The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1892-10-31
Siberia.

One of the best recent accounts of
Siberia will be found in Mr.. j. NJ.
Prices newly published illustrated
volume entitled From the Arciic Ocean
to the YeHom sea. Mr.. Price, who is
an artist, was sent by the proprie
tors of the Illustrated London News
with an expedition that was in
tended to open up a direct trade
with the interior of Siberia. The
route followed was that previously
taken by Captain Virgins, who,
however, was prevented from going
ON this occasion, by way of the Arc
| tic Ocean and the River Yenisei.
This river is one of the greatest in
| the world being 10 miles wide 400
miles from its mouth. It's water
| system covers an area of nearly
! 2,OOO,OOO square miles, and its length
is something like 5000 miles. Fiji
teen hundred miles from its mouth
is the city of Eeniseisk, where all
the luxuries of civilisation are to be
found, although the thermometer is
often, even in August, % deg. below
zero (Reaumur). 1t seems strange
to hear that in this remote and lit
tle-known town there is a capital
club house, which would pass
muster anywhere, to which is
attached theatre and ballroom,
with a delightful floor, and per
formances or dances two or three
times a week. The wealth of Yeni-
seisk is derived from the neighbor-
ing gold mines which employ 5000
laborers. Still more fourishing is
Irkutsk, the capital of Eastern ST.
IBERIA, town of 10000 inhabitants
and Astounding in millionaires, who
have made their fortunes chiefly by
gold mining. lrkutsk has two ca
thedrals, % handsome churches, |!
public schools, six hospitals, an OBJ
servatory with an English telescope
a geographical institute, and two
clubs. The mayor is a millionaire
who has a splendid picture gallery
Here in the very heart of Asia life
l seems to be enjoyable enough, at an,
, rate to the wealthy, and it is eviden
that Russia is spreading European
: civilization, on its material side a
any rate, throughout her vast Asiati'
territory. This, however, is only a
regards the towns. The country ira
versed by Mr.. Price is terribly mon
; otonous and dreary, and, as he says
= ''From one end to the other of thi
enormous continent all is the same
= and if you have studied one portion
Il of it you have studied all. For m
? own part | can assert that | say
u absolutely no differences either il
l. the build of the houses or the dres
i and customs of the inhabitants al
> the way from Golchika, the tiny set
Element on the Tundras far ava
= within the Arctic circle and kiakht;
! distance of nearly 5000 miles.
y One of the most remarkable of MI
; Prices experiences was the crossing
:, of Lake Baikal on the ice. The dis
lance across this extraordinary shee
L of water is over 30 miles, and it too
four hours and half to accomplish
= The remainder of the route to tn
l Chinese frontier was through Mon
; golia, a country in its way perhap
> as interesting as Siberia, though tn
q journey through it is attended b
y much greater hardships. The MOI
u gols, once the most terrible conquer
Z ing race in the world, are now, az
e cording to Mr.. Price, a quiet, harm
u less people, who are being gradual
/ merged among the Chinese, and +,
tain only one of their old nation;
= characteristics their splendid hors
u NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..