File:All the Russias- travels and studies in contemporary European Russia, Finland, Siberia, the Caucasus, and Central Asia (1902) (14781100181).jpg

Identifier: allrussiastravel01norm (find matches)
Title: All the Russias: travels and studies in contemporary European Russia, Finland, Siberia, the Caucasus, and Central Asia
Year: 1902 (1900s)
Authors: Norman, Henry, 1858-1939
Subjects: Tolstoy, Leo, graf, 1828-1910 Eastern question (Central Asia)
Publisher: New York, C. Seribner's sons
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
s, in which you can get a cup of coffee in themorning and nothing else that you can eat. On the other hand,the military casino, or club, is a fine building, with dining-rooms,billiard-room, library, and a truly magnificent ball-room and pri-vate theatre. Unless the traveller has the entree to this, he is verybadly off in Samarkand. At Tashkent I was formally introducedby a courteous acquaintance, but here I knew nobody, as theGovernor did not trouble to acknowledge the letter of introduc- 33^ ALL THE RUSSIAS tion I left at his residence from his immediate superior, the Gov-ernor-General of Turkestan. This, by the way, and the action ofthe Chief of PoHce of Askabad, of which I have already spoken,were the only two occasions during my whole journey in theTsars dominions when I was not treated with the utmost cour-tesy and consideration, and when every effort was not madeto enable me to see everything and learn everything that Idesired. I gladly take this opportunity to return my cordial
Text Appearing After Image:
Mausoleum and Mosque of Shah Zindah. thanks, and to say that nowhere in the world could a visitingforeigner have pursued his way under happier conditions. Butthis reference to the club at Samarkand reminds me of a story.As I have said, I knew nobody, and the club was the onlyplace in the foreign settlement where a decent meal could be had.So, with my interpreter, a young Russian gentleman who ac-companied me everywhere, I made bold to call at the club, askfor the name of any officer who happened to be present, and SAMARKAND AND BEYOND 337 when a lieutenant who was playing billiards came out, to ex-plain to him who I was and what was my plight, and to begthat I might be permitted to use the club during my short stay.

Note About Images