Overland through Asia. Pictures of Siberian, Chinese, and Tartar life ... With ... map, and ... illustrations

Front matter

OVERLAND THROUGH ASIA. PICTURES OF SIBERIAN, CHINESE, AND TARTAR LIFE. TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES IN KAMCHATKA, SIBERIA, CHINA, MONGOLIA, CHINESE TARTART, AND EUROPEAN RUSSIA, WITH FULL AC- COUNTS OF THE SIBERIAN EXILES, THEIR TREATMENT, CONDITION, AND MODE OF LIFE, A DESCRIP- TION OF THE AMOOR RIVER, AND THE SIBERIAN SHORES OF THE FROZEN OCEAN. "WITH A.N .A. IP IP R O F R I A.TE IM-A-P, AND NEARLY 200 ILLUSTRATIONS. BY THOMAS W. KNOX. AUTHOR OF " OAM-P 1'IRE AJSTI> COTTON -FIELD." ISSUED BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY, AND NOT FOR SALE IN THE BOOK STORES. RESIDENTS OP ANY STATE DESIRING A COPY SHOULD ADDRESS THE PUBLISHERS, AND AN AGENT WILL CALL UPON THEM. HARTFORD, CONN: AMERICAN PUBLISHING COMPANY. P. G. GJXMAN 4 CO., CHICAGO, ILLS.; NETTLETON & CO., CINCINNATI, OHIO. H. H. BANCROFT & CO., SAN FRANCISCO, CAL. 1870.

Entered according to act as Congress, in the year 1870, by THOMAS W. KNOX, in the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. The proper steps have been taken to secure a copyright in Great Britain, and all infringements will be prosecuted. The right of translation is reserved. .WILLIAM H. LOCEWOOD, Electrotyper, DAKTFOBD, OOFJt.

Preface

. Fourteen years ago Major Perry McD. Collins traversed North ern Asia, and wrote an account of his journey, entitled " A Voyage Down the Amoor." With the exception of that volume no other work on this little known region has appeared from the pen of an American writer. In view of this fact, the author of " Overland Through Asia " indulges the hope that his book will not be consid ered a superfluous addition to the lilerature of his country. The journey herein recorded was undertaken partly a.,- a pleasure trip, partly as a journalistic enterprise, and partly in the interest of the company that attempted to carry out the plans of Major Collins to make an electric connection between Europe and the United States by way of Asia and Bering's Straits. In the service of the Russo- American Telegraph Company, it may not be improper to state that the author's official duties were so few, and his pleasures so numerous, as to leave the kindest recollections of the many persons con nected with the enterprise.

Portions of this book have appeared in Harper's, Putnam's, The Atlantic, The Galaxy, and the Overland Monthlies, and in Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper. They have been received with such favor as to encourage their reproduction wherever they could be in troduced in the narrative of the journey. The largest part of the book has been written from a carefully recorded journal, and is now in print for the first time. The illustrations have been made from photographs and pencil sketches, and in all cases great care has been exercised to represent correctly the costumes of the country. To VI

PREFACE.

. Frederick Whymper, Esq., artist of the Telegraph Expedition, and to August Hoffman, (Photographer,) of Irkutsk, Eastern Siberia, the author is specially indebted. The orthography of geographical names is after the Russian model. The author hopes it will not be difficult to convince his countrymen that the shortest form of spelling is the best, especially when it rep resents the pronunciation more accurately than does the old method. A frontier justice once remarked, when a lawyer ridiculed his way of writing ordinary words, that a man was not properly educated who could spell a word in only one way. On the same broad prin ciple I will not quarrel with those who insist upon retaining an extra letter in Bering and Ohotsk and two superfluous letters in Kam chatka. Among those not mentioned in the volume, thanks are due to Frederick Macrellish, Esq., of San Francisco, Hon. F. F. Low of Sacramento, Alfred Whymper, Esq., of London, and the many gen tlemen connected with the Telegraph Expedition.

