The Merv Oasis: Travels and Adventures
East of the Caspian During the Years 1879-80-81,
Including Five Months' Residence Among
the Tekkes of Merv
By
Edmund O'Donovan
Published by G. P. Putnam's sons, 1883 Volume II
Page 62
62 MAJOR STEWART— AGRICULTURE.
supposed nationality. He told me that he belonged to an
Armenian family settled in Calcutta for three
generations, and that he had learned English there. His
two servants were unmistakable Armenians, and he and they
conversed a good deal in Hindustani. The name he gave was
Khwaja Ibrahim, and his business in the Deregez was to purchase
Turkmen horses. On this excursion he accompanied the
Khan. About three weeks after the commencement of our
acquaintance he informed me that his real name was
Stewart, and that he was Major of the Fifth Punjab
Infantry, and travelling on leave of absence. He was,
like myself, desirous of penetrating to Merv, but finally
gave up the project, getting wearied of the obstacles
raised by the Persian officials in the way
of any stranger entering the Turkmen country. He left
me at Muhammedabad ten or twelve days after our return from
this Lotfabad expedition, and returned to Meshed,
whence he
proceeded home by way of Teheran and the Caspian, his
leave of absence being nearly expired, and no time being
left him to thread any further the intricacies of
Oriental intrigue.
Subsequently, when I returned from Merv to Teheran,
I met him in the latter town, he having come back from England
to return again to the charge. "Wheat, barley, and
melons are the chief crops grown in the Attock. As we
passed, the peasants were everywhere at work with their
rude wooden ploughs, each having only an iron shoe on the
ploughshare. The harrow was T-shaped, being merely a tree
trunk having a pole driven into its midst, and to which
the oxen were attached. Oxen are universally employed in
agriculture, horses being reserved for riding. Nearly
every one, no matter how poor, possesses at least one
horse. The peasants were all armed while at work, each
man having his musket slung on his back as he followed
the plough or harrow. Farming, in fact, is quite a
warlike business.
Chapter 30 - Chapter 31 - Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Page 55 - Page 56 - Page 57 - Page 58 - Page 59 - Page 60 - Page 61 - Page 62 - Page 63 - Page 64 - Page 65 - Page 66 - Page 67 - Page 68 - Page 69 - Page 70 - Chapter 34
|