The Great Trek of the Russian Mennonites to Central Asia, 1880-1884, Fred Richard Belk, 1976

s were covered with fruit trees, and a variety of fish could be caught in its waters. One Mennonite reported that apples, pears, plums, cherries, peaches, grapes, apricots, pome- granates, lemons, oranges, strawberries, raspberries, dates, figs, olives, watermelons, and muskmelons all grew in this lovely place.* When the Mennonites arrived, they drove their wagons into the huge square courtyard that was to be their new home, unhitched, put their horses into a stable along one wall, unloaded provisions, and were assigned living quarters along the walls of the court. Early the next morning and every morning thereafter they were rudely awakened at 5:00 a.m. by several thousand Russian soldiers march- ing in morning review. A brass band accompanied the troops, and a few times each week they even shot off cannons during this morning exercise. After settling in their new home, they began to realize that the commitment of the Russian government to the Mennonite mi- grants had been a very vague one; Kaufmann had spoken merely of making some land available in the Tashkent area. The newcomers, oppressed by their crowded quarters and anxious to begin the cultiva- tion of their new land, were desirous of some immediate settlement of their grant. Consequently, shortly before Christmas, the Kaplan 106 The Great Trek of the Russian Mennonites Bek and Tashkent emigrants sent a delegation to wait upon Gover- nor-General Kaufmann, request their land, and draw up a contract. Though hospitably received by Kaufmann’s secretary, the dele- gates were cowed by the formidable reputation of the man and in- timidated by their own uncertain position as strangers in a strange land. The timid petitioners appointed Cornelius Unruh as their spokesman, owing to his fluent knowledge of Russian, and waited anxiously in an anteroom as Unruh went to confront the great man alone. He found the governor-general courteous and solicitous of the welfare of the Mennonite flock. Kaufmann, moreover, kept his promise and made arrangements for the Mennonites to be escorted to a tract not far from Tashkent which had been set aside for their use.' On Christmas Eve the delegation inspected this tract. Though it lay conveniently near the city and could be had for a pittance, the ground was stony and the proximity of a Kirghiz village augured ill for the settlers there. To the experienced eyes of the Mennonite farmers, this land would not do. Kaufmann patiently heard their com- plaints and offered an alternative: 150 miles away, not far from the Siberian border, lay a tract of beautiful land near Aulie Ata. Would this be more suitable? The delegation accepted the invitation to in- spect this tract, but they would not be able to make the journey until later in the spring.® So the winter passed with no permanent haven in sight. To make ends meet, most of the sojourners in Tashkent were able to find work in a limestone quarry which produced stones