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Rh and secured the profound admiration of all military men for his remarkable achievement. He was twenty-six days covering the distance between Khiva and Bami; the route was but little known and for much the greater part of the way it lies through a sandy desert where water can only be found at long intervals. When Skobeleff took command in the middle of March, 1880, the position of the Russians was this:—Their base was Tchikishlar and Krasnovodsk, their direct aim Geok Tepe, where Lomakin had been so disastrously defeated the previous year. Their outposts were in '79 at Douz-Aloum, in the valley of the Sumbora, a tributary of the Atrek. Skobeleff's first work was to secure a safe transport, establish a regular line of steamers across the Caspian, to build suitable docks, secure 20,000 camels, and build a railway from Michaelovsk to Kizil-Arvat. Michaelovsk is a small bay near Krasnovodsk and better suited as a harbor than the latter place. Skobeleff's first reconnoitring convinced him that Geok Tepe could only be taken by a regular siege. He started from Douz-Aloum, personally leading the advance, took Khodshom-Kala on June 10th, and then marched on Bami, which afforded him an admirable base, 120 versts from Geok Tepe. On the 13th July, he started with 1,600 men to reconnoitre Geok Tepe, which he reached in five days, amidst constant and severe attacks by the Tekkes, He reached Bami again July 22d, having marched 250 versts in ten days, constantly harassed by the enemy. This concluded the first stage of his operations.

From July to December the Russians abstained from offensive operations. The Douz-Aloum-Bami line was repeatedly attacked, and several night assaults were made on Bendessen and Khodshom-Kala, but each attack of the Turcomans was repulsed. Meantime, General Kuropatkin left Amou Darya and marched by Igdy, and Kizil-Arvat to Bami, a distance of 400 versts, which he made in eighteen days.