d on between the two territories in the past.
Far otherwise was it in Ili, where the Russians had for many years been
located as merchants or as consuls. Their station at Almatie or Vernoe,
an important town and fort situated about 50 miles north of Issik Kul
and 250 west of Ili itself, had in a few years become a large and
flourishing city, instead of preserving its original character of a
small mountain fort. Russian merchants carried on a very extensive trade
by this road with Ili, Urumtsi, Hamil, and Pekin, and their relations
with the Chinese merchants had attained a very satisfactory basis. It
was, therefore, with no friendly feeling, that the Tungan rising in Ili
was regarded by a very large section of the Russians in the
neighbourhood. The disturbances that thereupon broke out, effectually
put a stop to all trade in this quarter for some time, and the old
traffic, or such of it as continued, with China had to be conducted
along the less direct route through Siberia. For six years, the Russians
tolerated the uncertain state of affairs in Ili, where the Tungani and
the Tarantchis disputed between themselves as to which should be the
ruling party; but their dissatisfaction was scarcely concealed at the
substitution of a native government for that of China. When, therefore,
Yakoob Beg, having conquered the country south of the Tian Shan, seemed
to threaten the provinces north of that barrier, it is not surprising
that the Russians availed themselves of excuses for forestalling him,
and for placing their commercial relations on an equally good footing as
they had been in the past with the inhabitants of Ili, by a forced
occupation of that territory. But the Russians were resolved to give as
little umbrage as possible to the Chinese. Ili was formally acknowledged
to be Chinese territory, and the Czar voluntarily promised, through his
representative at Pekin, to restore it as soon as the Emperor of China
was able to despatch a sufficient force to preserve order therein. This
tact secured the permanent goodwill of the Chinese, and Russia obtained,
in several important trade concessions, a very gratifying reward for her
skilful diplomacy. Her friendly action to the Celestials was also
heightened in its effect by a piece of unfortunate policy on our part.
The Panthays had erected in Yunnan a Mahomedan power, which seemed to
have broken off completely from Pekin, and report brought such tales to
our frontier of the power and