Among the Celestials : vol.1 / Page 195 (Color Image)

0195	Among the Celestials : vol.1

CHAP. VII.] ANDIJANI MERCHANTS. 159

passed through the street there was a murmur

of " Oroos," " Oroos," and a small crowd of

Turkis and Chinese collected in the inn yard to

see me. My boy was told there was a Russian

shop in the Turk city, so I immediately went

over there hoping to meet some Europeans.

We dismounted at a shop, and I was received

by a fine-looking Turki who shook hands

and spoke to me in Russian. He then took

me through a courtyard to another courtyard

with a roof of matting. On the ground were

spread some fine carpets, on which sat some

fair-looking men in Turk dress. But I was

disappointed to notice that none of them looked

quite like Russians. They spoke no language

that I knew, and matters were rather at a

standstill, when I heard the word "Hindustani."

I said at once, "Hindustani zaban bol sakta "

(" I can speak Hindustani "), and they sent off

for a man who could speak that language.

When he appeared, I had a long talk with him.

He was an Afghan merchant, he said, and he

explained that the men of this house were

Andijani merchants from Russian Turkestan,

and were therefore called Russians. He had

travelled through a great part of India, and

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