From the Arctic Ocean to the Yellow Sea. The narrative of a journey ... across Siberia, Mongolia, the Gobi desert and North China ... With ... illustrations from sketches by the author

Front matter

FROM THE ARCTIC OCEAN TO THE YELLOW SEA. NOTE. I am indebted to the proprietors of the Illustrated London News for their kind permission to reproduce in this work tho sketches and drawings I made for them whilst on my journey, a great many of which have already appeared in that paper ; and also for the use of the text accompanying them, which lias formed the basis of this work. - 6c?dt7-&e<2yii'i /2y A>iht^e€32 &c%2e2Z. .- FROM THE ARCTIC OCEAN TO THE YELLOW SEA. THE NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY, IN 1890 AND 1891. ACROSS SIBERIA, MONGOLIA THE GOBI DESERT, AND NORTH CHINA. BY JULIUS M. PRICE, F.E.G.S., Special Artist of the "Illustrated London News." WITH ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-TWO ILLUSTRATIONS FROM SKETCHES BY THE AUTHOR LONDON: SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON & COMPANY LIMITED, St. Hunstan'g fifousc, Fetter Lane, Fleet Street, E.C. 1892. [All rights Tcsertxd.]

Before leaving Siberia, probably for ever, I am desirous of recording my gratitude for the assistance afforded me and the many kindnesses I received during the winter I spent there. From the highest officials to the humblest employe, the courtesy I was shown on all occasions was so great, that in all my varied experiences of travel I remember nothing to equal it ; and if it is the same all over this mighty empire, I trust that my wanderings will lead me some day into Greater Russia itself. Amongst the many gentlemen to whom I owe a special debt of gratitude, I may mention Mr. E. Wostrotine, in Yeniseisk ; General Telakoffsky, Dr. Peacock, and Messrs. Cheripanoff, Matwieff, and Kusnitsoff, in Krasnoiarsk ; General Grimiken, M. Soukatchoff, and Mr. Charles Lee, in Irkutsk ; and M. Feodroff and M. Shollingen, in Ourga. J. M. P.

Preface

. A few introductory remarks are, I feel, necessary, if only to give the raison d'etre of my journey, and as a sort of apology for adding to the already formidable array of books of Asiatic travel. The celebrated voyage of Captain Wiggins in 1887, when he successfully accomplished the feat of navigating a steamer (the Phœnix) across the Kara Sea and up the river Yenisei to the city of Yeniseisk, is too well remembered for it to be necessary for me to recapitulate an exploit which is destined to become historic, solving as it did the much-vexed question of the practicability of establishing commercial relations between England and Siberia via the Arctic Ocean and the Kara Sea. This successful expedition, opening up such im mense possibilities, naturally encouraged its financial promoters to follow it up by another and much more important one. Towards the end of July in the following year, therefore, the Labrador, a powerful

PREFACE.

. VIII wooden steamer specially built for Arctic work, was despatched to the mouth of the Yenisei with a cargo of " all sorts," with which to try the Siberian market ; the Phœnix, which had been laid up for the winter at Yeniseisk, being commissioned to proceed down the river and fetch back the cargo brought out by the Labrador, the latter vessel being too large to be able to get such a distance from the estuary. For all this, special permission had naturally to be got from the Russian Government ; but so far from making any objections or putting any obstacles in the way of the scheme, the officials, advised of course from head-quarters, lent every assistance in their power and showed a most friendly spirit. Through a diversity of causes, into which it is not necessary to enter here, the expedition failed to accomplish its purpose, and the Labrador returned to England without having crossed the Kara Sea at all.

An ordinary man would have been discouraged, at any rate for a time, by such a failure ; but Wiggins is not of that stuff. Nothing daunted, he at once began trying to raise "the sinews of war" for a fresh expedition, and was so successful (such confidence had his friends in him), that the following year the Labrador once again started for the far North-East but only to meet with another failure, thouo-h this PREFA CE. IX time the failure, it was proved afterwards, could have been easily averted. In fact, so conclusively was this proved, that, emboldened with the knowledge of how near it had been to being a success, a syndicate of rich and influential London men was without difficulty got together, and it was at once decided that two ships should be sent out the following year, and that everything possible should be done to ensure success.

