Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-01-10


sified the forest shadows Two hours saw
the steamer wooded and starting.
The scenery changed with every bend of
the river. and at times we could toss a bis
cult to the bold rocks disputing the water
way. The forest walls were occasionally
breken by meadows, In which flowers and
grasses grew lush and shrubs ran riot. On
teh morning of June % we reached Poko-
an hour later turned into the Shilka. The
steamer was now run by pole. Every few
minutes the man in the bow pitched his
painted pole into the water and shouted
the depth. The Siberiae drew Ave feet, and
when the water fell below six we closed
down and carefully felt our course. At the
first landing on the Shilka was a long
beach, As the water was fairly clear the
passengers took to bathing and washing
The men and boys pretended to go behind
a point for their swim, and the women,
and girls raised their scanty garments
thigh high and stood like dumb driven
cattle in the rushing water. Mothers dis
robed their infants and plunged them into
the cold river regardless of shrieking pro-
tests. Take IT all in all, a more informal
scene / never viewed. We reached STREET
yinsk and disappointment on the morning
of the eighth day. Here We learned first
that the track from Stretyinsk was un-
available because of broken bridge at
Nerchinsk and mnor2breaks along the line:
second. that the one hotel had no room
for US; third, that the steamer Baikal,
about leaving for Metrefanoskya, the sup
PoStN Tdilf0&U STATION, lBb miles
away. could not even sell us deck room.
Stretyfnsk is the present eastern terminal
of the piece of Trans-Siberian railroad COM
mencing on the eastern shore Of Lake
Bafkal- As ii is the toughest place on
the river 1 determined TO push on
at any cost. Seven dollars and a half
secured the box-like room OF the Baikal
engineer and here, with an asbestos-cover-
ture naturally torrid, we passed several
nights.
CossacI<s aud Couvtcts.
While on the river bank we saw hundreds
of Cossack cavalrymen ride to their own
vocal music. to later group about a little
German band and applaud After the Ball.
The typical Russian, teh real Slav, has
light brown hair and blue eyes. The Cos
sack soldiers were really blue-eyed boys
from eighteen to twenty years of age. The
Cossacks fought among themselves as Is
the custom of soldiers, and the Russians
and Manchus engaged In loading our steam
er had a difference that cost us the ser
vices of the latter and delayed us a day
On the last day OF our stay a procession of
convicts passed. They were felons bound
for Saghalien. Six were murderers One
of the latter, a large, raw-boned woman
wore heavy leg chain and was specially
guarded. She had two murders TO her cred
1t, and. according to the guard was ach-
ing for chance to commit third.
We Are Dumped on the River Bank.
Late on the afternoon of the fourth day
the Bailkal. literally loaded to the gaurd.
started for Metrefanoskya. We had pole men
on each side of the bow and a veteran pilot
also a serious misgiving. Navigation of
the Shilka is tickllsh at best Few steam
ers get beyond Nerchinsk, seventy-fve
miles from Stretyinsk and the real head of
navigation. We passed Nerchinsk in two
days, ran aground twenty miles up the
river and then, after narrowly missing a
rocky point, backed down to Nerchinsk and
abapdoned the river passage. The current
was running eight miles an hour, the river
was shoaling fast and the captain of the
Batkal near midnight dumped passengers
and freight on the landing and hurried
back to Stretyinsk Nerchinsk claims to be
400 years old and the oldest town in Sibe-
ria, and certainly looks its alleged or any
other old age. We found a good Samaritan
at the landing in Mr.. Reif. Siberian mer-
chant born in Nerchinsk. and who, with
his charming and accomplished wife. seemed
to constitute the society of the town.
siberian Interior.
On introducing ourselves through our 'to
whom it may concern" letter from Gen.
Grodekoff, Mr.. and Mrs. Reiff overwhelmed
US with kindness. They were temporarily
at their summer home on the Amure and
to that We were conducted. 1t was the
usual log house of Siberia, but the best we
had yet seen, with a wide and almost state
ly entrance, opening on a large square hall,
with wood paneled wall and inlaid flooring.
There were comfortable chairs and open
fireplace. and, oldest of sights to Ameri-
can, washstand, a queer, ungainy piece
of furniture looking not unlike a boxed sew
ing machine, with the bowl set in front of
the cover.
The house had ten rooms. well furnished
according to the Russian ideas. The din
ing room was especially attractive, with its
heavy handsome table. chairs and side
board. Although it was IL O'Clock at night
the sun was just setting and the rays gid
ed the elaborate supper Mr.. Reiff ordered
for his unexpected but cordially welcomed
guests. We were by this quite accustomed
to the sakuska of Siberian meals. and en-
joyed nightly the tasty fish pickles cayiers
and other appetizers that the Russian takes
as a coaxer. We had, of course delicious
tea, black and white bread-snow-white
bread, made of California hour-and half
a dozen imported dainties.
At midnight we were shown to our cham
Der. Remember that We were in the heart
of Siberia, thousands of miles from what we
call civilization, yet this is what we found:
A room papered In white, the large window
hung with handsome lace; a costly rug on
an inlaid floor; the bureau of mahogany. OF
modern pattern, held all the pretty toilet
accessories in silver, even to the last fad:
choice copies OF fine pictures were on the
walls and brackets: there were two single
brass beds, and the makeup of these at
once caught the feminine eye. An under
sheet and a pale pink plush robe were all
largest three-quarters of a yard square. the
smallest the size of a ladys handkerchief.
were piled pyramdally at the head Of the
bed, the covers of finest linen, with Rus
sian lace insertion over pink. To take on
ones clothes, after nights Of sleeping on the
floor of the steamers cabins. 20 select ones
pillow from the inviting tower, and then to
lie down to slumber was luxury, indeed
To this time We had not slept in a bed for
five weeks
The night of our arrival. finding no
pitcher or basin in our room. We did not
like to ask for them. trusting that morning
and a maid would settle that demand. But
morning found us nearly dressed with no
sign of water. putting and blowing in the
main hall attracted our attention, and we
peeped through the curtains to see our host
in dressing gown working away at the
Hashstand. Before he was through his wife
appeared for her turn. When the coast was
finally clear slipped out and worked
the treadle to see a thin stream of water
drip from the tiny pipe projecting from the
box. There was no plug of any sort. and
the foot must play vigorously all the time
to keep up the water supply. One may
imagine that in these circumstances clean
illness was indeed next to godliness. By