Through Siberia

Object of the journey.--Interest in prisons.--Visitation of prisons in 1874.--Distribution of religious literature in Russia.--Tour round Bothnian Gulf, 1876.--To Russo-Turkish...

Departure for Petersburg.--Official receptions.--Minister of the Interior.--Metropolitan of Moscow.--Introductions.--Books forwarded.--Departure for Moscow.--Nijni Novgorod.--Si...

A new railway.--The Ural range.--Outlook into Russia in Asia.--Nijni Tagil.--The Demidoff mines and hospital.--May weather.--Russian railways.--Arrival at Ekaterineburg.--An orp...

Reasons for and history of deportation to Siberia.--Number of exiles.--Their education.--Crimes.--Sentences.--Loss of rights.--Privileges.--Proportion of hard-labour convicts.--...

Old Finnish prisons.--Model Petersburg prison.--Officers.--Contraband importations.--Russian prisons of six kinds.--Siberian prisons of three kinds: their number, location, stru...

Dimensions of river.--Its tributaries.--Province of Tobolsk.--Geographical features.--Population.--Voguls.--Samoyedes.--Intemperance.-- Commercial prospects of Obi.--Siberian pr...

Early history of Siberia.--Yermak.--Conquest of the Tatars.--Tobolsk the first capital.--The exiled bell.--Our visit to the Governor.--Hard-labour prisons.--Interior arrangement...

The province of Tomsk.--The city of Tomsk.--Visit to the Governor.--The prison.--Institution for prisoners’ children.--A Lutheran minister.--Finnish colonies in Siberia.--Their...

Application for horses.--Effect of Petersburg letter.--A false start.--A horse killed.--Attempted cooking.--Siberian weather.--Meteorology.--Scenery.--Trees, plants, and flowers...

Situation of town.--Cemetery.--Burial of the dead.--The Emperor’s usine.--Visit to Mr. Clark.--Visits to hospital and prison.--A recently-enacted tragedy.--Crime of the district...

Parochial clergy.--Their emoluments.--Duties.--Official registers.--Discipline.--Morality.--Status.--Our clerical visits.--Monastic clergy.--The Metropolitan Macarius.--Fasting....

Book-distribution in Western Siberia.--Departure from Tomsk.--Postbells.--How to sit in posting.--Sleeping.--Boundary of Western Siberia.--Wild and domesticated animals.--Birds....

Sources of the river.--Discoveries of Wiggins and Nordenskiöld.--The Yenesei at Krasnoiarsk.--Current, width, depth.--Breaking up of ice.--The Yeneseisk province.--Geography.--M...

Gold in Siberia.--Where found.--Gold-hunting.--A prospecting party.--Thawing the ground.--Subterranean passages.--Hardships.--Mining calculations.--Building of barracks.--Prepar...

Situation of Krasnoiarsk.--Our hotel.--Dr. Peacock.--Visit to prison, hospital, and madhouse.--Cathedral.--Drive in “Rotten Row.”--Shoeing horses.--Bible affairs at Krasnoiarsk....

Prison wards.--Punishment cells.--Communication with friends.--Nationalities of prisoners.--Their work.--Food.--Distribution of books.--Our reception.--Lunch.--Departure.--Runaw...

Approach to Irkutsk.--The city entered.--Remains of a fire.--A second fire.--Our flight.--Crossing of the Angara.--A refuge.--Inhabitants fleeing.--Salvage.--Firemen’s efforts.-...

Province of Irkutsk.--The capital.--Its markets.--Telegraph officers.--Visit to the Governor.--Ruins of the city.--Attempt to establish a Bible depôt.--Supposed incendiarism.--B...

History of Russian invasion.--Former travellers to Okhotsk.--Cochrane, Erman, and Hill.--Down the Lena to Yakutsk.--Prevalence of goitre.--The Upper Lena and its tributaries.--T...

The province of Yakutsk.--Rivers.--Minerals.--The town of Yakutsk.--Its temperature.--Inhabitants.--The Yukaghirs.--The Yakutes.--Their dwellings.--Food.--Dress.-- Products.--Oc...

Leaving Irkutsk.--The Angara.--Approach to the Baikal: its shores and fish.--Steaming across.--Seizing post-horses.--Arrival at Verchne Udinsk.--Smuggling at the prison.--Arriva...

Hospitable reception.--History of Kiakhta.--Treaties between Russians and Chinese.--Early trading.--Decline of commerce.--The tea trade.--Troitzkosavsk church.--Miraculous ikons...

Outlook into Mongolia.--Town of Maimatchin: without women.--Visit to a Chinese merchant.--Refreshments.--Attendants.--Purchases.--Tea bricks for coin.--The town.--Buddhist templ...

Farewell ceremonies.--Writing home of changed plans.--Caravans.--An iron foundry.--Buriat yemstchiks.--Methods of driving.--Salutations.--Insignificant post-stations.--Visit to...

Country of the Buriats.--Their physiognomy and costume.--Habitations.--Mongol yourts.--Hospitality.--Fuel.--Possessions in cattle.--Character of Buriats.--Their religions.--Budd...

The Za-Baikal, a natural prison.--“Decembrists” of 1825.--Misapprehensions respecting political prisoners.--The “Story of Elizabeth.”--Vindictive foreign writers.--Palpable miss...