There are dozens and hundreds of individuals in Siberia and elsewhere, of all grades and conditions in life, who have placed me under numberless obliga tions. Wherever I traveled the most uniform courtesy was shown me, and though conscious that few of those dozens and hundreds will ever read these lines, I should consider myself ungrateful did I fail to acknowledge their kindness to a wandering American. T. W. K. Astor House, N. Y., Sept. 15, 1870. PAGE 1. Frontispiece, The Author in Siberian Costume — 2. Character Developed, 20 3. Aspinwall to Panama, 23 4. Slightly Monotonous, 24 5. Montgomery Street in Holiday Dress, 25 6. San Francisco, 1848, 26 7. Chinese Dinner, 27 8. Over Six Feet, 31 9. Steamship Wright in a Storm, (Full Page,) face page, 32 10. A Sea Sick Booby 33 11. Wreck of the Ship Canton ■• 34 12 Aleutians Catching Whales, <H 13.

Breach of Etiquette, 43 14. Unexpected Honors, ™ 15. Russian Marriage, 4i 16. Russian Pope at Home 17. A Scaly Bridge, 5 18. Russian Tea Service, M 19. Change for a Dollar, °° 20. Cow and Bear 68 21. A Kamchatka Team, w 22. Repulse of the Assailants, 23. View of Sitka, (Full Page,) face page, jj8 24. Plenty of Time, ' 25. Russian Officers at Mess '' 26. Ascending the Bay 27. Taking the Census, " 28. Light-House at Ghijiga 29. Towed by Dogs, (Full Page,) face page, 30. Koriak Yourt, ' „ 31. Discharging a Deck Load 32. Reindeer Ride ' 33. Tail Piece, Reindeer, LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. VIII PAGE 34. Wagon Ride with Dogs, 98 55. Yearly Mail, 10° 36. Dogs Fishing, 101 37. Teachings op Experience, 107 aS BoaT Load op Salmon, "" 39 An Effective Protest, : **" 40 Nothing but Bones, 1*0 41. Tail Piece — Native "Woman, ■ 123 42.

Seeing Off, 125 43. Life on the Amoor, (Full Page,) face page, 129 44. A Gilyak Village, 131 45. About Full, 133 46. Tail Piece— A Turn Out, 134 47. On the Amoor, • • 137 48. Cash Account 139 49 Wooding Up 140 .50. Bear in Procession, 144 51. Practice of Medicine,. 146 52. Manjour Merchant, . . . .' 149 53. Gilyak Man 151 54. Gilyak Woman, 152 55. Peasants by Moonlight, iFull Page,) face page, 153 56. Tail Piece— The Net » 157 67. Ten Miles an Hour, 160 58. Goldee House at Night, (Full Page,) face page, '. 162 69. The Hypocondriac, 163 60. ■' Not for Joe," 167 61. Tail Piece — Scene on the River, 169 62. Reception at Petrovsky, 172 63. Armed and Equipped, 176 64. General Activity, 182 65. Tail Piece— Flask, , 183 66. Manjour Boat, 188 67. A Private Temple, 196 63. Fishing Implements, 199 69.

Chinese Family Picture, 205 Manjour Traveling Carriage, 211 71. Tail Piece — Towards the Sun 216 72. The Ammunition Wagon, 218 73. Finishing Touch, 223 74- Emigrants on the Amoor, 229 76. Sa-Ga-Yan Cliff, « 233 76. Rifle Shooting,. 236 77. Tail Piece— Game 239 78. Preparing for Winter, 247 79. Tail Piece, 249 80. Stratensk, Eastern Siberia, 262 81. A Siberian Tarantass, 258 82. Tail Piece, 261 83. Favorite Bed 269 84. Concentrated Energies 273 85. Prisoners at Chetah, 276 86. On the Hills near Chetah, , 279 87. Bouriat Yourts, 286 88. A Mongol Bell, 2S8 89. A Mongol Belle, 289 90. Catching Sheep, , LIST OP ILLUSTRATIONS. IX PAGE 91. A Cold Bath, 291 92. Tail Piece, 295 93. Our Ferry Boat, 297 94. Equal Rights 300 95. Amateur Concert in Siberia, 304 96. Chinese Mandarin, 307 97. Interior of Chinese Temple, (Full Page,) face page, 310 93.

