The Urbak, though settled in Central Asia for centuries past, still meditates on robbery and war, and if no foreign enemy be found, they attack each other in bloody internal strife. The Uzbak is honest, upright, has much Turkish open- hearted ness ; they are proud of their education, and represent all the best side of the national chamcter of the Turks.
The nomade Uzbak and Turkoman of Central Asia were largely engaged in a slave trade, stealing the Persians and selling them in Bokhara. The Uzbaks of Khiva practised it when driven towards Persia by the Turkoman ; and of the Turkoman, the Tekke tribe captured the people of Khoraszut, Herat, and Seistan, and the Yomut tribe, those along the southern shores of the Caspian, but the Salor, Sirik, Kara Chadar, and Alieli captured Shiali Persians from the territory of the Pemians.
In January 1884, the Tekke Turkoman of Mery at their own request became Russian subjects.
The name by which Vambery designates these peoples is Turko-Tartar, from amongst whom canto the warrior peoples known in the _west as the Ilun, the Avar, the Uigur, the hutrigur, and Khazar. And the manner of living, the customs, and physical conditions, as then described, of the Tartar tribes, whose arms reached from the Jaxartes to the heart of Rome and Gaul, have much resent. blance to those of the present inhabitants of Turk estan ; and the people of Central Asia, particularly the nomade tribes, aro in their social habits the same a8 they were two thousand years ago. III the tent of many a nomtule chief a siinilar life is observable as that described by Priscus as prevailing, at the court of the king of the Huns. Attila, Cliengiz Khan, and Timm., in historical character resemble each other ; and Vambery ix of opinion that energy and good fortune could now almost produce on the banks of the Oxus and Jaxartes one of those warriors whose soldiers, like an avalanche carrying everything before it, would increase to hundreds of thousands, and would appear as a new example of God's (scourge, if the powerful barriers of western civilisation, which has great influence in the east, did not stop the way. This is a correct view.
The Turk, wherever met with, is ever heavy and lethargic in his mind and body, but in his resolves firm and stedfast, not front principle, but from apathy and aversion to change ; and it is front these characteristics that his appearance is earnest and solemn, a profound seriousness, a marble cold expression of countenance, with a great inclination to pomp and magnificence. An Uzbak
or Turkoman has a proud bearing, af3 if possessed with a self-consciousness of greatness and power.
The Osmanli Turk's love of independence is boundless. He considers himself born to rule, that hunting and war alone are wortlay of him, and husbandry is considered ignominious. In Central Asia, agriculture is exclusively in the hands of the Persian slaves,—commerce and busi ness with the Tajak, Hindu, and Jew. The Turk is intellectually the inferior of the Iranian and Semitic nations. This defect is noticed by other nations, who apply to them the tertns Turkluk (Turkdom), Kabalik (coarseness), Yugunluk (thickness), and Sadeluk (simpleness) ; and with these qualities, a8 the Osmanli is easily taken in by the Armenian, Greek, and Arab, the Turk is as easily so by the Tajak and IIindu. In trans actions the Turks are regarded as possessing more honesty, frankness, and confidence, plainness, simplicity, and uprightness. Compared with the Persians, the Turk is a. faithful servant, attached soldier, and upright man. They aro more brave, persevering, and love more to rule than any other Asiatic people. They are unpolished, wild, and uncultivated, but seldom cruel out of malice. They crave riches, but only to expend them. They exact much labour from their subordinates, but protect and deal liberally with them. Tho Turk is innately a pomade, and, like other nomades, is distinguished for hospitality.
In 13alkh and near Andkhui the harvest is at the beginning of Juno; in the oasis countries, in July ; in Kungrat and in the north of Khokand, not till the beginning of August. Of tho rivers, the Oxus is the most important, and the Zar-afshan, Shahar Sabz, and Jaxartes follow.— Vumbery's Sketches of Central .4sia, p. 283 ; Russians in Cent. Asia; Yule. Cathay ; Timkowski's Journey to Pekin.