water. We were therefore obliged to wait at a considerable distance off shore until Yakoub should have disembarked, reported his arrival, and sent back to us several Teïmils to aid us in our disembarkation. After some delay, three of these very original transports came; they were to perform their little voyages as often as our numbers rendered it necessary, until all should be landed.
Hadji Bilal and I were the last to land, and I was really delighted when, on touching shore, I heard that Khandjan, informed of my arrival by my honest friend Yakoub, had hastened down to receive me. There I found him on landing, a few paces behind, in the attitude necessitated by the repetition of the afternoon prayer (Aszr-Namazi).
Reception by Turkoman Chief of the Caspian Shore.
CHAPTER V.
| ARRIVAL AT GÖMÜSHTEPE, HOSPITABLE RECEPTION OF THE HADJIS |
| KHANDJAN |
| ANCIENT GREEK WALL |
| INFLUENCE OF THE ULEMAS |
| FIRST BRICK MOSQUE OF THE NOMADS |
| TARTAR RAIDS |
| PERSIAN SLAVES |
| EXCURSION TO THE NORTH-EAST OF GÖMÜSHTEPE |
| TARTAR FIANCÉE AND BANQUET, ETC. |
| PREPARATION OF THE KHAN OF KHIVA'S KERVANBASHI FOR THE JOURNEY THROUGH THE DESERT |
| LINE OF CAMELS |
| ILIAS BEG, THE HIRER OF CAMELS |
| ARRANGEMENTS WITH KHULKHAN |
| TURKOMAN EXPEDITION TO STEAL HORSES IN PERSIA |
| ITS RETURN. |