Historical Reference

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 64

64 AWLILI AND MAKDUMS— SKINNING A HEAD.
Kurds, Persians, and even Turkmen. On the other hand, these populations will become large consumers of the Russian goods, which already have such importance in their markets. It is not extravagant to anticipate that at a not very remote day millions of inhabitants will be found in the regions now so thinly settled, and that the prosperity of old tunes will be rivaled by the modern development of this fertile land.

The Khan stopped only one night in Lotfabad, and the next morning continued his excursion to Makdum, a village inhabited by a distinct tribe of Turkmen. The Tekkes form the population in the part of the Attock immediately adjoining the desert. Behind them are the Awlilis, and, close to the foot of the Allah Akbar, the Makdums have their settlements. The village was once fortified, but the Makdums have allowed the walls to go to ruin. Beyond this place are the remains of numerous irrigation ditches, and some large canals, all giving proof of a large former population. We made a brief stay in Makdum, returning to Lotfabad the same evening, and thence the next day to Muhammedabad.

On the day after my arrival I received an invitation to visit the prison, for the purpose of seeing a Turkmen prisoner who had just been brought in. He had been shot through the thigh-bone by a Chassepot bullet, and his captors were quite uncertain whether it was worth while to retain him as prisoner. Should he die, as a matter of course no ransom could be obtained for him, and, meantime, the cost of his food would be so much dead loss. I was asked whether he could recover, and after examination of the wound I pronounced it quite possible that he could. On the ground, beside the unfortunate prisoner, lay the ghastly head of one of his countrymen, brought in at the same time, and which had been kept unflayed for my

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

Some other works:

• Balfour on the Turkmen 1883
• Basin of the Helmand. By Markham
• Care and feeding of the Akhal Teke/Tekke Horses by Boulger
• On Journeys Between Herat, and Khiva.By Goldsmid
• Origin of the Turkmen, with an Account of the Minor Tribes by Marvin
• Road to Merv. By Rawlinson
• The Turkmen by Boulger

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