The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-17

to look at the bright side of things. and to
remember that they can be generally worse
than they are.
The principal obstacles 10 rapid travelling
through Siberia are three. one of them be-
ing a constant factor to be taken into ac
count summer and winter, more, perhaps,
IN the natter Jhan in the former season,
while the other two exist only during part
OF the cold weather. Number one is the
maraudlng element, nor is it due, by any
means, entirely or even principally TO the
convict class. The railway has, Of course,
brought many highly undesirable charac-
terS along With il. Therefore the traveller
should be armed and make up his mind
to defend his property If attacked. 1t is
manlfestly impossible at present TO thor
odSniy ponce a country like Siberia, Whlch
IS OF such enormous extent, and so thlnly
populated.
The two remaining perils are peculiar to
this route. The Angara, a very broad and
deep stream, and one so rapid that even in
January 1t is not safe for traffic for some
forty miles from where it issues from Lake
BdlKdl, sometimes seeks relief by overflow
ing it's banks underneath the ice, thus rem
dering the latter still more dangerous.
Should the yemshchik not be aware of the
places where this has happened, or should
he be- as is possible drowsy, then the
sleigh coming on to one of them may break
the ice and the traveller be drowned before
he can eXtricate himself. l am glad to
say my driver was all that could be de-
sired. We had to get down and lead the
to be the last straw. which Judging by the
cracking, it would have been. But we got
over safely.
THE HOLY SEA"
Finally, there is the risk involved in
crossing Lake Baikal when it has only
just been frozen over. The native local
inhabitants call it the ''holy sea- and in
times of earthquakes and the violent
gales for which it is famed sometimes
make offerings to it, The road across the
lake is some sixty miles shorter than that
day of my departure from Irkutsk learned
that the passage was possible. Accord
ingly took that route and, having sur
mounted the perils of the Angara in the
night, reached the west shore at Listvya-
nichnaya early on the following morning.
There l learned several things. First,
there was man who had crossed the day
before; the ice had given way, but he and
his driver had escaped with their lives.
Then / saw several people, some of whom
had been waiting for month to get
across | was told, Also that the post
horses We're not yet allowed to go over, 1t
being considered too dangerous (nor We're
they for week afterward) Lastly, the
hired drivers would not risk the passage
until daylight To this nobody raised any
Objection. About 10 on a toggy morning
our caravan was formed my sledge being
in the van. The distance was thirty miles
from point to point, and was, actually,
few miles longer owing to two detours
having to be made to avoid a couple of
dangerous places. / was told the direction
to be steered, and was to direct my yem-
shchik accordingly. Fortunately, l knew
my watch to be almost right, local time,
and / could just make out the position of
the sun, so that / was enabled to fix the
course correctly. After going some dis
lance on the ice, we came to danger spot
No. /. Out everybody had to get 1--WE were
eight sledges in all), and the ice was
probed to see where it would bear. The
place having been found the outside horses
were embarrassed and passed over, the CEN
ter ones taking the vehicles. Just then
there was a most disconcerting cracking
heard, and some of the party were for
beating a retreat. However, after some
argument, during which one individual
thought to test the strength Of the ice by
firing a revolver bullet at it, which rico
cheted and nearly hit a child in the leg,
we all got under way again. / was then
relegated to the rear, the sun being visible
keep too close behind one another lest the
ice, should break. We safely avoided the
second weak spot, and had no further trou-
bles, except a gale which sprang up, al
though it was at times impossible to see
what the ice was like, on account of snow
covering 1t iE parts. In some places the
going was very good, in others very rough,
owing to the ice having been forced up by
pressure from below, thus forming large
foes. A halt was called every now and
again to rest the ponies, and our order of
a little over four hours we had success
fully traversed some thirty-four miles,
with no worse mishap than a sledge CIV
ing way. an accident which was promptly
put right by aid of the stores that were
carried.