One fine day, the bus driver went to the bus garage, started his bus, and drove off along the route. No problems for the first few stops -- a few people got on, a few got off, and things went generally well. At the next stop, however, a big hulk of a guy got on. Six feet eight, built like a wrestler, arms hanging down to the ground. He glared at the driver and said, "Big John doesn't pay!" and sat down at the back. Did I mention that the driver was five feet three, thin, and basically meek? Well, he was. Naturally, he didn't argue with Big John, but he wasn't happy about it. Well, the next day the same thing happened -- Big John got on again, made a show of refusing to pay, and sat down. And the next day, and the one after that, and so forth. This grated on the bus driver, who started losing sleep over the way Big John was taking advantage of him. Finally he could stand it no longer. He signed up for bodybuilding courses, karate, judo, and all that good stuff. By the end of the summer, he had become quite strong; what's more, he felt really good about himself. So on the next Monday, when Big John once again got on the bus and said "Big John doesn't pay!," the driver stood up, glared back at the passenger, and screamed, "And why not?" With a surprised look on his face, Big John replied, "Big John has a bus pass."
HISSAR, a district in Central Asia, lying between 66° 30´ and 70° E. and 39° 15´ and 37° N. and dependent on the amir of Bokhara. It forms that part of the basin of the Amu-darya or Oxus which lies on the north side of the river, opposite the Afghan province of Balkh. The western prolongation of the Tian-shan, which divides the basin of the Zarafshan from that of the upper Amu, after rising to a height of 12,300 ft., bifurcates in 67° 45´ E. The main chain, the southern arm of this bifurcation, designated the Hissar range, but sometimes called also Koh-i-tau, forms the N. and N.W. boundaries of Hissar. On the W. it is wholly bounded by the desert; the Amu limits it on the S. and S.E.; and Karateghin and Darvaz complete the boundary on the E. Until 1875 it was one of the least known tracts of Central Asia. Hissar is traversed from north to south by four tributaries of the Amu, viz. the Surkhab or Vakhsh, Kafirnihan, Surkhan and Shirabad-darya, which descend from the snowy mountains to the north and form a series of fertile valleys, disposed in a fan-shape, within which lie the principal towns. In the N.W. boundary range between Khuzar and Derbent is situated the defile formerly called the Iron Gate (Caspian Gates, Bab-al-Hadid, Dar Ahanin and in Chinese T'ie-men-kuan) but now styled Buzghol-khana or the Goat-house. It was also called Kohluga, said to be a Mongol word meaning barrier. This pass is described as a deep but narrow chasm in a transverse range, whose rocks overhang and threaten to choke the tortuous and gloomy corridor (in places but five paces wide) which affords the only exit from the valley. In ancient times it was a vantage point of much importance and commanded one of the chief routes between Turkestan and India. Hsüan Tsang, the Chinese traveller, who passed through it in the 7th century, states that there were then two folding doors or gates, cased with iron and hung with bells, placed across the pass. Clavijo, the Spanish ambassador to the court of Timur, heard of this when he passed through the defile nearly 800 years later, but the gates had then disappeared. Entry: HISSAR
JUSTINIAN II. KARAMAN JUSTIN MARTYR KARAMANIA JUTE KARAMNASA JÜTERBOG KARA MUSTAFA JUTES KARAMZIN, NIKOLAI MIKHAILOVICH JUTIGALPA KARA SEA JUTLAND KARASU-BAZAR JUTURNA KARATEGHIN JUVENAL KARAULI JUVENCUS, GAIUS AQUILINUS KAREN JUVENILE OFFENDERS KAREN-NI JUVENTAS KARIKAL JUXON, WILLIAM KARLI K KARLOWITZ K2 KARLSKRONA KA'BA, KAABA KARLSRUHE KABARDIA KARLSTAD KABBA KARLSTADT KABBABISH KARMA KABBALAH KÁRMÁN, JÓZSEF KABINDA KARNAK KABIR KARNAL KABUL KÁROLYI, ALOYS KABUL RIVER KAROSS KABYLES KARR, JEAN BAPTISTE ALPHONSE KACH GANDAVA KARRER, FELIX KACHIN HILLS KARROO KADUR KARS (province of Russia) KAEMPFER, ENGELBRECHT KARS (town of Russia) KAFFA KARSHI KAFFIR BREAD KARST KAFFIRS KARSTEN, KARL JOHANN BERNHARD KAFFRARIA KARTIKEYA KAFIRISTAN KARUN KAGERA KARWAR KAHLUR KARWI KAHN, GUSTAVE KARYOGAMY KAHNIS, KARL FRIEDRICH AUGUST KASAI K'AI-FÊNG FU KASBEK KAILAS KASHAN KAIN KASHGAR KAIRA KASHI KAIRAWAN KASHMIR KAISERSLAUTERN KASHMIRI KAISERSWERTH KASHUBES KAITHAL KASIMOV KAKAPO KASSA KAKAR KASSALA KALA-AZAR KASSASSIN