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��out of Herat, and became sole ruler of AT- ghuuistan.
North ot'tbe Ilittdii Kuah, and between that range, the Oxiis River, and the Tnrkomnn Steppe, are situated Badakshan and Afghan Turkestan, as the provinces of Kunduz, Khnlm, Balkh, Sir-i-piil, Shibirkhan, Andkhui, nud Maimana are conveniently called now- adays. The great maaa of the population belongs to the I'sbeg race, who are of the same Turki atock as the Usbeg inhabitants of Rus- sian Turkeatnn. The best account of this part of the world, in recent limes, is ■ Gen, Grode- kolTs ride from Samarkand to Herat,' trans- lated from the Russian by the indefatigable Charles Marvin.
Before 1872, Balkh, near the ruins of the ancient fiactra, was the capital of Afglian Tur- kestan. But in that year the cholera raged there with sneh virulence that the seat of gov- ernment was removed to Mazar-i- Sharif, a few milea to the east, where is situated, according to the Usbega. the tomb of Ali. Balkli is now an insignificant village. Gen. GrodekofT spent a couple of weeks of enforced idleness at Ma- zar-i-Sharif inlSTf*; and to his Russian eyes the Usb^s seemed ready to fall into the arms .of the czar, the advance of whose armies. however menacing to Afghanistan and India, has certainly brought order and law to central Asia, and especially to the Usbeg countries of Bokhara and Khiva. Almost nothing is known of the condition of the country at the present lime; but the Usbegs assisted AbduiTahman Khan in his straggle against the sons of Shtr Ali. That they are more trusted by the Ka- hulites now than in 1878, is shown by the fact, that, while they were then disarmed, an Usbeg vorps formed part of the amir's eseoft to the recent conference at Rawal Pindi.
The origin of the Turkomans is veiled in obscurity ; but it may be stated as certain, that in 18.^0 the Tekke Turkomans occupied the Akhal oasis, the Sarik Turkomans lived amidst the ruins of Mer*-, and the Salor Turkomans lesided in and around Sarakhs. They were all robbers and slave -stealers, but the Tekkes seem to huve been bj' far the most savage and cnei^etic. Thej' nourished, and outgrew the capabilities of the AUhal oasis. A [lortion split off, and, advancing to the east, settled down on the Tajand. The Persians, in 1833. lell upon the Salors at .Sarakiis, and all that esea]>ed took refuge among the Sarlks at Mcrv. The Tekkes then moved on to Sar- akhs, and, as tUey gradually acquired strength, extended their forays to Khiva, Bokhara, and to fiery [lart of Persian Khorassan. This
��brought upon Uiem the vengeance of the Per- sians, who, in 18.57, drove them from Sarakhs to Merv. As there was not room on that oasis for such a lai'ge population, the Tekkes com- pelled the Sariks to moi'e farther up the Miirgli- Ab. They established themselves at Yulatan and Panj Deh, driving out the Salors, and ac- conling to the Russian general, Petrusevitcb. some Afghan nomads who fed llieir flocks near the latter place. The Tekkes, now masters of Merv, built an enormous dam at Benci, and by raeann of lateral canals greatly increased the cultivable area of the oasis, until it became capable of supporting a population of not less than a quarter-million souls. From this secure retreat, the Merv Tekkes raided the frontier provinces of Pereia and Afghanistan, until whole districts became desolate. In ISt-l a Persian army thirty thousand strong, accom- panied by artillery, was sent against them; but instead of defeating the Merv Tekkes, the Persians were overthrown, and fully one-half captured and sold into slavery by the Mervli. After the Russians bad brought Kbiva and Bokhara under their dominion in 1873, they abolished slavery in those places, and, by clos- ing their great slave- markets, took away from the Tekkes the incentive to the capture of
The ground put forwaid by Russia to justify her occupation of Panj Deh and Sarakhs is now clear ; that is, if we allow that the Sarika were tributary to the Merv Tekkes. Those of Yulatan undoubtedly were ; they could not very well help it, living as they did on the oasis. But the case is not so clear as to the Panj Deh Sariks, who, according to the English and Afghans, pay tribute to Herat. The Russians reply that no tribute is paid except at the point of the bayonet, and therefore, on ethno- logical grounds, Panj Deb should go with Merv. That compulsion is necessary, is certainly true. It is admitted by the Afghans. But the soldier is the tax-gatherer not only of Panj Dob, but of central Asia. In conclusion, it will not be amiss to again point out that all of Afghanis- tan north of the Hindu Kush and its outlying spurs belongs, both geographically and elhno- graphically, to Russian Asia, rathei* than to Afghanistan. Edward CiiANNrsG.
��THE LEGAL LANGUAGE OF INDIA.*
In the higher courts of jualice and in government
admiiiiatratlon In Calcutlo, Madras, and Borabaj. tbe
Engtiah language Is coniins Into general uae. In
' IninilalBl fmm Oie OalrmtchiKhnnonattfchri/tfir den
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