The Siberian Overland Route from Peking to Petersburg, Through the Deserts and Steppes of Mongolia, Tartary, &c.

One cannot travel for four months through the two largest empires in the world, without reflecting on the analogies and contrasts which they mutually present, and trying to figu...

Just as we came in sight of the river _Tolla_, and with our glasses could make out the houses in the Chinese settlement of _Mai-machin_ beyond, a heavy, blinding shower of snow...

Nothing of the city of Peking is visible until you are close under the walls, and then the effect is really imposing. The walls are high, massive, and in good repair. The double...

The charming narrative of John Bell, of Antermony, who, in the reign of Peter the Great, travelled from Petersburg to Peking in the suite of a Russian ambassador, inspired me wi...

Our lama received sundry visitors at Mingan, and had evidently some business to transact with them, for we soon saw him in earnest converse with some of the strangers in his ten...

As we approached the Russian frontier we reflected on the savage condition in which we had been living for so long, and were not without some anxiety as to how we should brook t...

The grass was still copiously sprinkled with onions. As we advanced we crossed some marshy ground with a good deal of water, enough to make it necessary to pick the way judiciou...

We left Chan-kia-kow on horseback, escorted by three of our kind Russian friends, Messieurs Weretenikoff, Iguminoff, and Beloselutsoff, who accompanied us a few miles up the pas...

A peculiar interest surrounds these wandering tribes of the desert. In them we see the living representatives of the ancient Huns, and of the yet more ancient Scythians. Of them...

The following physical characteristics of the Mongolian race, by a gentleman who resided many years among the Bouriats in Trans-baikal, are equally applicable to the tribes in M...

The roads were good, but yemschiks sulky, and we were driven along at a snail's pace. When drink money was asked for, we upbraided the yemschik for his contumacy. He appealed to...

On the 14th of August, having arranged all our affairs in Peking, we set out for Tung-chow, where we had left the priests to provide us transport to Chan-kia-kow. Disappointment...

The sun shone brightly on the domes and cupolas of Irkutsk when they burst on the view; the effect of the dazzling white walls and bright green roofs of the churches was strikin...

On the 11th November, we bade adieu to Omsk at an early hour in the evening. At the end of the second stage, forty-four versts from Omsk, we came to the river Irtish. At the sta...

While waiting for our servant to come up with the tarantass, we had sundry matters to look to in Tomsk before committing ourselves once more to the road, of which we continued t...

When, far on in the afternoon, we saw no prospect of effecting a crossing of the Volga that day, we were glad to pack our traps into the first sledge that offered, and make our...

We passed through a great deal of bare, flat and uninteresting country on the road to Kazan. The ground being covered with snow, we could not judge of the soil, but farming vill...

The post-house of Pasoilské was all alive at an early hour on the 11th of October. Cart-loads of wood were piled on the fires. All the samovars were in requisition at once, and...

We reached Chan-kia-kow at 1 o'clock, after a hard ride. It is a large, straggling town, lying in a valley surrounded on three sides by mountains, and is bounded on the north by...

For the first two stages from Irkutsk we caught occasional glimpses of high mountain ranges at a great distance to the south-west. But the dense forest soon shut in our view. Th...

We got out of Troitskosarfsk about three o'clock in the afternoon, for as we intended to travel as the Russians do, night and day, it made no difference at what time of the day...

We had not travelled far into Russia proper, before the difference in the condition of the peasantry there, and in Siberia, forced itself on our attention. The houses in Russia...

There are several modes of going from Tientsin to Peking. The most common is in a mule cart, which is not exactly a box, but a board laid on wheels with a blue cotton covering a...

Earlier intercourse--Analogies and contrasts--Progress of Russia and decadence of China--Permanence of Chinese institutions--Arrogance justified--Not really bigoted-- Changes en...

Physical characteristics--Meanness--Indolence--Failure in agriculture--Hospitality--Its origin--Pilfering--Honesty-- Drunkenness--Smoking--Ir'chi or Kumiss--Morality--Of lamas--...

Early history of Huns--Wars with China--Dispersion--Appear in Europe--Attila--His career--And death--Turks--Mixture of races--Consanguinity of Huns and Mongols--Genghis--His con...

