Arabie

13 pages. Original condition with blue wrappers, titles to front, and containing all the ads. This is a complete issue, seldom found in such good and original condition. This is a fascinating paper which pre-dates his book "The Merv Oasis. Travels and Adventures East of the Caspian during the Years 1879-80-81 including Five Months’ Residence among the Tekkés of Merv." Also published in 1882. O’Donovan, an Irish newspaper correspondent who had covered the Franc-Prussian war and the Russo-Turkish war, undertook his journey to Merv as a representative of the ‘Daily News’. In 1879 he travelled with two native servants from the Caspian Sea through Khorassan and at great risk reached Merv. Whilst en-route for Merv O’Donovan witnessed through binoculars from a hilltop the Destruction of Geok-Tepe and the massacre of the panic-stricken Turcomans ordered by Skobelev. Suspected by the Turcomans of being a Russian emissary, or perhaps believing he could gain them the protection of the British, he was kept captive for several months, eventually managing to extricate himself and returning to London. The Merv Oasis is a unique record of the Tekkes inhabiting the oasis of Merv and its ancient ruins while themselves awaiting the Russian onslaught. "A most daring, difficult, and hazardous feat, with which his name will always be associated." - DNB.