Through Ordinary Eyes, , 314 99. Through Chinese Eyes, 314 100. Legal Tender, 319 101. Russian Pets, 321 102. Pony Express 322 103- A Disagreeable Appendage, 323 104. Suspended Freedom 323 105. Punishment for Burglary, 324 106. Chopstick, Fork, and Saucer, 325 107. Chinese Theatre, 326 10S. Chinese Tiger '. 327 109. Chinese Punishment, (Full Page,) face page 332 110. Provision Dealer, 337 111. Chinese Mendicants, 339 112 The Favorite 341 113 Female Feet and Shoe, 342 114 . A Lottery Prize, 343 115 A Pekin Cab,...** 345 116. A Chinese Palanquin 345 117. Priest in Temple op Confucius 346 IIS Comforts and Conveniences, 349 119. Filial Attention 349 120. Tail Piece— Opium Pipe 350 121. A Musical Stop 352 122. Nankow Pass, (Full Page.) face page 354 123. Racing at the Kalgan Fair 357 124. Streets in Kalgan, 358 126.

In Good Condition, 359 126. Lost in the Desert of Gobi, 363 127. Mongol Dinner Table, 366 128. Crossing the Tolla. (Full Page.i face page 367 129. The Schoolmaster. 370 130. Tail Piece, • 3il 131. Wild Boar Hunt 3J5 132. A Wife at Irkutsk 3J6 133. No Wife at Irkutsk 376 134. A Soudna, 378 135. After the Earthquake 380 136. Lake Baikal in Winter. (Full Page,) face page 381 137. A Specimen 3Si 138. Tail Piece— The World, 139. Gov. General Korsackoff, 3s' 140. View— Irkutsk, r 39° OOA 141. A Cold Attachment, **** 142. Queen of Greece, 397 400 143. Emperor of Russia, ™" 144. Tail Piece— Twin Bottles 40° 145. Home of two Exiles— Real, Imaginary 4°9 146 Tail Piece— Quarters ™ „ 499. 147 Tartar Cavalry, ~^ LIST OP ILLUSTRATIONS. X page 148. Siberian Exiles, (Full Page,) face page ■ 430 149 Tail Piece, 435 150.

A Vashok, 439 161. A Kibitka, 440 152. Farewell to Irkutsk, 443 153. Our Conductor, 454 154. Jumping Cradle Holes, 456 155. Valley of the Yenesei 462 156. Wolf Hunt, (Full Page,) face page, 466 157. Htdraclic Mining 472 158. Tail Piece, 477 159. Down Hill 483 160. Dogs Among Ice, 489 161. Jumping the Fissures, 492 162, The Team, 494 163. Tail Piece 503 164. In the mine, 516 165. Strange Coincidence, 518 166. Tail Piece 519 167. The Elopement, 527 168. The Fight 523 169. The Catastrophe, .' 529 170. Tail Piece, 530 171. The Polkedovate, 535 172. Making Explanation 536 173 After the Bath, 533 174. Tail Piece, 540 175. The Driver's Toilet, 544 176. Women Spinning, 545 177. Flogging with Sticks 547 178. Tail Piece 551 179. Lost in a Snow Storm, 553 180. Fatal Result 559 181. Tail Piece, 561 182.

Excuse my Familiarity 563 183. Frosted Horses, 564 184. View of Ekaterineburg, (Full Page,) face page, 568 185. Europe and Asia, 574 186 A Russian Beggar, 575 187. Beggars in Kazan, 594 188. The Immersion 595 189. Russian Priest 598 190. Tail Piece, 601 191. Great Bell of Moscow, 605 192. View on the Nevski Prospect, St. Petersburg, (Full Page,) to face, 607 193. Tail Piese— Hwura AH Old Fbiehd,

Chapter I. Page

Off from New York— Around the world by steam— Value of a letter of credit — A cure for sea sickness— Doing the Isthmus— An exciting porpoise race— Glimpse of San Francisco— Trip to the Yo Semite Valley — From the Golden Gate into the Pacific 19

Chapter II

A strange company— Difficulties of sea life— A tall man and a short room — How the dog went to sleep — A soapy cabin— Catching a booby— Two Sundays together— A long lost wreck— Incidents at sca— Manner of catching whales in Alaska— A four footed pilot— Dog stories— How to take an observation— Coast of Asia— Entering Avatcha bay— An economical light keeper 30

Chapter III

In a Russian port— Hail Columbia— Petropavlovsk— Volcanoes and earthquakes—Directions for making a Russian town— A Kamchadale wedding—Standing up with the bride— A hot ceremony— A much married pope— Russian religious practices— Drinking with the priest and what came of it

