The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-02-18
CHAPTER XII.



Petersburg. The heat was oppressive
and quite disturbed my idea of the Rus
sian climate. | went by rail to Moscow
by the iron road which runs straight as
a line from the one large city to the
other. The Gar ordered it to be so
made, without curves or deviati0ns.
When the engineers asked him what
popular places they should take on their
way, his Imperial Majesty took ruler
and on the map ruled a straight line
from st. Petersburg to Moscow. Make
it So" were his commands, and so IL
was made, as rigid and careless of the
convenience of other persons as his own
despotism-a railway for some four
hundred miles running simply to its
destination, not daring, however much
| tempted, to swerve aside and dlsobey
the autocrat's commands.
At Moscow the colossal | fingered a
| couple of days. 1t was there l had set
| tied to engage a guide and interpreter.
! AS | spoke two or three languages be-
sides my own, was able to pick and
| choose, and at last selected a pleasant
hammered. sharp-looking young fellow
who averred that he knew every inch
| of the great post road to the east. Then
| bidding farewell to the mighty Kremlin
with its churches, watch towers and
| battlements, | started with my new
| companion for Nijnei Novgorod; at
which place we must bid adieu to the
| railway.
We passed the old picturesque but
| decaying town of Vladimir. and after
| duly admiring its five-domed cathedral
| found nothing more to distract my at
| tention until we reached Nijnei. My
! companion was very anxious that we
! should linger for day or two at this
city. The great fair was on, and he as
| sured me it was sight not to be miss
/ ed. had not come to Russia to look
/ at fairs or festivities, so commanded
| him to make instant preparations for
continuing the journey.
We now changed our mode of con-
veyance. Being summer the rivers
were open and navigation practicable.
| We took the steamer and went down
/ the broad Volga till we passed Kasan
and reached the River Kama. Up this
/ tortuouS stream we went until we land
1 ed at the large important town of Perm.
! We were five days on the water-I
/ think the five longest days | ever spent.
/ The winding river, the slowgoing
1 steamer, made me long for the land
again: there one seemed to be making
| progress. The road there was straight,
not running into hundred bends.
We were now nearly at the end of
Europe. A hundred miles further and
we shall cross the Ural mountains and
be in Asiatic Russia.
At Perm we made our final prepare
tons. From now we must depend on
post horses. Ivan, my guide, after the
/ proper amount of haggling, bought a
tarantass-a sort of phaeton. The lug
gage was slowed into it; we took our
seats; our first relay of horses We're en-
gaged-three in number and harnesSed
| in the peculiar Russian fashion-the
yemschik started them with the words
of encouragement and endearment
which in Russia are supposed to be
more efficacious than the thong. and
away we went on our long, long drive.
We crossed the Urals, which after all
are not SO very high. We passed the
stone obelisk erected, Ivan told me, in
honor of a Cossack chief named 1ermak.
We read the word Europe" ON tine side
which first met our eyes, and turning
round saw Asia" written ON the back.
/ spent my first night in 4 STA at Eka-
ter1neburg: and lay awake the best part
of it trying to calculate how many miles
/ stretched between Pauline and myself.
For days and days have passed since |
left St. Petersburg and | have Travelled
at all possible speed; yet the journey
seems scarcely begun. Indeed, | can
not even guess at its length until / get
to Tobolsk.
4 A trifie of some four hundred miles
from Ekaterineburg to TUNED. anoth-
er of two hundred from Tinmen tC
/ Tobolsk. and | shall await the pleasure
of the Goyernor-General and what in
4 formation he may choose TO give me.
The carriage and ourselves are feTrieC
across the broad yellow Irtuish-thai
river, the crossing of which by a Rus
I sian officer at once raises him a step in
rank; for such is the indueement hell
!! out to serve in Siberia; and at the cas-
bank of the Irtuish Siberish Siberis
4 proper begins.
Tobolsk at lastl The sight of my pass
ports renders the Governor civility 1t
self. He invited me to dine with him
and. as for prudential reasons / though
Il it better to accept his invitation. treat
ed me rovally. His register told me al
4 j wanted to know about Ceneri. He has
been sent to the very extreme or tn
II Cars dominiOns, as his was cas-
which called for special severity. W her
he would finish his journey was not set
tied. but that made little difference t
me. As he would travel the create
part of the way on foot, and as Their
was but one road | must overtake him
although be left Tobolsk months ago
The escort which accompanied tina
particular gang of prisoners was unde
the command of Captain Narlamoff, I
| whom his Excellency would write FEY
lines which | shnnld take with me-