Arba in difficulty on the high road to Khiva
During her Central Asian travels in the early 20th century Ella Christie frequently encountered these native horse-drawn carts, called "arbas". They were very strongly built, with huge wheels five to seven feet (1.5 to 2m) in diameter, designed to negotiate the many large mud-holes in the local roads. Unlike British carts of that period, these vehicles had wheels fitted with studs rather than metal tyres, and had no sprung suspension, making for a rather rough ride. This particular cart has come to grief in spite of its large wheels, and part of its load has been removed accidentally or otherwise! Notice the decorative strips (of coloured tin) on the boxes.