KALABAGH KASSITES KALACH KASTAMUNI KALAHANDI KASTORIA KALAHARI DESERT KASUR KALAMATA KATAGUM KALAMAZOO KATANGA KALAPUYA KATER, HENRY KALAT KATHA KALAT-I-GHILZAI KATHIAWAR KALB, JOHANN KATKOV, MICHAEL NIKIFOROVICH KALCKREUTH, FRIEDRICH ADOLF KATMANDU KALCKREUTH, LEOPOLD KATO, TAKA-AKIRA KALEIDOSCOPE KATRINE, LOCH KALERGIS, DIMITRI KATSENA KALEWALA KATSURA, TARO KALGAN KATTERFELTO, GUSTAVUS KALGOORLIE KATTOWITZ KALI KATWA KALIDASA KATYDID KALIMPONG KAUFBEUREN KALINGA KAUFFMANN, [MARIA ANNA] ANGELICA KALINJAR KAUFMANN, CONSTANTINE PETROVICH KALIR [QALIR], ELEAZER KAUKAUNA KALISCH, ISIDOR KAULBACH, WILHELM VON KALISCH, MARCUS KAUNITZ-RIETBURG, WENZEL ANTON KALISPEL KAUP, JOHANN JAKOB KALISZ (government of Poland) KAURI PINE KALISZ (town of Poland) KAVA KALK KAVADH KALKAS KAVALA KALKBRENNER, FRIEDRICH WILHELM KAVANAGH, ARTHUR MACMORROUGH KÁLLAY, BENJAMIN VON KAVANAGH, JULIA KALMAR KAVASS KALMUCK KAVIRONDO KALNÓKY, GUSTAV SIEGMUND KAW KALOCSA KAWARDHA KALPI KAY, JOHN KALUGA (government of Russia) KAY, JOSEPH KALUGA (town of Russia) KAYAK KALYAN KAYASTH KAMA KAYE, SIR JOHN WILLIAM KAMALA KAYSER, FRIEDRICH HEINRICH EMANUEL KAMCHATKA KAY-SHUTTLEWORTH, SIR JAMES PHILLIPS KAME KAZALA KAMENETS PODOLSKIY KAZAÑ (government of Russia) KAMENZ KAZAÑ (town of Russia) KAMES, HENRY HOME KAZERUN KAMMIN KAZINCZY, FERENCZ KAMPEN KAZVIN KAMPTEE KEAN, EDMUND KAMRUP KEANE, JOHN JOSEPH KAMYSHIN KEARNEY KANAKA KEARNY, PHILIP KANARA KEARNY KANARESE KEARY, ANNIE KANARIS, CONSTANTINE KEATE, JOHN KANAUJ KEATS, JOHN KANDAHAR KEBLE, JOHN KANDI KECSKEMÉT KANDY KEDDAH KANE, ELISHA KENT KEDGEREE KANE (Pennsylvania, U.S.A.) KEEL KANGAROO KEELEY, MARY ANNE KANGAROO-RAT KEELING ISLANDS KANGAVAR KEEL-MOULDING KANGRA KEENE, CHARLES SAMUEL KANISHKA KEENE, LAURA KANKAKEE KEENE (New Hampshire, U.S.A.) KANKER KEEP, ROBERT PORTER KANO KEEP KANSAS KEEWATIN KANSAS CITY (Kansas, U.S.A.) KEF KANSAS CITY (Missouri, U.S.A.) KEHL KANSK KEIGHLEY KAN-SUH KEI ISLANDS KANT, IMMANUEL KEIM, KARL THEODOR KANURI KEITH (old Scottish family) KAOLIN KEITH, FRANCIS EDWARD JAMES KAPUNDA KEITH, GEORGE KAPURTHALA KEITH, GEORGE KEITH ELPHINSTONE KARACHI KEITH (burgh of Scotland) KARAGEORGE KEJ KARA-HISSAR KEKULÉ, FRIEDRICH AUGUST KARA-HISSAR SHARKI KELLER, ALBERT KARAISKAKIS, GEORGES KELLER, GOTTFRIED KARAJICH, VUK STEFANOVICH KELLER, HELEN ADAMS KARA-KALPAKS KELLERMANN, FRANÇOIS CHRISTOPHE DE KARAKORUM KELLGREN, JOHAN HENRIK KARA-KUL KELLOGG, CLARA LOUISE KARA-KUM KELLS Entry: JUSTINIAN
The native princes, who claimed to be descended from Alexander the Great, were till 1868 practically independent, though their allegiance was claimed in an ineffective way by Khokand, but eventually Bokhara took advantage of their intestine feuds to secure their real submission in 1877. Entry: KARATEGHIN</b>
ERZINGAN, or ERZINJAN (_Arsinga_ of the middle ages), the chief town of a sanjak in the Erzerum vilayet of Asiatic Turkey. It is the headquarters of the IV. army corps, being a place of some military importance, with large barracks and military factories. It is situated at an altitude of 3900 ft., near the western end of a rich well-watered plain through which runs the Kara Su or western Euphrates. It is surrounded by orchards and gardens, and is about a mile from the right bank of the river, which here runs in two wide channels crossed by bridges. One wide street traverses the town from east to west, but the others are narrow, unpaved and dirty, except near the new government buildings and the large modern mosque of Hajji Izzet Pasha to the north, which are the only buildings of note. The principal barracks, military hospital and clothing factory are at Karateluk on the plain and along the foot-hills to the north 3 m. off, one recent addition to the business buildings having electric power and modern British machinery; some older barracks and a military tannery and boot factory being in the town. The population numbers about 15,000, of whom about half are Armenians living in a separate quarter. The principal industries are the manufacture of silk and cotton and of copper dishes and utensils. The climate is hot in summer but moderate in winter. A carriage-road leads to Trebizond, and other roads to Sivas, Karahissar, Erzerum and Kharput. The plain, almost surrounded by lofty mountains, is highly productive with many villages on it and the border hills. Wheat, fruit, vines and cotton are largely grown, and cattle and sheep are bred. Water is everywhere abundant, and there are iron and hot sulphur springs. The battle in which the sultan of Rum (1243) was defeated by the Mongols took place on the plain, and the celebrated Armenian monastery of St Gregory, "the Illuminator," lies on the hills 11 m. S.W. of the town. Entry: ERZINGAN
