Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-11-23
By THOMAS w. KNOX.

head of navigation on the AmOor River
for land journey through Siberia. Five
thousand miles of road lay between me
and the terminus OF the railway at Mini
Novgorod; 5000 miles Of travel behind
horses in wheel carriages and sleighs,
over mountains and plains, across rivers
where bridges were unknown and floods
were often dangerous. through a sparsely
settled country where robbers were far
from unknown. and where wolves and
other wild animals had their hunting
grounds. Winter was near with its short
days and long nights, with its deep SHOWS
and terrific bourans (hurricanes) in which
men and horses who braved their fury ran
great risk OF destruction. A part OF my
journey would be accomplished before the
coming of winter, but by far the greater
portion would remain for the period when
the frost king is the dominant power and
much more +. be dreaded than the an.o-
cratic Gar. And yet, in spite of ali its
Objectionable features, winter is greatly to
be preferred to the summer for travelling
in Siberia. In the warm season the roads
may be dusty or they may be muddy, and
in whichever of these conditions they pre-.
sent themselves thew are superative ex
amples of their kind. Mosq uitoes, flies
and other insect pests abound in great
numbers; the crossing OF the stream must
be made by ford or ferry, and in either
case there are often long delays on the
rivers bank. Provisions are difficult to
obtain along the route, and the summer
heat makes it impossible to carry more
than small supply OF perishable articles
and furthermore, the summer vehicle is
of much more heavy draught than the
winter one, and consequently the speed
is less. The frost seals the rivers and
hardens the mud; the snow covers the
dust and smooths the road. Mosquitoes
and all their kindred winged nuisances
are unknown in the winter. and as for
provisions, one NAV carry sufficient to last
him with ease from one large town to
another, where supplies are easy to obtain
By all odds winter is the time for Siberian
travel, though the sun rises after 9 in the
morning and sets before 3 in the after
noon. There is more monotSfy to the
winter journey than the summer one, but
in nearly every other respect is far prefer
able
| The stations where we change horses
are from ten to twenty miles apart, and
between the stations every verst-two-
thirds of mile-Is distinctly indicated
upon post set in the ground at the road
side. In front of the station house there
is a larger post which indicates the DIS
lance to each of the neighb oring stations,
east and west, and also the distance to
Moscow and ST. Petersburg. When
started on my ride it was more than eight
thousand versts to the capital of the
empire. confess to feeling of gone
ness" as read the figures indicating this
great distance and noted from station to
station how very slowly they diminished;
1858 seems but trile less than 1871,
especially when figures are contemplated
after one has been shaken for hours over
a road that resembles a nutmeg grater on
a Brobdignagian scale, or has passed at
full gallop, in springless vehicle. over
section after section of "cordurov," com
posed of unhewn logs laid down with no
particular care. The continual and long
continued jolting gives rise to what the
Russians call 1.-The road-fever," in which
the blood is excited to a high degree
and the movements of the vehicle cause a
rush of the crimson fluid to the head, till
it seems as though the skull was ready to
burst at every fresh shake. Novlces are
almost absolutely certain to experience it
within the first day or two of their Jour-
news, and even the old stagers are liable
to it at any time. The traveller thus af-
flicted loses his temper on the slightest
provocation, and until the fever subsidies
he is tar more irascible than the tradition
al "bear with sore head" 1t is fortu-
nate that the American stranger is gener
ally ignorant of the language of the coun-
try, else he might visit upon the unoffend-
ing drivers and station men with whom
he comes in contact an amount of wicked
words that would link his memory with
uncomplimentary associations remark
by the way that the Russian language has
a tropical abundance of profanity and OBJ
jurgation. Through the whole of the
vocabulary of daily life there is cores
ponding wealth of diomatic expletives
that sixth warder might envy. Even in
ordinary conversation one hears cultivat-
ed ladies and gentlemen exclaim ..Ye
Boqt!' ('By God') quite as often as a
French woman saws Mon Dieui' or the
typical New Highlander is CREDITED. with
remarking "Do tell" But it should be
remembered that Russia covers an eighth
of the land surface of the globe. and has
population exceeding 100, 1000. 900. Con-
sequently no ordinary language could do
justice to the country and its people.
After the ordinary questions relating to
food and drink and the exigences of
daily existence in general, the first words
tor Siberian traveller to learn are the
equivalents for the Yankee go ahead ~
Learn to say "P0shol!" (FasterD with an
emphasis to raise the roof and the accent
on the last syllable; then learn Stu
pie - and "Shorey!" which are
also accented on the ultimate
and have meaning equivalent
to "PoShol." Try them on YOUR driver
when he is deliberate in his movements,
and note the effect. He will generally
accelerate the speed of his team, and his
efforts to do so will be increased if YOU
add to your injunction, Dam ma Uodku.''
1t may seem to the uninltiated that the
phrase savors OF profanity, but such is not
the case; it simply means. Il will give
you drink money" The hope of reward
is as strongly seated IN the breast of the
: Siberian 9eD,shick as in that of the Paris
coacher. the London cabby, or the New
: York hackman. Liberal Ma Fodku" on
Russian Post road will sometimes nc.
complish wonders. have known ten or
twelve miss an hour to be made by a
sleigh under the influence. and on one &C.
casion held my watch in my hand and
timed the speed of twenty-five versts. or