This time there were no half-hearted measures ; money was forthcoming, and with it a renewed enthusiasm in the scheme, which, I may add parenthetically, helped not a little to bring about its eventually satisfactory result ; this not withstanding the fact that the expedition started handicapped by the untoward absence (owing to his having met with shipwreck on his way to join us) of Captain Wiggins, the leading spirit of the project. Talking about Kussia one morning with Mr. In gram at the office of the Illustrated London News, he suddenly suggested my going out as their " special artist " with this expedition. The love of travel and the spirit of adventure are so strong in me, that with out the slightest hesitation I eagerly caught at the idea ; in fact, had he suggested my riding across the Sahara on a bicycle I should probably have jumped at it with just as much alacrity.

PREFACE.

. X Well, to cut a long story short, after a lot of correspondence had passed between us, the '*' Anglo- Siberian Trading Syndicate " agreed to take me, sub ject to certain restrictions as to publication of sketches and matter relating to the expedition, and to land me eventually, if all went well, at the city of Yeniseisk, in the heart of Siberia. On my taking a map of the route down to the office, and asking Mr. Ingram where I was to go if I ever found myself there, " You can go wherever you like, so long as you send us plenty of interesting sketches for the paper," was his generous reply. With liberty, therefore, to roam all over the world, so to speak, and with unlimited time and plenty of means at my disposal, I started on a journey, the narrative of which I now venture to put in print, in the hope that at any rate some parts of it may give a few fresh facts about the vast continent I traversed from north to south.

In conclusion, I must candidly confess I arrived in Siberia with foregone conclusions derived from the unreliable information and exaggerated stories so current in England about this part of the world. How far my subsequent experiences dispelled the prejudices with which I started, the reader of my narrative may judge for himself. I have touched but en passant on the exile and prison system, for nothin o-

PREFACE.

. XI was further from my thoughts, when I undertook the journey, than to make a profound study of this question. Efforts in this direction have been made both by prejudiced and unprejudiced writers, all of whom, however, are agreed on the main point, that the system is an anachronism and unsuitable to the present age. What I felt was that in Siberia, that vast country with such immense natural re sources, there must be much which would be novel and interesting to study in its social aspect, apart from the actual prison life and hardships with which the name of Siberia has always been associated ; so I determined to devote my chief attention to phases of life which are still, in general, so little known that to many readers, probably, much that I have attempted to describe in these pages will come, as it did to me, in the light of a revelation. JULIUS M. PRICE.. Savage Club, London, March, 1892. CONTENTS.

Chapter I. From Blackwall To Siberia

TAGE The object of the expedition— The steamer Biscaya and its passengers and cargo — Across the North Sea — Uncomfortable experiences — First glimpse of Norway — Aalesund — The Lofoden Islands — The midnight sun — A foretaste of the Arctie regions—" Cape Flyaway " — Our ice-master, Captain Crow ther — We sight the coast of Siberia — The village of Kharbarova — The entrance to the Kara Sea ... ... ... 1

Chapter II. The Kara Sea

In the midst of the ice-floes — Tedious work — Weird effects at twilight — A strange meeting — We pay a visit to the home of tlie walrus-hunter — Curio-hunting — A summer morning in the ice — Delightful experience — The Arctic mirage — We part from our new friends — An uncertain post-office — Tee-bound — Novel experiences — Seal-hunting ... ... 16

Chapter III

the kara sea — continued. Further impressions of the Arctic regions — The awful silence — Average thickness of the ice — On the move CONTENTS. XIV PAGE once more— A fresh danger— A funny practical joke —The estuary of the River Yenisei— Golchika— A visit from its inhabitants— From Golchika to Karaoul 27