BOKHARA, or BUKHARA (the common central Asian pronunciation is Bukhara), a state of central Asia, under the protection of Russia. It lies on the right bank of the middle Oxus, between 37° and 41° N., and between 62° and 72° E., and is bounded by the Russian governments of Syr-darya, Samarkand and Ferghana on the N., the Pamirs on the E., Afghanistan on the S., and the Transcaspian territory and Khiva on the W. Its south-eastern frontier on the Pamirs is undetermined except where it touches the Russian dominions. Including the khanates of Karateghin and Darvaz the area is about 85,000 sq. m. The western portion of the state is a plain watered by the Zarafshan and by countless irrigation canals drawn from it. It has in the east the Karnap-chul steppe, covered with grass in early summer, and in the north an intrusion of the Kara-kum sand desert. Land suitable for cultivation is found only in oases, where it is watered by irrigation canals, but these oases are very fertile. The middle portion of the state is occupied by high plateaus, about 4000 ft. in altitude, sloping from the Tian-shan, and intersected by numerous rivers, flowing towards the Oxus. This region, very fertile in the valleys and enjoying a cooler and damper climate than the lower plains, is densely populated, and agriculture and cattle-breeding are carried on extensively. Here are the towns of Karshi, Kitab, Shaar, Chirakchi and Guzar or Huzar. The Hissar range, a westward continuation of the Alai Mountains, separates the Zarafshan from the tributaries of the Oxus--the Surkhan, Kafirnihan and Vakhsh. Its length is about 200 m., and its passes, 1000 to 3000 ft. below the surrounding peaks, reach altitudes of 12,000 to 14,000 ft. and are extremely difficult. Numbers of rivers pierce or flow in wild gorges between its spurs. Its southern foot-hills, covered with loess, make the fertile valleys of Hissar and the Vakhsh. The climate is so dry, and the rains are so scarce, that an absence of forests and Alpine meadows is characteristic of the ridge; but when heavy rain falls simultaneously with the melting of the snows in the mountains, the watercourses become filled with furious torrents, which create great havoc. The main glaciers (12) are on the north slope, but none creeps below 10,000 to 12,000 ft. The Peter the Great range, or Periokh-tau, in Karateghin, south of the valley of the Vakhsh, runs west-south-west to east-north-east for about 130 m., and is higher than the Hissar range. From the meridian of Garm or Harm it rises above the snowline, attaining at least 18,000 ft. in the Sary-kaudal peak, and 20,000 ft. farther east where it joins the snow-clad Darvaz range, and where the group Sandal, adorned with several glaciers, rises to 24,000 or 25,000 ft. Only three passes, very difficult, are known across it. Entry: BOKHARA
The Kara-Kirghiz are by the Chinese and Mongolians called _Burut_, where _ut_ is the Mongolian plural ending, as in Tangut, Yakut, modified to _yat_ in Buryat, the collective name of the Siberian Mongolians of the Baikal district. Thus the term _Bur_ is the common Mongolian designation both of the Baikal Mongols and of the Kara-Kirghiz, who occupied this very region and the upper Yenisei valley generally till comparatively recent times. For the original home of their ancestors, the Khakas, lay in the south of the present governments of Yeniseisk and Tomsk, stretching thence southwards beyond the Sayan range to the Tannuola hills in Chinese territory. Here the Russians first met them in the 17th century, and by the aid of the Kazaks exterminated all those east of the Irtish, driving the rest farther west and south-westwards. Most of them took refuge with their kinsmen, the Kara-Kirghiz nomad highlanders, whose homes, at least since the 13th century, have been the Ala-tau range, the Issyk-kul basin, the Tekes, Chu and Talass river valleys, the Tian-shan range, the uplands draining both to the Tarim and to the Jaxartes and Oxus, including Khokand, Karateghin and Shignan southwards to the Pamir table-land, visited by them in summer. They thus occupy most of the uplands along the Russo-Chinese frontier, between 35° and 50° N. lat. and between 70° and 85° E. long. Entry: KIRGHIZ