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 68
68 CAPTURE OF GEOK TEPE
concentrated at Yengi Sheher, between fifty and sixty
thousand kibitkas covering the ground within the walls.
These latter, of the usual unbaked brick, enclosed a
rectangular space, some eight thousand paces in circuit,
and furnished with nine gates. Of these, three were in
the western side, three in the northern, two in the
eastern, and one in the southern.
In the north-western portion of the town stands an
ancient earth -mound called the Dengil Tepe, a name
sometimes also given to the town itself. Along the
western and eastern sides of the place, which are also
the longer, run two streams of water, having their
sources in the mountains to the south, and running
northward into the desert, where they disappear. Along
these streams, which constituted the water supply of the
population, were several mills. Lest these water-courses
should be diverted, many wells and reservoirs had been
constructed within the walls. Opposite each gate was a
large traverse, to protect it from artillery fire. Within
their entrenchments, solid enough to resist any fire save
that of a regular siege train, and sufficiently high to
make an assault a very hazardous affair, the Tekkes
confidently awaited the Russian advance. That,
however, they had certain misgivings, would seem to be
indicated by the fact that, instead of storing the
produce of the harvest within the walls, it was concealed
in pits considerably to the east and north of the town,
provisions for but a week at a time being brought
in.’ The Russians assumed the aggressive by pushing
forward a strong force to a place called Kareez Yagana
Bahadur, within seven miles of Yengi Sheher, and close to
the foot of the mountains. Thence they went forward to
Urpagli, only two thousand paces from the walls, and, 1
The details of the siege here given were supplied to me
by various refugees from Yengi Sheher, Makdum Kuli Khan
himself among the number.
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
|