Evening star., 1898-12-17

stores of Tartar curiositfes, with which to
amuse our friends. During the whole dis
tance from the town to the wharf we were
accompanied by Tartar boys, who ran at
the side and shouted and yelled all the
way such exuberant energy and strength
is rarely found outside of the Anglo-SaXon
race 1t was, moreover, noticeable thing,
wherever the Tartars were found, that the
young men, and especially the boys. showed
singular activity and physical ambition.
This is certainly greatly at variance from
the ways of continental Europeans in gen.
eral, and from those OF the Russians, al
though in not such a marked degree.
The sight the next morning from the
cliffs above the river, at the point where
the Kama joins the Eolga. was one not
soon to be forgotten. Here were vast
stretches of rolling prairie reachilg & beyond
the power of the eye on every hand. The
courses of the two rivers and of the larger
portion of the Voiga to the south were out
lined under the morning sun, as on a map.
Sandbars extended not only along the
banks of the rivers. but in a broad arrow
shaped plain between the two streams, and
it seemed for miles inland along the right
bank of the NOiga. This vast extent was
doubtless due to the changing of the course
OF the river from year to year, as takes
place i'll the case of the AiIssissippi AL
though kaZan was only fifty miles up the
Kama. and Mini Novgorod was only twenty
up the NolSa from the junction, yet it was
impossible to see traces of either one, as
the mist which hangs over this inland eoun-
try day and night perpetually obscures the
air But this haziness itself gives an added
charm to the view over the river espe-
cialIy in the morning. Then the objects in
the distance have peculiar uncertain an
pearance like mirage and a shmmering
light plays over the distant water of re-
markabie intensity, and which seems to
disclose the distance while hiding it.
Difficult Navigation.
The junction of the two rivers forms an
important halting point for the barges
plying in the river. and one could count
more than one hundred and twenty boats
here of large size, to say nothing of punts
and tenders. The journey to Mini Nov
gorod uD the Nolga was not long, but the
navigation was extremely difficult, the
river being especially shallow and being
low. Yet Notwithstanding the difficulties
present. very few boats appeared to get
aground. And this seemed the more re-
marhabie as many of the barges were load
ed with various commodities to what
seemed dangerous level At the docks of
NlJni itself immense numbers of these
boats were ranged Many more were build
ing along the shores. Here was a remark
able port. No vessel could of course be of
service here which had a draught when
loaded of more than four and one-half feet
Ihus no sea-going vessel could come here
and no steamer of the screw pattern except
one of the very smallest size could navi-
gate the river. So there was nothing such
l..
a deep river harbor. Yet so great was the
traffic and interchange of commodities car
ried on over so large an area that the one
masted barSes. all of the same type. were
to be counted not by the hundred. but by
the thousand.
Mini NovgOrOd.
description of the town of Mini Nov
gorod and of the fair held there would be
nothing new. 1t is sufficient to remark
that the stranger cannot help being sur
prised at the size of the enterprise and at
the large area which is devoted to the buy
ing and selling of goods. There are whole
blocks where only teas are sold. Others
have silk as the sole matter of traffic One
" Nhole square Is used for the buying and
selling OF all kinds of nuts. One meets peo-
pie OF all nationalities, and the American,
buylng precious stones, drinks tea In the
pubhc square with the merchant of Persia
ana the SILK vender of Japan. One takes
MS dinner in restaurant where a Wen
nese ladies orchestra plays the waItzes of
strauss, While two Engiishmen at the next
table discuss the merits of the African
policy The journey in the wilderness is
finished; civilization is reached once more.
ana there IS nothing more to say that has
not been often told before.