Chapter IV. The Port Of Karaoul And Its Inhabitants

The tundras of Northern Siberia— The Samoyedes — Arrival of the Phœnix — My first Russian meal — Vodka and tea — Our departure for Kasanskoi ... 36

Chapter V. Kasanskoi

Our Russian customs officer — A shooting-excursion — Visit to the settlement of Kasanskoi — The house of a Siberian trader — Interesting people — First experience of Russian hospitality — The return of the Phœnix — Departure of the Biscaya ... ... 48

Chapter XIV

krasnoiarsk — continued. Privileged criminal exiles — Ordinary criminals — A marching convoy on the road — Convoy soldiers — The convoy — Proceedings on arrival at the Perasilny of Krasnoiarsk — The staroster of the gang — A stroll round the Perasilny — The married prisoners' quarters — A "privileged" prisoner in his cell — Scene outside the prison — Prison labour — I give it a trial — Details as to outside employment of prisoners ... ... 134

Chapter XV. Mt Journey From Krasnoiarsk To Irkutsk

My servant Matwieff — The Great Post Road — The post-houses — Tea caravans — Curious effect of road — Siberian lynch law — Runaway convicts — A curious incident — The post courier — An awkward accident — Arrival at Irkutsk ... ... ... I55

Chapter XVI. Irkutsk

Unpleasant experiences at hotel — Hospitality of Mr. Charles Lee — First impressions of the city ... CONTENTS. XVII PAGE 192 198 208 221

Chapter XVII

prison life IN Siberia — continued. The Irkutsk prison — Comparative liberty of prisoners — Incongruities of prison life — The "shops" — Prison artists

Chapter XVIII

prison life in Siberia — continued. Outdoor employment of prisoners — A chat with an employer of convict labour — The " convict's word " — An interview with a celebrated murderess — The criminal madhouse — Political prisoners in solitary confinement — I get permission to paint a picture in one of the cells — End of my visits to the prison

Chapter XXII. Across Mongolia

The Russo-Chinese frontier — Maimachin — The Mongols of to-day — Curious customs — Hair-dressing extraordinary — -A pestilent farmyard — Exciting incidents — A forced encampment — An awful night's experiences — The Manhati Pass — Magnificent scenery — I pull off a successful "bluff" — " Angliski Boxe" in the wilds of Mongolia — Arrival at Ourga ...

Chapter XXIII. The Sacred City Of Ourga

The Russian consul, M. Feodroff — Hospitality of the Consulate — The " lions " of Ourga — The colossal statue of the "Maidha"— The "Bogdor of Kurene "—An impromptu interview — Prayer-wheels — Prayingboards — Religious fervour of the Mongols

Chapter XXIV. From Ourga To The Great Wall

My preparations for the journey across the Gobi Desert — The Russian Heavy Mail — My camel-cart — Good-bye to Ourga — The first few days out — Discomforts of the journey — The homeward-bound mail — The desert settlement of Tcho-Iyr ... CONTENTS. XIX PAGE 318 331 353 371

Chapter XXV

the GOBI desert — continued. Sport in the desert— The " post-station " at Oud-en — The last of the desert — Saham-Balhousar — First impressions of China — Chinese women — Returning to sea-level — Curious experience — The eclipse of the moon — Arrival at Kalgan

Chapter XXVI. Kalgan To Peking

A hearty welcome — Yambooshan — The Great Wall of China — American missionaries — My mule-litter — From Kalgan to Peking — Scenery on the road — - Chinese inn — First experience of a Chinese dinner — Amusing rencontre — The Nankaou Pass — The Second Parallel of the Great Wall — First impressions of Peking — The entrance to the city

Chapter XXVII. Peking

Exciting times — A chat with Sir John Walsham— The Chinese city — Horrible scenes — Social life at the Legations in Peking — Lady Walsham's " At homes " — The hardest-worked man in the East — Interesting evening with Sir Robert Hart — His account of his life