Chapter IV

Veo-etation in Kamchatka— Catching salmon— A scaly bridge— An evening " on shore— Samovars and tea drinking— The fur trade— Bear hunting— What a cow brought home one day— Siberian dogs — A musical town —The adventures of Norcum— Training a team— Sledges and how to manage them— A voyage under the Polish flag— Monument to Captain Clerke— The allied attack— The battle of Petropavlovsk 51

Chapter V

Bering's voyages— Discovery of Alaska— Shipwreck and death of Bering— The Russian-American Company— The first governor of Alaska— Promushleniks— Russian settlement in California— Account ot Russian explorations— Character of the country— Its extent and resources— Advantages and disadvantages of the Alaska purchase 64

Chapter VI

Leaving Kamchatka-Farewell to the ladies-A new kind of telegraph- Entering the Ohotsk sea— From steam to sail— Sleeping among chronometers— Talking by signs-A burial at sea-A Russian funeral- Land in sight— Ghijiga bay CONTENTS.

Chapter VII

page. Baggage for shore travel— Much wine and little bread— A perplexing dilemma — How to take the census — Siberian beds — Towed by dogs — Encounter with a beast — Coaxing a team with clubs — The Koriaks — Their manners and customs — Comical cap for a native — A four footed currency — Yourts and Balagans — Curious marriage ceremony — Lightening a boat in a storm — Very strong whisky — Riding on a reindeer — An intoxicating mushroom — An electric devil — a Siberian snow storm — How a party was lost "9

Chapter VIII

How a pointer became a bull dog — Coral in high latitudes — Sending Champagne to Neptune — Arrival at Ohotsk — Three kinds of natives — A lunch with the ladies — A native entertainment — A mail once a year — A lover's misfortune — An astonished American — Hunting a bear and being hunted — An unfortunate ride 95

CHAPTER LX.

At sea again — Beauties of a Northern sky — Warlike news and preparing for war — The coast of Japan — An exciting momenta — A fog bell of sea lions — Ready for fight — De Castries' bay — A bewildered fleet — Good-bye to the Variag — In the straits of Tartary — A difficult sleeping place — A Siberian mirage — Entering the Amoor river 102

Chapter X

On shore at Nicolayevsk — An American Consul — Visiting the Governor — Machine shops on the Amoor with American managers — The servant girl question — A Gilyak boat full of salmon — An unfortunate water carrier— The. Amoor Company — Foreign and native merchants — Raising sheep among tigers — Rats eating window glass — Riding in a cart... 110

Chapter XI

Up the Amoor — Seeing off a friend — A Siberian steamboat — How the steamboats are managed — Packages by post — Curiosities of the Russian mail service — An unhappy bride — Hay barges — Gilyak villages — Visiting a village — Bad for the nose — Native dogs — Interviewing a Gilyak lady — A rapid descent 124

Chapter XII

The monastery of Eternal Repose — Curious religious customs — Features of the scenery — Passengers on our boat — An adventurous merchant — Captured by the Chinese — A pretty girl and her fellow passenger — Wooding up — An Amoor town — The telegraph — How it is built and operated — A native school— Fighting the tiger — Religious practices of the Gilyaks — Mistaken kindness 135

Chapter XIII

Stepanoff and his career — A Manjour boat — Catching salmon — A sturgeon pen — The islands of the Amoor — A night scene at a wooding station A natural cathedral — The birds of the Amoor — The natives of the country — Interviewing a native Majidarin 148

Chapter XIV

Entering a Goldee house — Native politeness — What to do with a tame eagle — An intelligent dog team — An exciting race — A Mongol belle Visiting a Goldee house at night — A reception in a shirt — Fish skin overcoats — Curious medical custom — Draw poker on the Amoor river Curiosity — Habarofka — " No turkey for me " — A visit on shore Experience with fleas CONTENTS. XIII

Chapter XV

page. First view of China — A beautiful region — Petrovsky — Women in the water — An impolite reception — A scanty population — Visiting a military post — Division of labor for a hunting excursion — The Songaree — A Chinese military station — Resources of the Songaree — Experience of a traveler — Hunting a tiger — A perilous adventure 170

Chapter XVI

Ekaterin — Nikolskoi — The Province of the Amoor — Character of the Cossack — The Buryea Mountains — A man overboard — Passing a mountain chain — Manjour boats — Bringing pigs to market — Women in the open air — A new tribe of natives — Rest for a bath — Russian cavair — How it is made — Feeding with a native — A heavy drink — A fleet of fishing boats I84

