Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-03-22

A Thousand-Mile Journey by sledge.
Correspondence New York Herald
After continuous sledge journey of 22S
hours, travelling night and day. reached Omsk,
the capital of Western Siberia, last night (Sat-
urday) shortly after eight o'clock, thus COM
plotting $40 versts, or about thousand miles,
of the entire distance of 2, 700 miles from Oren-
burg to lrkutsk.
The few days spent in Orenburg were busily
employed in fitting up the governor generals
sedge and in the purchase of warm furs for the
Journey, the chief of police kindly assisting us
In every possible way. / cannot, perhaps. give
you better idea of the character of the pur-
chases necessary for Siberian journey than to
describe my own makeup. To keep your feet
warm is the great desideratum in such sledge
Journey, and consequently my own pedal ex-
tremities are encased in three pairs of warm
wooden socks Two pairs of warm drawers. a
pair OF stout unmentionables and three flannel
shirts complete the first protective layer over
the entire body. Then over the legs come fur
ther a pair of long fur boots reaching to the
thigh, and on these again is pair of thick felt
boots reaching to the knees. A long Russian coat
lined with warm fur is worn next to the under
Clothing, and over this l wear a huge fur
coat made of skins of reindeer, with hair
both inside and out. This latter though the
sary as with it you may defy even the lowest
degree OF temperature. permitting as it does
neither warmth to escape nor cold to approach.
For the throat and head you need the greatest
protection possible. For the former and for my
ears have warm muffler made of Orenburg
wool; for the head, a warm cap with
ear lappets, and besides this. hood made by
the krghese, of woven camel's hair. The
latter is called bdScklik;, is highly recommend
ed by Professor NOrdenskjOld, and is worn by
nf $Irn B,r-n;
warm, and in case the cold is very severe the
front part can be pulled down partly over the
face when you sleep and the biting blasts warded
on. These, with couple Of pairs of warm
gloves, complete my outfit. and may say that
thus clad the cold had not the slightest effect
upon me for the first four DAYS was out in the
sledSe, and after that only my nose was the suf-
ferer. for this useful and ornamental member of
the human makeup is most difficult to protect
unless you render respiration itself difficult
and oppressive. For the sledge itself it was
necessary to purchase large skin rug and a
supply OF pillows, the duty of the latter being
to render less hurtful the violent conclusions
and bumpings one gets during the journey. For
1000 purchased stock of a hundred cans of
conserved soup, prepared ready for use after
being frozen out and warmed, forty or fifty
cooked beefsteaks. small bottle of cOgnac to
pc used In case of need or as a thermometer
after the mercury has become frozen some but
Ter. cheese, sausages tea, frying pan, soup
articles OF food become Immediately frozen, and
OF course, will keep for an indefinite period and
lced cheese and sausaGeS proved not unenjOyable
dellcacies at the poverty stricken post stations
along the route. OF wine or beer we had
nothing; cold water could be had all along the
way, besides tea at all times and now and then
delicious milk or few fresh laid eggs. Thus
provided we started. after the sledge had been
scientifically packed by the landlord of the Hotel
de iEqrope; German from the Baltic Provinces
ana whose house can be recommended to tray
eerS about to start from Orenburg either for
Siberia or for Central Asia; for from Orenburg
post roads lead in many directions, regular
postal communication being kept up thence to
Tashkend, and the route is quite as much fire.
quented as the one along which [ have passed
en- route for IrkutSk
ON THE ROAD.
Thus provided we made the start on themorn-
ing of Friday. Five sturdy little horses were
yoked to the sledge, one in the shaft, with one
on either side (that is troka fashiOn) and two in
front. one ridden by a small boy, almost all
sheepskin coat and fur cap. The driver or yem-
schik mounted the box seat, and two mounted
Cossacks waited TO give us escort as far as the
boundaries of the city. The chief Of police babe
US COD speed. and, with great halloOing by the
driver and the boy, our little horses were started
for the first drive of seventeen versts. The
shaggy little horses put their to the ground
and their shoulders to hetraces with right good
WILL the bells began their pleasant jingle and
away we sped, without slackening up till
the first station was reached A walk
is unknown to these hardy little brutes They
begin at full speed, and, if anything increase it
by the time the end of the station is reached.
They are brave hearted little creatures, long
haired, stout limbed, ugly. but nimble as cats,
fleet as deer, and little giants in strength. They
DO not need the whip, and the yemschik has
scarcely need to hurt their feelings more than
to swear at them in a friendly, if rather, Often
sive manner, or to praise them with words of
admiration for their endurance and speed So
they dash along, scarcely feeling the burden of
the sledge when the road is good. But pray
do not imagine that a sledge ride over the
snow on Asiatic or Siberian roads is quite
as pleasant an affair as sleigh ride down
first SHOWS and the first frost fell on the
steppes small hollows had been formed in the
roads. They were very insignificant affairs at
first. simply depressions over which the sledges
passed with scarcely perceptible jolt. But
winter Is the great season for the caravans from
Central Asia. when hundreds of sledges, drawn
by the patient and moaning camel, or by the
shaggy unwearying horse of the plains. cOncen-
trate on the roads leading to Orenburg. Into
this slight hollow Of the road the front Of these
laden sledges passed, each one following the
other; the hollow was gradually enlarged, until
to-day 1t has grown to be huge hole into which
your sledge pounds with merciless energy. For
many miles below Orenburg the road is cut up
Dy THESE VaiteyS, winch cause your Stedge to
take upon itself the varied and not altogether
pleasant peculiarites of motion which you had
hitherto fOndly believed to belong only to the
wretched tubs that cross the Silver Streak from
Dover to Calais
LIFE ON THE sTEPPEs.
Besides the striking phenomena of nature
there is but little to be seen during the long
ride across the plains, except in and near the
miserable Russian villages that are dotted every
ten or fifteen miles along the route. Just now
the villages showed much more life and anima-
ton than usual; for the last weeks before the
long season Of religious fasts it is the custom
for the young people to get married. and the
more the merrier. In score of villages through
which We passed weddings seemed to be the
only occupation going on. SIedges, driven bv
wreath-crOwned peasants, crowded to the fullest
extent with girls of all ages from six to thirty.
all singing with unpleasantly high, screeching
voices, pass back and forth along the village
streets, or are driven in procession around the
little wooden church. The older peasants the
relatives of bride and bridegroom stay Inside
and get dead drunk In honor of the occasion.
In one pOsthouse We were caused a long delay
by the old postmaster having drunk himselfsilly,
though only a little after noon; by night he
would either have the delirium tremens or be
vrp6I hut -A.al