goodwill of the Sultan of the Panthays
ruling in Ta-li-foo, that in an ill-advised moment we entered into
negotiations with this potentate. The Chinese authorities very naturally
took umbrage at this tacit support of a rebellious vassal, and all our
subsequent efforts have been unable to remove the suspicions produced by
our vacillating attitude on that occasion. The Russians still further
preserved the appearance of friendship for China by their refusal,
maintained during several years, to acknowledge the government set up in
Kashgar by Buzurg Khan and Yakoob Beg. This action was however the less
worthy of approval, because at that period the Russians had no immediate
concern in Kashgaria. Their sole interest lay in the course of events in
Jungaria, with which they were intimately connected by trade and
political associations, stretching back for almost a century.
Undoubtedly Jungaria was much affected by commotions in Kashgaria, and
we accordingly see, when the march of events in the latter province
assumed an aspect menacing to the future independence of Jungaria, the
Russians taking prompt measures to secure the possession of that
province for themselves. When Ili passed into the hands of Russia, the
old trade revived along this route to a certain degree, and some
intercourse ensued with the Tungani of Urumtsi, Manas and Hamil.
Measures seem to have been taken to impress on the rulers of those
cities the prudence of not interfering with merchants or travellers, and
matters became to a certain degree satisfactory for Russian
tranquillity. The city of Ili never, however, recovered its former
prosperity, for Vernoe still remains the most important town in this
region. Originally a fort constructed in 1854, as a small mountain post,
to defend the road from the marauding Kirghiz, it has increased from its
insignificant origin into a large settlement of Cossacks and Calmucks,
and is now a very thriving community. It was, therefore, it must be
remembered, primarily with Jungaria that Russia was interested. So far
as the internal affairs of Kashgar were concerned, she could have
disregarded the dispute between the rivals, Yakoob Beg and the Chinese;
it was only when a powerful Mahomedan state was erected in Eastern
Turkestan, and threatened both the independence of Ili, and also to
raise up disunion in Khokand, that Russia was compelled to consider what
policy it would be wise to adopt towards the recently proclaimed Athalik