Chapter XXVIII

Peking (continued) — and home. Difficulty of sketching in the streets — My journey from Peking: to Tientsin — A Chinese house-boat — The Peiho River — Tientsin — From Tientsin to Shanghai — And home ... PAGE The "Biscaya" leaving Blackwall... ... ... 1 Preparations for the Arctic Regions ... To face 8 A "Dead Reckoning" in the Kara Sea ... ... 10 Our Ice-master, Captain Crowther ... ... 13 Clearing the Drift Ice from the Propeller ... 16 The Home of the Walrus-hunter ... ... 20 The "Biscaya" Ice-bound in the Kara Sea ... To face 24 After Seals ... ... ... ... ... 25 " One Speck of Life in the Ice-bound Waste " ... 27 The Handsomest Member of his Family ... 333 Samoyede Boatmen ... ... ... To face 34 Karaoul ... ... ... ... ... 36 The Samoyede's Grave ... ... ... ... 39 A Samoyede Lady ... ... ... ... 40 Transhipment of our Cargo to the "Phœnix" ... 43 Our Custom-House Officer ... ... ... 48 Kasanskoi ... ... ••• ... ... 50 Trader's House at Kasanskoi ... ... ... 50 Mine Host at Kasanskoi ... ... ... ... 51 Sweet Seventeen ... ... ■-■ ... 53 A Home in Northern Siberia : The Morning Meal To face 54 Materfamilias ... ... ... ... 55 Temporary Farmyard on one of the Barges ...

To face 57 Tea-time at the Men's Quarters ojj Shore ... 57 Cossacks ... ... ... ... ... ... 58 A House-boat ... ... ••• ... 60 The "Phœnix" ... ... ... ... To face 61 Loading Wood for the "Phœnix" ... ... ,, 66 Difficult Navigation ... ... ... 70 Sellivanaka ... ... ... ••■ To face 78 The Principal Thoroughfare, Tdruchansk ... ... 80 Our First Visit from Official Russia ... To face 83 Werchneimbackskoi ... ... ••• ,, 83 Interested Observers ... ... ■•■ •■• 83 The Russian Police Officer ... ••■ To face 84 The Village Priest ... ... ... — 85 A Village Boat ... ... ... ... PAGE A River Pilot ... ... ... ••• •■■ °" The River Yenisei at Worogovo ... To face 90 Storing the Winter Forage : A Village Scene on the Yenisei ... ... ... -■ To face 96 Yeniseisk ... ... ... ... •■• "' Peasant Woman ... ... ... ••■ ••• 1^1 In the Market-place, Yeniseisk ...

To face 101 A Prison Beauty ... ... ... ... ••■ 10' The Governor visiting the Men's Prison, Yeniseisk To face 109 The Murderers' Department, Yeniseisk Prison ••■ HI The Governor visiting the Women's Prison, Yeniseisk To face 112 Criminal Prisoners waiting at Yeniseisk for Convoy to start for Krasnoiarsk ... ... To face 113 Street Scene, Yeniseisk ... ... ... 117 A Water-carrier... ... ... ... ... 118 Getting Water prom the Frozen River Yenisei To face 118 The High Street, Yeniseisk ... ... ,, 118 A Swell ... ... ... ... ... 119 The Two Collegiate Schools, Yeniseisk ... To face 120 Life in Siberia : An Afternoon Drive in Yeniseisk „ 121 Ready to Start ... ... ... ... ... 123 "Good-bye" ... ... ... ... ... 126 Im the Meat Market, Krasnoiarsk ... ... ... 131 A Typical Siberian Interior, Krasnoiarsk ... 132 Snow Scavenger, Krasnoiarsk ... ...

