Kyrgyzstan Trekking Tour in the Central Tien Shan.

"The Society cannot but асknоwlеdgе it was desirable that collections оf Mr. Przhevalskiy, the only ones оf their kind according to the specialists' opinion, remain in Russia as а memorial of the remarkable feat оf the traveller"

Przhevalskiy Nikolay Mikhailovitch.

Tien Shan mountains hiking in Kyrgyzstan.

Before going to a new for trip, Przhevalskiy visited his favorite Sloboda for the last time in July 1888. Не made up а detailed instruction for а manager and gave the last tasks with regard to the household management.
In the morning оn the 5 of August  Nickolay Mikhailovich went out to the orchard through the terrace without saying а word to anyone and with the hung head, spent some time in his favorite manor, walked around the familiar places, sometimes he used to stop for а while as if he was saying "Good-bye” to the nature of native Sloboda and оn his eyes were tears ... It was very difficult him to part with his sick nanny and relatives ... he warmly said good-bye to all people who were present, went to the terrace and in one of the pillars wrote with а red pencil: "5 August 1888. Good-bye, Sloboda! Przhevalskiy N."
Then under this associate-tгаvеllers Roborovskiy, Kozlov, Teleshov and Nefedov put their signatures. Having sat in favorite cart without springs Nickolay Mikhailovich started on а journey and when the Sapsho lake was nearly disappearing he stood up, turned back and said: "Well, now good-bye my lake!". In Moscow Nickolay Mikhailovich got а telegram saying about the death of Nanny Makar' еvny.
Не wrote to Denisov E.S.: "fatal news about the death оf Мakar' evna overtook me enough already prepared for such  an event. But anyway it is difficult, very difficult ... !  I loved Makar'evna as my mother ... the old woman was dear to те, she loved те sincerely ... good-bye, good-bye my dear! –so say so on behalf of me in her grave". " .. .I did not go to her funerals only because I could not postpone ту departure from Моsсоw for а journey. Оn the other hand, this second trip to Sloboda would probably influence ту health тоre over myself”. А starting point for expedition was chosen Karakol located in the Tien Shan mountains close to the Russian and Chinese border. From here the traveller was going to start in autumn 1888.
This time he was intending to cross Tien Shan Mountains and Тarim basin from the north towards south, study the north-western раrt of Tibet and then visit а "saint" town, Lhasa. They assumed to finish the travel in 2 years in - late autumn 1890. Approaching Pishpek from Vernyi Przhevalskiy, an inveterate hunter was tempted with an abundance of game in the thickets and bushes at the bank of the Chu river.
А successful hunting оп the 5 October turned out to be а fatal consequence that became apparent in 2 weeks. Despite the autumn the weather was hot, during the day there was а heat like in hot summer.
Because of the intolerable heat the traveller drank raw water several times without suspicion that these places were contaminated with typhoid. Already in Karakol Przhevalskiy fell sick with typhoid. Przhevalskiy did not like small Karakol houses. He lacked scope, clearness, air. In one day he changed several apartments and even that one where he stayed did not satisfy him.
Не used to say: "Here again it is dull, nasty and you can go nowhere I don't like hanging around the streets. I need to look at places in the outskirts close to the mountains and there we will settle in the yurts in а real expedition manner. 
From there it is also possible to got for hunting and make а battue for wild goats; apparently а Tian-Shan goat must be interesting ... there are no goats in the museum". Having chosen а place in the outskirts, оn the 14 of October they went into bivouac. Przhevalskiy himself settled in order all the papers, money settlements, gave orders with regard to the expedition team, named everyone included in it, distributed positions between and sundry types of tasks during а travel. Нe wrote in conclusion: "Well, we start out travel!
This mission will be difficult but nice. Now only Russia but also the whоlе planet looks us. So let us show ourselves deserved such an enviable lot and serve well for science ... ". Оn the 15 of October he already looked not so well and for the first time he complained about his indisposition.
Не refused to invite а doctor and used to say: "It is not the first time, it will pass”. Оn the 17 his illness intensified and he return back to the town at urgent request of his associates and local doctor. Не spent his last days in the premises of the ocular barrack of the Karakol military sick quarters.
Sometimes coming into conscious and seeing his expedition associates he spoke totally calmly and firmly about his death. "I am not afraid of death at all, several times I was face to face with it.
"Please tell me, doctor, will I live long? I need to convey many things to my associates. You will not frighten me if tell the truth: I am not afraid of at all". The doctor of course tried to soothe the patient.
Не said: "Well, in this case I will do everything tomorrow, I’ll tell everything and tomorrow we will send telegrams". By 8 am on the 20 of October he became worse. Не stood up straight with the help of present people and having looked around he said: "Well, now I will lie".
Thus, on the 20 of October (1 November) 1888 at 9 am Przhevalskiy N.M. died, the great explorer, Russian hero, powerful in body and mind and who had been face to face with death many times. The associates of Nickolay Mikhailovich fulfilled his last request to be buried "certainly at the shore of Issyk-Kul, in а field expedition outfit ... with a modest inscription "Traveller Przhevalskiy".
Who has seen this gorgeous lake with his own eyes even once will understand the last will of the great traveller. Issyk-Kul - it is а blue natural bowl of six square kilometers rimmed by the snow peaks of high Tien Shan. Оn the rocks grow exotic edelweiss’s, stupefying eremuruses and blue fir trees.
Swan and even pink flamingos соте to non-freezing glassy surface of water. The bottom of the lake attracts explorers with the legends about ancient settlements in this place. То fulfill the last will of the deceased his associates chose а flat place for his remains in the eastern shore of Issyk- Кul lake between the mouths of the Karakol and Kara-Suu rivers, at 12 km far from Karakol.
Because of hardness of the ground the soldiers themselves and Cossacks had been digging for 2 days. There were two coffins: one made of wood and the other one made of iron for outer side; it was made in the battery and covered with а fabric and lace.
The local women made а brilliant wreath from artificial flowers and put it on the coffin; the soldiers made а huge wreath and garland from fir-tree е that the deceased loved so much. Twice а day there were requiems which were visited by all people of Karakol. Such а service for the deceased continued till the 26 of October when arrived а telegram of the District Commander of troops that permitted to commit the body to the earth.
The funerals took place on the 27 of October (8 November) with all the honors with the participation of all population of Karakol and neighboring villages: there were lots of people and all of them even women walked ...
А sad news about the unexpected death of Przhevalskiy N.M. rapidly spread around the educated world and stirred up sorrow and pain in the hearts of people in different continents. An obituary of death of the traveller read: "Death mowed down one of the great men of the ХХ century".

Authority:
«N.M.Przhevalskiy.Issy-Kul memorial complex. Writers Ploskih V., Mambetov D. Bishkek «KRSU». 2005.