Non-Fiction > Uncollected essays > Volume 6, 1874 - Academy

August 8, 1874.]
THE ACADEMY.
143
tions. Making all allowance for Lis ignor-
ance of other pojiular literatures, there is
yet much that he could have illustrated and
cleared up for us. One would have wished
to know, for instance, whether the proud,
self-reliant, democratic sentiment, so strong
in Burns, is to be traced inany of the earlier
songs of Scotland. One would have wished
to hear something of the relations between
the measure of the verses and the music to
which they were sung. One would have
hoped for some reference to a peculiar
taking rhythm that recurs in all Scotch
versifiers down to Scott or even Mr. Robert
Buchanan. But of all this there is no
word. Dr. Clark Murray goes on towards
his own end, and pas.ses these minor ques-
tions blandly and unconsciously by.
Hi's own end, then, or rather that of the
St. Andrews Society', of Glasgow, how is
that accomplished ? Well, this is the
strangest part of the whole affair. We
hear nothing whatever about the influence
of this literature upon the people, save in
passing and guarded allusions. Whether
the Scotch are drunken because they have
good drinking songs, or vice versa, the
Doctor professes himself unable to decide.
Whether certain indecorous verses, to which
he alludes with a modesty highly becoming
in a Professor of Moral Philosophy, may not
have something to do with the number of
illegitimate births in country districts, he is
not altogether sure. In short. Dr. Clark
Murray refuses, with singular discretion, to
commit himself to any definite opinion on
the subject ; he is restrained, by a pleasing
diffidence, from deciding for us whether their
ballads and songs have had a great influence,
or no influence at all, upon the people of his
native land ; he had rather, it appears, leave
the matter open for the better judgment of
the reader. Now, modesty is a good thing
in itself; but the same modesty which with-
holds a man from resolving a question, should
certainly keep him back fi'om publishing the
fact of his indecision to the world in more
than two hundred pages of type. Indeed,
the psychological problem thus presented is
not without interest. Having set before
himself a certain task, and having failed to
accomplish it — having striven, honestly and
strenuously no doubt, to set a certain ques-
tion at rest, and having utterly failed to
bring forth the least figment of an answer —
having, in a word, miscarried of the whole
jiurport of his book — we ask ourselves in
wonder, what possible reason could have in-
duced this unsuccessful enquirer to record,
at such great length, the story of his failure ?
Egbert Louis Stevenson.
Kliiea and Turl-cslan. Translated by Captain
Spalding, F.R.G.S. (London : Chapman
& Hall, 18/4.)
The. Russians in Central Asia. By Frederick
von Hellwald. Translated by Colonel
Wirgmau. (London : Henry S. King &
Co., 1873.)
Both these translations are very useful
additions to our knowledge of Central Asian
affairs. The finst on our list is written by
a Russian, and reveals the spirit in which
Russia's advance towards our Indian fron-
tiers is viewed by the writer, who stands, it
would seem, in the light of an apologist
before a section of his fellow-countrymen,
and thei'efore the excuses and extenuation
for her policy which he urges will be studied
with interest by us. The other work will,
we think, take rank as a compendium of
reference on this question. It is by a
neutral, aid is itself erudite and impartial — ^
such a work, in short, as might be expected
from so painstaking, cautions, and con-
scientious a writer as Herr von Hellwald.
Captain Spalding, . the translator of the
Russian work, does not inform us who the
author of Khiva and Turkestan is ; but evi-
dently the author or authors — for there
appear to be traces of this book not being
the work of one hand — are to a certain ex-
tent behind tbe scenes, and have access to
authentic information.
Thctwo books should be read and compared
one with another, and here at the outset
we are met by this difficulty — viz., the un-
systematic way in which works referring to
Central Asia are generally presented to the
British public, in regard to the spelling of
names and the use of foreign measures.
Whether they are original works in the Eng.
lish language, or translations, such as the
works before us, we insist that the ortho-
graphy of the Eastern names should be cor-
rect, and that our weights and measures
and the Fahrenheit scale should bo invariably
used. We notice in these volumes, for in-
stance, that the name Perovski is used equally
with Peroosky. The proper way of spelling
the chief town of Central Asia in Russian
possession, according to the system Colonel
Wirgmau professes to have adopted, is
Tashkand,so also Samarkand — notTashkend
or Tashkent, or Samarcand. So also such
frenchified orthography as Ak Mechet,
Djazzuk, Tchemkent, should be avoided.