To face 133 The Cathedral, Krasnoiarsk ... ... ... 134 A Convoy of Prisoners on the March (Enlargement from an Instantaneous Kodak Photo) To face 138 Prisoners unloading Sledges on Arrival at Perasilny, Krasnoiarsk ... ... ... ... To face 140 Verification of Prisoners on Arrival at Perasilny, Krasnoiarsk ... ... ... To face 141 The Staroster of the Gang ... ... ... 142 Group of Prisoners (from a Government Photo) ... 144 A " Priviligiert," or Privileged Prisoner ... ... 148 Peasant Women selling Provisions to Prisoners 149 Watchman on Duty in Fire Tower, Krasnoiarsk To face 155 My Servant ... ... ... ... 15g Arrival at a Post Station ... ... jg4 Interior of a Post-house ... ... To face 166 The Imperial Mail ... ... ... _ PAGE Irkutsk ... ... ... ... ... ... igg The Moskovskaia Podvorie, Irkutsk ...

To face 180 An Irkutsk Beauty ... ... ... ... 135 Entrance Hall of Millionaire Gold-mine Owner's House, Irkutsk ... ... ... ... 186 Street Scene, Irkutsk ... ... ... 188 A Cossack ... ... ... ... To face 190 An Irkutsk Policeman... ... ... ,, 191 The Museum, Irkutsk ... ... ... ... 191 The Recreation Ground, Irkutsk Prison ... 192 Married Prisoners waiting to be served with New Clothes on arrival at Prison, Irkutsk To face 193 The Prison Artist ... ... ... ,, 196 The Baroness ... ... ... ... 201 A "Political" (from a Government Photo) To face 205 " Sweethearts and Wives : " Visiting-Day in the Irkutsk Prison ... ... ... ... To face 206 Autograph Letter from the Baroness ... „ 207 The High Street, Irkutsk ... ... ... 208 In the Courtyard of a Fire Station, Irkutsk ... 215 The Governor-General's House, Irkutsk ... ... 218 Street Scene, Irkutsk ... ... ... 220 A Bit on the Road to Lake Baikal ... ... 221 The River Angara near Lake Baikal ... . . 225 Liestvinitz, on Lake Baikal ... ... ... 229 A Lake Baikal Steamer ... ... ... 231 Crossing Lake Baikal ... ... ... ... 233 The Kupetski Track ... ... ... ... 235 A Post-house on the Kupetski Track ... ... 238 A Tea Cart ... ... ... ... ... 240 Day-dreams : A Sketch in the Trans-Baikal To face 242 The High Street, Troitzkosavsk ... ... „ 245 My First Glimpse of Mongolia ... ... „ 246 A Bourriate Lady ... ... ... ... 247 Sketch by a Political Prisoner, made whilst on the March across Siberia (the Original is in Sepia and White) ... ... ...

To face 248 On the Road to Ourga ... ... ... ... 249 A Mongol Yourt ... ... ... ... 253 A Mongol ... ... ... ... ... 254 Our Midday Halt ... ... ... ... 260 A Street Musician, Ourga... ... ... ... 272 The Principal Thoroughfare, Ourga ... To face PAGE ■277 A Pilgrim from Thibet ... ••• •■■ ...«»# A Lama ... ... ... ■•■ - 2gl 900 A Prayer-wheel, Ourga ... ••• •■• •" 984. Prayer-boards, Ourga ... ... ••■ "The Old, Old Story all the World over" To face 286 In the Camel and Pony Bazaar, Ourga ... „ 293 In the Bazaar, Ourga ... » *-°* The Punishment of the " Cargue : " A Sketch outside the Prison, Ourga ... ... To face 295 An Ourga Beauty ... ... ••• » 299 In the Gobi Desert ... ... ... 301 My Camel-cart ... ... .. ■•■ To face 303 Mongol conveying the Russian Light Mail across the Gobi Desert ... ... ... ...