Chapter XVII

Scenery on the middle Amoor— A military colony — Among the Manjours — A Manjour temple— A Chinese naval station— A crew of women- Strange ways of catching fish — The city of Igoon — Houses plastered with mud— Visiting a harem— Talking 'pigeon-Chinese— Visiting the prison 1*4

Chapter XVIII

The mouth of the Zeya— Blagoveshchensk— Kind reception by the governor — Attending a funeral — A polyglot doctor and his family — Intercourse with the Chinese— A visit to Sakhalin-Oula— A government, office— A Chinese traveling carriage — Visiting a Manjour governor — A polite official — A Russian Mongol reception — Curiosities of the Chinese police system — Advice to the Emperor of China 206

Chapter XIX

A deer-hunting pic-nic— Russian ploughing — Nursing a deer gazelle— A shot and what came of it— The return and overturn — The Siberian gazelle—A Russian steam bath— How to take it— On a new steamer — The cabin of the Korsackoff— A horse opera — An intoxicated priest- Private stock of provisions— The dove a sacred bird— Emigrant rafts — A Celestial guard house 217

Chapter XX

The upper Amoor— Saga van cliff— Hunting for gold— Rich gold mines in the Amoor valley— The Tungusians— A goose for a cigar— An awkward rifle— Albazin— The people in Sunday dress— The siege of Albazin— Visiting the old fort 232

Chapter XXI

A sudden change— Beef preserved with laurel leaves— A Russian settler- New York pictures in a Russian house— The Flowery Kingdom— Early explorations— The conquest of the Amoor— A rapid expedition— Ihe Shilka and the Argoon— An old settled country— A lady m the case- Hotels for the exiles— Stratensk— A large crowd— End of a long steamboat ride *W CHAPTER XXn. A hotel at Stratensk— A romantic courtship— Starting overland— A difficult ferrv— A Russian posting carriage— Good substitute tor a trunk— "Road Agent" in Siberia-Rights of travelers-Kissing goes by favor —Captain John Franklin's equipage— Value of a ball— Stuck in the mud— The valley of the Nertcha— Reaching Nerchinsk 25b CONTENTS. 285 296 329 CHAPTER XXin. page. An extensive house — A Russian gold miner — Stories of the exiles — Polish exiles — "The unfortunates "—The treatment of prisoners — Attempts to escape — Buying a tarantass — Light marching order — A bad road — Sleeping on a stove — The valley of the Ingodah — Two hours in a mud hole — Recklessness of drivers — Arrival at Chetah 262

CHAPTER XXIV.

Location of Chetah — Prisoners in chains — Ingenuity of the exiles — Learning Hail Columbia in two hours — A governor's mansion — A hunting party — Siberian rabbits — Difficulties of matrimony — Religion in Siberia — An artillery review — Champagne and farewells — Crossing a frozen stream — Inconvenience, of traveling with a dog — Crossing the Yablonoi Mountains — Approaching the Arctic Ocean 275

CHAPTER XXV.

A cold night — Traveling among the Mongols — The Bouriats and their dwellings — An unpleasant fire — The Bhuddist religion — Conversions among the natives — An easy way of catching sheep — A Mongol bell — A Mongol belle — A late hour and a big dog — Bullocks under saddle — An enterprising girl — Sleeping in a carriage — Arrival at Verkne Udinsk — Walking in the market place — Stories of Siberian robbers — An enterprising murderer — Gold and iron mines on the Selenga

CHAPTER XXVI.

Crossing a river on the ice — A dangerous situation — Dining on soup and caviar — Caravans of tea — The rights of the road — How the drivers treat each other — Selenginsk — An old exile — Troubled by the nose — Lodged by the police — A housekeeper in undress — An amateur concert — Troitskosavsk and Kiachta — Crossing the frontier — Visiting the Chinese governor

CHAPTER XXVII.

In the Chinese empire — A city without a woman — A Chinese court of justice — Five interpretations — Chinese and Russian methods of tea making — A Chinese temple — Sculpture in sand stone — The gods and the Celestials — The Chinese idea of beauty — The houses in Maimaichin — Chinese dogs — Bartering with the merchants — The Chinese ideas of honesty — How they entertained us — The Abacus 306

CHAPTER XXVIII.