Colonel Wirgman's transliteration of Eastern
names is, however, much the most correct.
Again, when reading of marches or heights
of mountains, or degrees of heat, we prefer
appreciating at once what is intended, with-
out having to go through the computation
of turning versts or German miies into
English miles, or degrees Reaumur into
degrees Fahrenheit, or Paris feet into English
long measure. This defect the translators
might with very httle extra trouble have
remedied, thereby considerably enhancing
the pleasure with which these interesting
volumes will be read. We must also add,
that we could wish the names on the maps
and those in the text agreed in the spelling
better than they do.
Khiva and Turheslan is the first instal-
ment of a series of essays or treatises on the
various countries comprehended within the
scope of the Central Asian Question ; and we
hope Captain Spalding will hereafter treat
us to tran.slations of the remaining portions of
the Russian author's programme, viz., on
the Khanates of Bukhara and Kokan, as also
on Afghanistan and Baluchistan. As it is
evident that ineither of the authors of the
volumes before us have visited tbe countries
they describe, their works can only be re-
garded as compilations fiom various sources
of information. Khiva avd Tnrl-estaii is avow-
edly written for and addressed to Russian
opinion regarding the advances past and
future of that empire towards the south,
because it appears there is in Rus.siaa strono-
national party who deprecate further annexa-
tion. With this object the habits and
customs of the Turkomans and the vice and
cruelty of the Khivan Court are minutclv
described, and it appears to us slightly over-
drawn. The pci-sonal narratives of Vambery
and De Blocqueville form the groundwork
for most of the descriptive portions.
Herr von Hellwald's industry is astonish-
ing. The researches he has made on Central
Asian matters have enabled him to present in
his volume, The Russians in Central Asia, a
mass of previously not generally known in-
formation concerning the campaigns against
Khiva and Bukhara ; but it is chiefly
with regard to the advance of the Russian
frontier towards China and Kokan and the
nature of her relations with our new ally,
the ruler of Kashgar, that we think the
most important light has been afforded.
His chapter on tlie military operations
against Samarkand is highly instructive, and
we are led to ask ourselves, if causes similar
to those which led to that campaign should
again present themselves, what guarantee is
there that similar measures of policy may not
be adopted by Russia ? It is not, of course,
our purpose here to do otherwise than to
notice bi-icfly the volumes before us, which
we have done ; but we cannot refrain from
remarking how rapid Russian advance has
been of late years. Commencing with 18o9
— the date of General Perovski's abortive
but memorable expedition against Khiva,
Herr von Hellwald shows how, nine years
afterwards, by the erection of the forts of
Karabutalski, Uralskoi, Orenburgskoi, and
Aralski, the peace of the Kirghiz steppe was
guarded, and the basis of operations in the
valley of the Sir Daria secured. In another
five years Russia by advancing another step
planted her standards on the forts of Ak
Musjid-Kasul, and Karmakchi, and the line
of the Sir Daria fell into her hands. In
1859, six years afterwards, Chulah Kurgan
was taken ; then followed in quick succes-
sion the seizure of Yani-Kurgan in ISGl,
Aulia Ata and Huzrut-i-Turkestan in 1864,
as also that of Chemkand. Afterwards
followed the fall of Tashkand, aud, in 1868, a
direct advance on Kashgar was contemplated,
and a fort south of the Issutkul was built,
Samarkand was taken in 18G8, and Buk-
hara practically brought under Russian
subjection. In 1869, further operations
towards the south were interrupted by the
revolt of the Kasaks, Kalmuks and Klr-
ghis inhabiting the steppes from the Don
to line of the Sir Daria. This revolt is
said to have been stirred up by Khivan
emissaries. In 1870 Kitat was taken, and
then another point a long way off to the
east, but still v.ith the same object in
view, was taken — viz., Kulja, in 1871. The
fall of Khiva in 1873 completes the list as far
as is no%v known. But who is bold enough to
suppose Russia can stay where she is, or
that the fanciful line of delimitation ima-
gined for Afghanistan will secure respect
for that kingdom ? We have no pretensions
to vaticination, but is it very speculativ e to as-
sign 1875 for the capture of Merve ? Or would
it be very rash to say that in 1880 or 1885
the capture of Andekui Balkh and Kunduz
will not enable Russia to complete her mill-