To face 306 The Midday Halt in the Desert ... ... 309 My Caravan in the Desert (from a Kodak Photo) ... 313 We meet the Homeward-bound Mail ... ... 314 The Lama Settlement of Tcho-Iyr in the Gobi Desert 315 I take Tea with a Lama in the Gobi Desert To face 316 The Russian Post-station in Mid-desert ... ... 318 In the Gobi Desert : A Tea Caravan on its Way to Siberia (from a Kodak Photo) ... ... 320 In the Gobi Desert : Lady Visitors to our Encampment ... ... ... ... ... To face 323 "Ye Gentle Shepherdess of ye Steppe" ., 324 Street Scene, Yambooshan (showing the " Great Wall " on Mountain in Background) ... ... To face 332 My Mule-litter ... .;. ... ;i 338 The Courtyard of a Chinese Inn ... .. ... 341 A "Room" in a Chinese Inn ... ... ... 343 A Nasty Bit of Road ... ... ... To face 346 The Great Wall of China at the entrance to Nankaou Pass ... ... ... ...

To face 348 Chinese Revenue Cruisers in Hongkong Roadstead (from a Photo given by Sir Robert Hart) To face 363 Street Scene, Tartar City, Peking ... ... " 356 Sir Robert Hart, G.C.M.G., in his "Den" at Peking To face 366 My House-boat ... ... 375 Shanghai ... ... ... oon THE "BISCAYA" LEAVING BLACKWALL. FROM THE ARCTIC OCEAN TO THE YELLOW SEA.

Chapter I. From Blackwall To Siberia

The object of the expedition — The steamer Biscaya and its passengers and cargo — Across the North Sea — Uncomfortable experiences — First glimpse of Norway — Aalesund — The Lofoden Islands — The midnight sun — A foretaste of the Arctic regions — "Cape Flyaway " — Our ice-master, Captain Crowther — We sight the coast of Siberia — The village of Kharbarova — The entrance to the Kara Sea. In these prosaic clays of the nineteenth century one hardly expects a revival of the adventurous expe- B ditions which made the fame of England in the days of Frobisher and Drake. As a matter of fact, the world is almost too well known now for such adventures to be possible, even were the leaders forthcoming, and the " good old buccaneering days are long past. Still, I could not help thinking, on the day we left Gravesend for the far North-East, bound for a region but little known, and with the uncertainty of ever reaching our destination, that it must have been under somewhat similar conditions that the adventurers of old started on their perilous journeys ; with, however, this very great difference — ours was not a filibustering expedition, but a commonplace commercial enterprise, backed up by several well-to-do Englishmen, with absolutely nothing of the romantic about it beyond the fact of its having to traverse these wild and comparatively unknown regions before it could be successfully achieved.

We started from the Thames on Friday, July 18, 1890, in the chartered Norwegian steamer Biscaya, eight hundred tons gross, bound for the Yenisei Eiver with a nondescript tentative sort of cargo, con sisting of a mixture of all sorts, from a steam saw mill down to the latest toy for children, our ultimate destination being the town of Yeniseisk, which is situated some fifteen hundred miles from the mouth of this mighty river. The object of the expedition was to endeavour to open a trade route between England and Siberia by means of the Kara Sea passage, which was discovered by Nordenskiold in 1875. Nothing of particular interest occurred during the first few days after we left the Thames. "We were so closely packed that it required some careful arrangement to get us all comfortably stowed, so to speak.

Imagine seven men jammed into a cabin just about large enough to accommodate four, and each man with the usual amount of superfluous luggage without which Englishmen could not possibly travel, this baggage also stowed in the cabin, and you will guess that we were packed like sardines. As, how ever, no doubt even sardines get used to being packed, after a time so did we ; and, although the passage across the North Sea was about as uncom fortable a one as I ever experienced, we somehow managed to settle into our respective grooves long before we sighted the coast of Norway. Our party consisted of two representatives of the London Syndicate, two engineers, a master stevedore (to unload the ship on arrival), an experienced ice-master, who knew the Kara Sea thoroughly, the captain of the Biscaya, and your humble servant.

