Yet the Russian expedition against Khiva in 1839 was one that, to judge from the care with which it had been prepared, should have succeeded. Its superiority over the Khivan army was not less unquestionable than the superiority of Lord Keane's army over that of Dost Mahomed. The officer who was entrusted with the command was General Peroffsky, certainly not an incompetent or an inexperienced soldier. His force consisted of five thousand fighting-men, twenty-two guns, and ten thousand camels, according to Mr. Schuyler; but Captain Abbott says that Peroffsky himself admitted that he had ten thousand men. There was also a large body of Kirghiz attached to the expedition. The march from Orenburg to Khiva lies through nine hundred and thirty miles of steppe beyond the Emba river, which is almost destitute of water during the summer, and well-nigh impassable in winter, on account of the depth of the snow and the extreme severity of the weather. For some reason or other — the Russians say through the treachery of a Polish officer[1] — it was considered that, although Russian soldiers could not do without water, there was no degree of cold to which they were not proof. It was in consequence resolved to begin the march in the autumn; but the fates were against the Russians in every way, for that year the winter set in unusually early, and with remarkable severity. Before Peroffsky had got more than half way to Khiva he
- ↑ I can find no trace of any officer having been tried for treachery after the close of the campaign.
