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| IIIF Color HighRes |
| The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 |
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Citation Information
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AGE, 47-52. GARNIER'S GEOGRAPHY OF THE OXUS REGION Ixi
Reverting to 1869, we may note that Yule, when passing
through Paris early in the spring, became acquainted, through
his friend M. Charles Maunoir, with the admirable work of ex-
ploration lately performed by Lieut. Francis Garnier of the
French Navy. It was a time of much political excitement in
France, the eve of the famous Plébiscite, and the importance of
Garnier's work was not then recognised by his countrymen.
Yule saw its value, and on arrival in London went straight to
Sir Roderick Murchison, laid the facts before him, and suggested
that no other traveller of the year had so good a claim to one of
the two gold medals of the R.G.S. as this French naval Lieu-
tenant. Sir Roderick was propitious, and accordingly in May
the Patron's medal was assigned to Garnier, who was touchingly
grateful to Yule ; whilst the French Minister of Marine marked
his appreciation of Yule's good offices by presenting him with
the magnificent volumes commemorating the expedition.°
Yule was in Paris in 1871, immediately after the suppression
of the Commune, and his letters gave interesting accounts of the
extraordinary state of affairs then prevailing. In August, he
served as President of the Geographical Section of the British
Association at its Edinburgh meeting.
On his return to Palermo, he devoted himself specially to the
geography of the Oxus region, and the result appeared next year
in his introduction and notes to Wood's ,Journey. Soon after his
return to Palermo, he became greatly interested in the plans,
about which he was consulted, of an English church, the gift to the
English community of two of its oldest members, Messrs Ingham
and Whitaker. Yule's share in the enterprise gradually expanded,
until he became a sort of volunteer clerk of the works, to the
great benefit of his health, as this occupation during the next
three years, whilst adding to his interests, also kept him longer in
the open air than would otherwise have been the case. It was a
real misfortune to Yule (and one of which he was himself at
times conscious) that he had no taste for any out-of-door pursuits,
neither for any foi-m of natural science, nor for gardening, nor for
so Garnier took a distinguished part in the Defence of Paris in 187o-7I, after which he resumed his naval service in the East, where he was killed in action. His last letter to Yule contained the simple announcement "Jai pris Iianroi," a modest terse-
ness of statement worthy of the best naval traditions.
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