I don't think I ever was on board a more crowded ship. Even the decks were packed with all sorts of para phernalia, including a large steam-launch and several pens of live stock ; and, so as to obviate any fear of running short of coal in the outlandish parts we were going to, the fore and upper decks had over seventy tons of loose coal on them. We had a head wind and a heavy sea nearly the whole way after passing Harwich, where we dropped our pilot, thus bidding a last farewell to Old England. Off the Dogger Bank we went right through the fishing fleet which congregates there, and took advantage of the oppor tunity to get some fresh fish — a matter of no small difficulty, as the men had a preposterous idea of its value : they would not take money for it, but actually had the effrontery to want to swop a couple of small cod, a ling, and a pair of soles for two bottles of whiskey and a pound of tobacco !

Fish is evidently dearer on the fishing-o-round itself than in London. Whiskey, however, was far more valuable to us than fish, so, when the men saw we were not buyers on their terms, they eventually came down to 1^ lb. of ship tobacco (value 2s. id.) for the lot, which was reasonable enough. After passing the Dogger Bank the wind freshened very considerably towards evening, and added much to the discomfort of the crowded ship ; in fact, so badly did she roll about that not only was all our party busy " feeding the fishes " most of the time, but our cook was also so ill that he could not attend to his duties, and we all had to lend a hand in the galley as well as we could. I had never been a long voyage in a wooden ship before, so could hardly sleep a wink all night, owing to the (to me) unusual noise caused by the groaning of her timbers as she pitched and tossed about.

It sounded not unlike what I should imagine it would be sleeping near a lot of new leather portmanteaus which were being continually shifted. During the whole of the following day it was blowing big guns, and the sea was so heavy that the cabin was almost dangerous to remain in, owing to the sort of cannonade of packages from all sides, many things being damaged. There was absolutely nothing to do but sit down and wait events, and, meanwhile, make one's self as comfortable as one could under the circumstances. By the next day the gale had moderated considerably, and during the morning we got our first glimpse of Norway — a high, rock-bound coast, with a dim vista of mountains in the back ground. Shortly after, a small pilot-boat hove in sight, evidently on the chance of a job, probably taking the Biscaya for a tourist steamer wishing to pass inside the islands, which is the most picturesque route, though somewhat longer.

We had no time, however, to waste on scenery, so, although one of our party, who was suffering from an attack of dysentery, offered to pay the pilotage (about ,£15) out of his own pocket if the calm-water channel was followed, it was at once decided to keep outside the whole way up the coast, and thus get on as fast as possible, more especially as the weather showed signs of clearing up. On the Norway coast we anchored for a short time off the quaint little village of Aalesund, with its pretty wooden houses nestling under the high snow-clad mountains which encircle the beautiful fiord on which it is situated. I was disappointed on a nearer inspection of the village, which looked so quaint as seen from the sea: the houses all appeared to be almost new, doubtless owing to the fact that they are all built entirely of wood.

The effect is thoroughly characteristic of Norway, the smell pervading the place especially so, being, as far as I could guess, a mixture of paraffin and pickled fish, with just a soupgon of burnt wood thrown in here and there. Everything looked as clean as a new pin, but, as each house is exactly like its neighbour, the effect is certainly monotonous. Nevertheless, there were several pretty bits which I should have liked to sketch had I had time. What, if anything, struck me most was the entire absence of any national or picturesque costume, which gives such local colour to most Continental villages. At Aalesund the inhabitants looked for all the world like English people, and their fair hair and blue eyes added to this resemblance. I was told, how ever, that on fete clays there are some quaint costumes to be seen here and there.

No time was lost in getting away, and shortly after we had lost sight of the quiet little village, where we had spent a few lazy hours, and were heading it once more for the far-distant Arctic regions. The days after this date began to lengthen considerably, and, although we had hardly noticed it at first, it astonished us very much when we suddenly found that it was eleven o'clock at night, and yet the sun was shining as brightly as during the afternoon. When the novelty had worn off, as it naturally did after a few days, the amount of daylight almost palled on one. It seemed too absurd turning in while the sun was up ; still, like every thing else, one gets used to it after a time. The next few days were uneventful, as we were out of sight of land, and the usual monotony of shipboard life was only broken by the usual skylarking, without which no sea voyage would be complete.