The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1855-02-17
WHOLE NO. GIG.

plying ice sufficiently strong to admit of the
I,astimc of skating; whilst in TobolSki the
cold is SO very intense that snow falls in your
apartment if You merely open the window
and let i'll the cold air--tor the air appears
to bc frozen, and it is said by the people to
be so, and by increasing its temperature its
,apor becomes snow.
The cause O. this difference lies in the sea.
which being generally of pretty equal tenn
rcraturc throughout the year, makes all is
lands, and especially small ones, inscnsiblc to
the variations Of continental climates 1t is !
not the northern latitude of Siberia that dcs- !
olatcs it with cold, so much as the immense
tracts of iaud-ard ,..s i. al "ycs it \ cor
responding greater warmth in summer so
that by taking advantage of the short seasons
of hot weather, the inhabitants can pro
vide themselves for the winter, and even
contlivc to lead a life of idcness and merry
making.
Their houses arc built in such manner as
to make them very comfortable during the
cold weather; SO that going to bed in Siberia
Is even more pleasant in January than it Of
ten is in our own countrv-ior every hon>c
has large stove of brick or stone in the cen
trc, and al, the rooms arc built around it
and as this is constantly supplied with hot
cmlcrS, without flame or smoke and well shut
it keeps every room in the house at an agree
able temperature that is required, so that one
NAV 90 to bed in winter at "a comfortable sum-
mcr heat. Rich people have a servant cx-
prcs>lv "a purpose to attend to this fire place
and the members Of poor families take the
charge of theirs in turns. And thus if tam
lily have plentiful supply Of wood and pro-
visions for the winter, and also a spacious
house. they can lead very jolly and comfort
able life: and the arrangements Of society
are such as in general TO afford the poorest
the means OF accomplishing this.
There are therefore great compensation,
made to the inhabitants of Siberia for the Sc
verify of their climate. In the summer
tmc," SAYS Mr.. S. S. Hill. who has lately re.
turned 10 England from the iar,hcst region.
of Eastern Siberia, 'TUn>k is deserted u,
its able bodied men, who seek occupation
chiefly at the mines on the Icncssci. Tn,
labor at the mines generally begins soonc
or later in June, accorJin. to the season. ar
: lasts until September; before the close OF
: which month the proprctor> are obliged b,
law to discharge all workmcn and laborcr
: whatsoever The remuneration thev rccciv,
2 for their .ab0r~ during this short period, if
, t',,'v choose to save III they earn. is usual,
enough TO maintain them with little or no ct
: for, during The rest of the year THUS tn,
town is filled ..llng the winter with id,crs
. WHO become l,acticcd in every sort of vice
/ The strong arm of The law is not allie to kcc
: them from The worst cxccsScS that tii>crac
: humanity among >avacc>. Mr.. Hill seems I
n think there Is too much liberty in Russia
{ the liberty Of doing mischief. The upper an
{! oiliria! classes require very severe check
: and he record, with approval remark mad
to !iim in lrkou:sk. when a new governor WI
coming. and all were anxious about the char
actcr of the man. There's more ALARM" sal
l. the Swiss. 'at The report of the new govern
+ or having done. or contemplated doing. a
= act Of Justice or humanity on the road. tha
: doubtless there would he if news had arrive
that tyrant was on his way to practice hi
n unlicensed rrucl;ics, and license the opprcs.
e ion of others" They are more afraid Of i,,,
r iicc than of injustice. for they suffer NOR
Il from it. The good suffer irol: iniusiiSc, til
Is bad from iu>ticc.
There are. however, many nice, arrccai.
l. people in Siberia, and people also SO fond o
a their country that they could not bear TO liv
1t any where else. Mr. It'll met with beau,
= tul young lady in lrkou,sk, the daughter o
q an officer in the mining establishment, wi
Is spoke French well. and who hadcrral mu,
t. of French and English, and expressed
r. great desire 20 see thcm.cSpccial:v France; b'
at the same time she declared that She con
e not continue TO 1--we happily in any countl
N but Siberia. But when asked her wlcil
'c cr. when the lovely hills tnd fresh valley
y their corn-iicldS, orchards, parks, groves. an
!, green meadows, OF which she delighted
ut talk, mig ght bc in reality before her eyes, 81
Is might not bc tempted to abandon her natl'
&c lrkoutsk, and even friends and home, she d
1t clarcd her attachment TO the place Of h
lc birth to be such ,ha, she hardly knew whet
III en-. even if her father were called to lie
IL Russia, she cOnili endure an absence fro
lrkout>k, for six months" Her heart W
" there, no ,!oult. and She felt ii warm cnol.
cs to defy the ice anl the snow that surround,
rv her.
IL Mr.. Hill gave a very different account {
at he condition OF the cxilcs from what is Sc
of orally believed to bc the truth. But trav,
til lcrs vary SO nuch in their reports that it
No. difficult to distinguish the true from the fal
S; in their narratives. 1t may lee that all a
Vi truc-onc happening TO see the sunny si'
tc Of the hill, the other not. In Iakoutsk, N
he Hill saw many political exi!cs, who had bee
N. condemned to labor for lite in tic rli:,cs
As Nertchnsk, bu, into tl:csc abodcs Of the wor
y: criminals they never descended. The lab
to which they performed for some time coi.si:
e. cd, tor the most part, in various occupation
lat which were not vigorously c:.!o.cc'l, I