Russian feast days — A curious dinner custom — Novel separation of the sexes — The wealth of Kiaehta — The extent of the tea trade — Dodging the custom house — Foreign residents of Kiaehta — Fifteen dogs in one family — The devil and the telegraph — Russian gambling — Dinner with the Chinese governor — Chinese punishments — Ingredients of a Chinese dinner — Going to the theatre in midday — Two dinners in one day — Farewell to Kiaehta 316

CHAPTER XXIX.

Trade between America and China — The first ship for a Chinese port — Chinese river system — The first steamboat on a Chinese river — The Celestials astonished — A nation of shop-keepers — Chinese insurance and banking systems — The first letters of credit — Railways in the empire — The telegraph in China — Pigeon-English — The Chinese treaty . . CONTENTS. XV

CHAPTER XXX.

page. The great cities of China — Pekin and its interesting features — The Chinese city and the Tartar one — Rat peddlers, jugglers, beggars, aud other liberal professionals — The rat question in China — Tricks of the jugglers — Mendicants and dwarfs — "The house of the hen's feathers" — How small feet became fashionable — Fashion in America and China — Gambling in Pekin — An interesting lottery prize — Executions by lot — Punishing robbers — Opposition to dancing — The temple of Confucius — Temples of Heaven and Earth — The famous Summer Palace — Chinese cemeteries — Coffins as household ornaments — Calmness at death. . 336

CHAPTER XXXI.

A journey through Mongolia — Chinese dislike to foreign travel — Leaving Pekin — How to stop a mule's music — The Nankow Pass — A fort captured because of a woman— The great wall of China— Loading the pack mules— Kalgan— Mosques and Pagodas— A Mongol horse fair — How a transaction is managed — A camel journey on the desert — How to arrange his load — A Mongolian cart — A brisk trade in wood for coffins 351

CHAPTER XXXII.

Entering the desert of Gobi — Instincts of the natives — An antelope hunt — Lost on the desert — Discovered and rescued— Character of the Mongols —Boiled mutton, and how to eat it— Fording the Tolla river— An exciting passage— Arrival at Urga— A Mongol Lamissary— The victory of Genghis Khan— Chinese couriers— Sheep raising in Mongolia— Holy men in abundance— Inconvenience of being a lama— A praying machine — Arrival at Kiachta 36i CHAPTER XXXin. Departure from Kiachta— An agreeable companion— Making ourselves comfortable—A sacred village— Hunting a wild boar— A Russian monastery—Approaching Lake Baikal— Hunting for letters— " Doing " Posolsky— A pile of merchandise— A crowded house— Rifle and pistol practice— A Russian soudna— A historic building— A lake steamer in Siberia— Exiles on shore— A curious lake— Wonderful journey over the ice— The Holy Sea— A curious group— The first custom house- Along the banks of the Angara— A strange fish— Arrival at Irkutsk. . 372

CHAPTER XXXIV.

Turned over to the police— Visiting the Governor General— An agreeable officer in a fine house— Paying official visits— German in pantomime— The passport system— Cold weather— Streets, stores, and houses at Irkutsk— Description of the city— The Angara river— A novel regulation —A swinging ferry boat— Cossack policeman— An alarm ot fire— " Running with the machine " in Russia— Markets at Irkutsk— Effects of kissing with a low thermometer 386

CHAPTER XXXV.

Society in Irkutsk-Social customs-Lingual powers of the Russians-Effect of speaking two languages to an mfant-Intercourse of the Siberians with Polish exiles-A hospitable people-A ceremonious dinner- Russian precision-Along speech and a short translat,on-The Amoorski Gastinitza-Playing billiards at a disadvantage-Muscovite supersti ion-Open hoWand pleasant tea-parties-A wealthy gold miner.. . CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

page. The exiles of 1 825 — The Emperor Paul and his eccentricities — Alexander I. — The revolution of 1825 —Its result— Severity of Nicholas — Hard labor for life— Conditions of banishment— A pardon after thirty years — Where the Decembrists live — The Polish question — Both sides of it — Banishments since 1863— The government policy — Difference between political and criminal exiles — Colonists — Drafted into the army — Pension from friends — Attempts to escape — Restrictions and social comforts — How the prisoners travel — The object of deportation — Rules for exiling serfs 406

CHAPTER XXXVII.

