The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-19
Traversing the Russian
Empire.
ON ROUTE TO CABUL.
A Scene OF Woe on Volqa
Steamer.

reach St Petersburg passing through Paris Cologne,
Berlin and Warsaw. He will then require sixteen
hours to get to Moscow and sixty hours more to
reach Orenburg, leaving behind Riazan Morchanski,
Pelza, Syzran. where the Volga is crossed, and
Samara. From Havre 20 Orenburg the traveller
covers little more than three thousand miles and
passes seven days on the railway-rather more time
than is required in making the journey from san Fran
cisco to New York In crossing North America it is
only necessary to take ticket and get aboard the train
while in Russia things very different for il is the
only country where the fornality of the passport
still exists the full To this be added the fact
that no foreigner venture beyond Orenburg with
out which the inevitable
formalites compel him to wait far longer, since the
Emperor is away from the capital. In this country
when the head of the State goes anywhere all the adj
ministrative machinery follows him. From this
cause it happens that instead of eight days
it has taken me 4 month to Europe and make
ready to enter the Asatc possessions of His Imperial
Majesty the Emperor Alexander These possessions
begin at Warsaw. a city of 100000 inhabitants. re-
markabe above all things else for not possessing
single French barber. is the only great city of the
world which is in this strait, if l can believe
the man who acted my cicerone. and who, like the
President of the French Republic, answers to the
name Of AIacahon. This latter fact caused the late
NJ. Theirs hearty laugh when he visited Warsaw in
1870 and the Polish MacATahon offered his services.
This guide has seen other celebrities pass through
the city. Among those who employed him he proudly
counts ex- President Grant and General Sherman
THE STATIONS AND THEIR ATTENDANTS.
From Warsaw to Orenburg the traveller. shut up
in his railroad car, has nothing particular to note.
First of ALL he passes through forests of trees and
then through the steppes-those widespread plains
q O he
expanse. This for the distant vew Closer at hand
he only the station, of which the dimen-
sions alone vary, with the same cook behind the
outlets. which, after the train has gone he
will replace in the pot to take them ont when the
next passengers arrive. 1t must certainly happen
that the cook from sheer force of seeing those cut
let's day after day, must end by knowing them
from another. aud becoming attached to them. Then
if traveller should ever possess himself of of
these the cook must naturally experience the painful
feelings Of the man who friend fall into the
hands of cannibals Everybody drinks tea out of
glasses and the smoke cigarettes. Every
soul you meet complains Of the weather,
whose clemency is it appears. most distressing.
The refuses to come; the sledges
are going to the dogs: never in the memory
of man has such state of things been in the
middle of December. However. meet plenty of
painfully enough. The river cuts the line of
the railroad fifteen sixteen item miles) from
Syrian large bridge has been begun at this point,
which is called Batraki Already the abutmcnts are
emerging from the stream: but 1t will take two years
yet before the important link in the chain of comu
nication is completed Meantime little steamboat
twenty feet long is made to suffice for the service.
Tho travellers of all kinds huddlcd on board
There are merchants and officers. moujiks and
mountebanks. and party of velocipedists. who are
going to take a turn in Siberia.
WORSE THAN DEATH.
Six soldiers conduct of convcts, Of whom
some are heavily chained. These latter, it appears
are assassins condemned 70 the Mines because i'll
Russia the death penalty does not in point OF fact
exist. The condemned sent down into the mines.
where the robust do not hold out for than two
years; it is death penalty after ALL but by long
term. All the convicts gray ovcrcoats something
like of the soldiers. In the centre of the back
these coats dotted with yellow marks, of which
the form, square triangular indicates the penalty
of the condemned. Above the marks letters tell
ing the government from which he comes. Thus the
prisoner carries registration Of his civil condition
on his back. One of these convicts still his
civilian attire. His wife has obtained leave to
pany him. along with their children. four or five
years old. He will pass months in the midst of these
strange surroundings, for several months ncces
sary to reach Siberia. the journey being made almost
entirely on foot. What a singular beginning of an
education!
THE
Meanwhile the little steamer after great efforts.
succeeds in getting away from the landing place and
encounters the ice blocks from the north which
choke up the stream. After a hundred laborous
revolutions Of the paddle wheel the engine stops.
II is impossible TO either forward or backward.
The Captain shouts to the machinist, who answers
only with volley of oaths. All this is in German,
but it does not help forward Put on all steam!'
shouts the Captain. Do YOU want to blow up the
boat?" replies the machnst. However. we cannot
stay whore are and the ice blocks rapidly piling
ND around us. IAN right, shouts the machinist at
length putting all steam. The little vessel seems
to try to jump out of tho water Something is going
TO break either the boat the ice. which will it be?
There is moment of anxiety. then large gap is
opened before us. the way is open and we arrive
without much further trouble a. the opposite bank.
Here we have to wade through the sand up to the
little station and there await baggage. which the
steamer has gone back to bring. Five hours lost
in waiting At last tho train starts, and tho NOR
row we arrive at Orenburg.
TAsHsESD.
This Is the end Of railways for us. We shall not
find them again until reach India. probably at
Multan All the intervening must be trav-
erscd 10y the means OF loconoion handed down from
former centuries. From orcnburg 10 Tashkcnd the
Journey still made wheels our vehicle Is
called . tarantass. II consists ~ canvascovercd
box in which stretch mattrass and place u layer
of straw. for we shall have no other bed until we
reach Tashkend. The baggage is piled in front
and behind, and also tho victuas. Tor we shall find
none ON the road. and everything must be provided
before starting. Tho horses furnished by the
post. of which the relays are distributed along the
route and favoritism becomes matter Of great
sequence. The Governor, to whom had sent my
permit furnished me With what will call post
letter sort OF passport stating that in the of
His Majesty am to be provided with many horses
want, up TO six shall thus be able TO start
my journey. 1t has not been without difficulty for
in order obtain all that necessary the trip
in this city, where Tartar cupdiy is happily welded
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