THE DANGERS OF CENTRAL ASIA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LI, Issue 5600, 5 February 1879, Page 5

THE DANGERS OF CENTRAL ASIA.

The London Globe writes“ That wellinformed journal, the New Freie Fresse, reports, on the authority of a letter from Turkestan, some very mysterious disappearances in Central Asia. Borne months ago six great caravans left the Bussian territory en route for OabuL They were supposed to convey merchandise, but for one reason or another they were accompanied by an exceptionally large number of men—quite a regiment, in fact, with each caravan. And, odder still, more than half of these multitudinous merchants were Europeans. Three of these caravans have lately returned minus their freight, and we may therefore assume that just at present Afghanistan is very anxious for Russian goods; also, for Bussian men, it would almost seem, for five-sixths of the European escorts that accompanied the caravans have not come back. Arduous as are the difficulties of the road, we can scarcely imagine that so many of these hardy traders perished on the way, and as Afghanistan has quite as large a population as her sterile soil can support, it is somewhat of a problem to account for the disappearance of these guileless merchants. But the fact does not stand by itself to show that Central Asia must be a very treacherous region, given to swallowing up its inhabitants by tee thousand. Last spring a Russian expedition set out for Bokhara and the Amu Darya—let us imagine for scientific purposes only. Some of these adventurous savants have returned, but ‘it is not known what has become of the rest.* This is very shocking, and yet there would still seem to remain some great attractions towards the south, for we learn that a steady tide of Muscovite and Slav emigrants is setting in in that direction. The Czar ought certainly to interfere at once, and prevent his faithful subjects from plunging into the mysterious gulf of a chronic earthquake, or whatever the danger may be, which evidently lies somewhere between the confines of Asiatic Russia and British India. It would only be commonly humane for the Indian Government to institute inquiry as to the fate of the missing merchants and scientists. Perhaps they may be in Afghanistan, and if so it would well become England, being on such friendly terms with Russia as she is, to use whatever influence she still possesses with Shere Ali to procure the immediate return of these unhappy men to their native country.”