Serfdom and exile — Peter I. and Alexander II. — Example of Siberia to old Russia — Prisoners in the mines — A revolt— The trial of the insurgents — Sentence and execution — A remarkable escape — Piotrowski's narrative — Free after four years 419

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

Preparing to leave Irkutsk — Change from wheels to runners — Buying a suit of fur — Negotiations for a sleigh — A great many drinks — Peculiarities of Russian merchants — Similarities of Russians and Chinese — Several kinds of sleighs — A Siberian saint — A farewell dinner — Packing a sleigh — A companion with heavy baggage — Farewell courtesies — Several parting drinks — Traveling through a frost cloud — Effect of fog in a cold night — A monotonous snow scape — Meals at the stations — A jolly party — An honest population — Diplomacy with the drivers 436

CHAPTER XXXIX.

A Siberian beverage — The wine of the country — An unhappy pig — Tea caravans for Moscow — Intelligence of a horse — Champagne frappe — Meeting the post — How the mail is carried — A lively shaking up — Board of survey on a dead horse — Sleeping rooms in peasant houses — Kansk — A road with no snow — Putting our sleighs on wheels — A deceived Englishman — Crossing the Yenesei — Krasnoyarsk — Washing clothes in winter — A Siberian banking house — The telegraph system — No dead-heads — Fish from the Yenesei — A Siberian Neptune — Going on a wolf hunt — How a hunt is managed — An exciting chase and a narrow escape 451

CHAPTER XL.

Beggars at Krasnoyarsk — A wealthy city — Gold mining on the Yenesei — Its extent and the value of the mines — How the mining is conducted Explorations, surveys, and the preparation of the ground— Wages and treatment of laborers — Machines for gold washing — Regulations to prevent thefts — Mining in frozen earth — Antiquity of the mines — The native population — An Eastern legend — The adventures of " Swan's Wing" — Visit to lower regions — Moral of the story 467

CHAPTER XLI.

A philosophic companion — Traveling with the remains of a mammoth — Talking against time — Sleighs on wheels — The advantages of " cheek" — A moonlight transfer — Keeping the feast days — Getting drunk as a religious duty— A slight smash up — A cold night— An abominable road — Hunting a mammoth — Journey to the Arctic Circle — Natives on the coast — A mammoth's hide and hair — Ivory hunting in the frozen North — A perilous adventure — Cast away in the Arctic ocean — Fight with a polar bear — A dangerous situation — Frozen to the ice — Reaching the shore 4yg CONTENTS. XVII

CHAPTER XLII.

PA(a. A runaway horse — Discussion with a driver — A modest breakfast — A convoy of exiles— Hotels for the exiles— Charity to the unfortunate— Their rate of travel — An encounter at night — No whips in the land of horses — Russian drivers and their horses — Niagara in Siberia — Eggs by the dizaine — Caught in a storm — A beautiful night — Arrival at Tomsk — An obliging landlord — A crammed sleigh — Visiting the governor — Description of Tomsk — A steamboat line to Tumen — Schools in Siberia 495

CHAPTER XLIII.

A frozen river — On the road to Barnaool — An unpleasant night — Posts at the road side — Very high wind — A Russian bouran — A poor hotel — Greeted with American music — The gold mines of the Altai mountains — Survey of the mining district — General management of the business — The museum at Barnaool — The imperial zavod — Reducing the ores — Government tax on mines — A strange coincidence 509

CHAPTER XLIV.

Society at Barnaool — A native coachman — An Asiatic eagle — The Kirghese — The original Tartars — Russian diplomacy among the natives — Advance of civilization — Railway building in Central Asia — Product of the Kirghese country — Fairs in Siberia — Caravans from Bokhara — An adventure among the natives — Capture of a native prince — A love story and an elopement — A pursuit, fight, and tragic end of the journey. . . . 520

CHAPTER XLV.

Interview with a Persian officer — A slow conversation — Seven years of captivity — A scientific explorer — Relics of past ages — An Asiatic dinner — Cossack dances — Tossed up as a mark of honor — Trotting horses in Siberia — Washing a paper collar — On the Baraba steppe — A long ride — A walking ice statue — Traveling by private teams — Excitement of a race — How to secure honesty in a public solicitor — Prescription for rheumatism 531