Maimachin in sight--A snow storm--Hasty encampment--Tolla in flood--Delay--Intercourse with Mongols--The night watches--Tellig's family--Rough night--Scene at the Tolla-- Crossi...

Approach Kiachta--Maimachin--Chinese elegance--The frontier--Russian eagle--The commissary of the frontier-- "Times" newspaper--Kiachta--Troitskosarfsk--Meet a countryman--Part...

Visitors at Mingan--Trading--Scene with a drunken Mongol-- Good horsemen--Bad on foot--Knowledge of money--Runaway pony--A polite shepherd--Gunshandak--Wild onions--Halt-- Exper...

Marshes--Camels dislike water--Chinese caravan--Travellers' tales--Taryagi--Looking for cattle in the dark-- Butyn-tala--An addition to our party--Russian courier-- Water-fowl--...

A day lost--The moujik's opportunity--Return to Kazan--Hotel "Ryazin"--Grease and butter--Evening entertainment--Try again--The ferry--A term of endearment--Ferrymen's devotions...

Sledges--Sulky yemschiks--Progress to Achinsk--Limit of Eastern Siberia--Game--The Chulim--Difficult ferry-- Government of Tomsk--Bad roads again--Job's comforters-- Mariinsk--A...

Leave Troitskosarfsk--Hilly roads--Bouriats--The first post-station--Agreeable surprise--Another stoppage--A night on the hill-side--Hire another carriage--Reach the Selenga--Th...

Siberian and Russian peasantry--The contrast--Freedom and slavery--Origin of Siberian peasants--Their means of advancement--Exiles--Two classes--Their offences and punishments--...

Leave Irkutsk--Roads and rivers--Capacity for sleep-- Bridges--Break-neck travelling--Endurance of Russian ponies--Verst-posts--Appalling distances--Irregular feeding--Tea _vers...

Leave Omsk--Recruiting--Cross the Irtish--Tukalinsk-- Yalootorofsk--Reach Tumen--Improved posting--Snowroads-- Ekaterineburg--Mint--Precious stones--Iron works-- Englishmen in S...

Leave China--Mishap in the pass--Steep ascent--Chinese perseverance--Agricultural invasion--Our first encampment-- Cold night--Pastoral scene--Introduction to the Mongols--The l...

Morning scene at Pasoilské--Better late than never-- Victimised--Russian junks--Primitive navigators--Storms on the Baikal--Scene at the shipping port--Religious ceremony--A pol...

Arrival at Chan-kia-kow--Focus of Trade--Mixed population-- Wealth--Mongols--Russians--Name of Kalgan--Chinese friends--Russian hospitality--Disappointment--Proposed excursion t...

John Bell--"Overland" routes--Peking a sealed book--Jesuits-- Opening of China--Chinese jealousy of Mongolia--Errors of British policy--Their results--Preparations for journey--...

In sight of Irkutsk--Handsome town--Wrong hotel--Bad accommodation--Suffocation--Bad attendance--The cuisine-- Venerable eggs--Billiards--Meet a friend--Beauties of Irkutsk--Mil...

Road to Kazan--Polish prisoners--Arrive at Kazan--More croaking--Temptations to delay--Sell our sledge--View of Kazan--The ferry at the Volga--Ice-boats and icebergs--The milita...

Refitting--The optician--The feather-pillow question--A friend in need--A dilemma--Schwartz's folly--Old Barnaul leaves us--We leave Tomsk--A weary night--A Russian dormitory--C...

Walls of Peking--Dust and dirt--Street obstructions--The model inn--Restaurant--Our boon companions--Peking customs--Rule of thumb--British legation--Confucian temple--Kienloong...

Return to Tungchow--Disappointment--Priest conciliated by Russian language--Back to Peking--Negotiations--Ma-foo's peculation--Chinese honesty and knavery--Loading the caravan--...

Modes of travelling--Carts, horses, boats--Filthy banks of the Peiho--Voyage to Tungchow--Our boat's crew--Chinese distances-- Traffic on the Peiho--Temple at Tungchow--Mercanti...