The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-07-03
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agovestchensk is the town which
was made famous in modern history
by the great slaughter of Chinese by
the Russian authorities at the time OF
the Boxer outbreak. The Russians
themselves admit that 5000 Chinese
were driven into the Amur short
distance from the town and drowned
and bayoneted. only 40 escaping to
the other side.
Just below Blagovestchensk lies a
terrible monument to the Russian oc-
cupatlon of Manchuria 1t is the great
ruin-held of Aigun, once one of the
biggest Chinese towns in that part of
the country. Now there is not a sin
gle structure left standing in it. The
highest thing in the place is the REM
nant of a burned wall.
Only two miles away is magnif-
cent Russian military station with
stone buildings. The date of its cree
ton is that of the year when Aigun
disappeared from the earth.
There is a good thing to remem-
Der when passing Aigun. IF you
photograph the ruins, don't let the
Russians see it The authorities will
confiscate the films They do not care
to have photographs of Aigun go out.
From Blagovestchensk the voyage is
northward, for here begins the upper
Amur, running along the very north
western boundary of the old land of
the Manchus.
The character of the shores remains
the same here. Indeed, from begin
ming to end of the trip the river runs
between the same gentle wooded hills.
But on the upper Amur the steamers
meet occasional RATS, bearing immi-
grants with their movables. They
build these conveyances at Stretinsk
and float down the Shilka and so into
the Amur till they reach their desti-
nations
On the upper Amur the traveller
also sees the queer burning shores"
that are the results of fires among the
strata of coal that are plentiful along
the eroded bluffs.
Now and then a floating CONNER
clal establishment comes down with
the current. 1t is raft with goods on
it. The enterprising merchant drifts
from village to village till he has
sold out. Then he sells his raft and
boards the river steamer to return to
Stretinsk, where he builds a new
portable warehouse and repeats the
trip.
When the boat enters the Shilka
River, the passengers see their last of
Manchuria and enter true Russian ST.
IBERIA. The Shi1ka is deeper and
swifter and more picturesque than the
Amur, and exceedingly lonely. AL
though it is we'll lighted and buoyed,
so that the traveller is never out of
sight of Government channel mark,
the steamer may go fifty miles and
more at time without passing hu-
man habitation.
Now and then a steamer may come
hurrying downward with great COW
cred craft in tow which is full of con
victs bound for the gold mines or the
island of Saghalien. Now and then
the steamer may even take on a few
convicts, shackled with heavy irons,
to be transported to one of the mill
tary stations.
But even these melancholy Interrupt
tons of the monotony of the voyage
are rare. And as there is little to see
by going ashore in the small places
where the vessel stops for wood, there
is JOY aboard when the craft suddenly
turns bend in the river and steers
straight toward Stretinsk, where the
railroad locomotive is whistling and
putting to carry the traveller west over.
the TransBaikal Railroad to holy
Moscow.