Page:England & Russia in Central Asia,Vol-I.djvu/118

98 98 ENGLAND AND RUSSIA IN CENTRAL ASIA, would be difficult to bring a larger force than twenty thousand men into the field. From the Amou Darya district it would be possible to draw two thousand men, in addition to the Aral flotilla. The fighting army of Russia in Central Asia, which can be mobilised and directed by General Kaufmann, numbers scarcely more than twenty thousand men. This is Russia's offensive power at the present moment. It is at a first glance a very insignificant power ; but weak as it is in total strength it is an effective power ready to be employed at the shortest notice. In addition there is the Bokharan army, a portion of which as a matter of common prudence would be com- pelled to accompany a Russian army in its advance ; and this with a little preparation might become a useful auxiliary. The Bokhariots are good horsemen, and fairly courageous. The people of Hissar and Kitab are still more to be relied upon. The " Turkestan Gazette '* asserted that the begs of those places, as well as the Ameer of Bokhara himself, had promised to place twenty thousand men at the disposal of the Russian commander. This number may be taken to be too high, but there can be no doubt that Russia could obtain a very serviceable auxiliary corps, both for etappen duty and garrison work, from the Bokharan Government and chiefs. By a skilful manipulation of the desires that Government entertains to secure a fresh hold upon the khanates south of the Oxus, which are now known as Afghan Turkestan, it might even be possible to secure the hearty co-operation of Bokhara