The Trans-Baikal province.--Books deposited with the Governor--Specimen letter of consignment.--Prisons and hospitals.--Governor’s distribution of books.--Satisfactory results.-...

The supposed quicksilver-mines.--Inadequate evidence of their existence.--Unsupported statements of writers.--Not known to Anglo-Siberians.--Silver-mines, perhaps, intended.--De...

Nertchinsk.--Its climate and history.--Scene of a Russo-Chinese treaty.--Appearance of the town.--Visit to the authorities.--Dinner with a rich merchant.--Siberian table customs...

Arrival at Stretinsk.--Recorded distances from Petersburg.--Taking in a passenger.--Travelling allowance to officers.--Parting with interpreter.--Farewell to tarantass.--Startin...

Evil reputation of Kara.--Testimony from Siberians and exiles.--My own experience.--The Commandant.--Our evening drive.--Hospitable reception.--Statistics respecting prisoners:...

Gold-mines not underground.--Hours of labour.--Visit to a mine.--Punishments.--Branding abolished.--Miners marching off.--Statistics respecting runaways.--Women criminals at min...

Departure from Kara.--Parting hospitality.--Ust-Kara police-master.--The head waters of the Shilka.--Collins’s descent of Ingoda.--The Onon.--Formation of Shilka.--Scenery below...

Divisible into three periods.--Period of Cossack plunder.--Poyarkof.--Khabarof.--Stepanof.--Discovery and occupation of Shilka.--Chernigovsky.--Period of conflict with Chinese.-...

Formation of the Amur.--Chinese boundary.--Our steamer.--Captain and passengers.--Natives of Upper Amur.--Orochons.--Manyargs.--Their hunting year.--Our journey.--Run aground.--...

Blagovestchensk and Russian missions.--Particulars of orthodox missionary society.--Visit to telegraph station.--Seminary for training priests.--Salaries of Russian clergy.--Bla...

Departure from Blagovestchensk.--The Zeya.--Climate.--A bath under difficulties.--Occupation of time.--Russian tea-drinking.--The Bureya river and mountains.--Delightful scenery...

Manchuria and its aboriginal inhabitants.--Their history.--The Daurians.--The Manchu.--Visit to Sakhalin-Ula-Hotun.--Manchu dress.--Music.--Conveyances.--Articles of commerce.--...

Fuller treatment of this province.--Boundaries and dimensions.--Mountains, bays, and rivers.--Climate.--Fauna and flora.--Aboriginal and Russian population.--Government.--Food p...

My plans altered.--A serious alternative.--Khabarofka.--Fur trade.--Post-office and bank.--A Siberian garden.--Started for Nikolaefsk.--The Lower Amur.--Its affluents.--Fish.--A...

The Gilyaks perfect heathens.--Their habitat, number, and form.--Diseases, generation, and character.--Habitations.--Living on fish.--Winter and summer clothing.--Methods of fis...

My arrival.--Visit to prisons and hospitals.--Health statistics.--Siberian hospitals in general.--A Sunday service arranged.--Visits to inhabitants.--Russian customs, superstiti...

The Upper Primorsk.--History of north-eastern maritime discovery.--Russian navigation of Siberian ocean.--Explorations in the North Pacific.--Wiggins and Nordenskiöld.--Explorat...

Geographical description.--Meteorology.--Flora and fauna.--Population.--Cultivation.--Mineral products.--Coal-mine at Dui and penal settlement.--Prison statistics.--Flogging.--D...

Ussuri little known.--From Nikolaefsk to Khabarofka.--Proposal to move the port.--Military forces in the province.--Departure for Kamen Ruiboloff.--The Ussuri.--Visit to a paris...

Difficulties in prospect.--Appearance of the country.--Vegetation.--Garden produce.--Medicinal plants.--Ginseng.--Country almost uninhabited.--A serious loss and its recovery.--...

Situation of town.--Lodged with Captain de Vries.--Chinese labourers.--Chinese convicts.--Coreans.--Inhabitants of Vladivostock.--Presented at the Governor’s house.--Admiral Erd...

Reflections on leaving Siberia.--Departure.--The Russian navy.--The _Djiguitt_.--Seamen’s food, clothing, work.--Relation between officers and men.--Received as captain’s guest....

Object of the journey.--Interest in prisons.--Visitation of prisons in 1874.--Distribution of religious literature in Russia.--Tour round Bothnian Gulf, 1876.--To Russo-Turkish...

Departure for Petersburg.--Official receptions.--Minister of the Interior.--Metropolitan of Moscow.--Introductions.--Books forwarded.--Departure for Moscow.--Nijni Novgorod.--Si...

A new railway.--The Ural range.--Outlook into Russia in Asia.--Nijni Tagil.--The Demidoff mines and hospital.--May weather.--Russian railways.--Arrival at Ekaterineburg.--An orp...

Reasons for and history of deportation to Siberia.--Number of exiles.--Their education.--Crimes.--Sentences.--Loss of rights.--Privileges.--Proportion of hard-labour convicts.--...

Between Ekaterineburg and Tiumen, as already intimated, the traveller passes into Siberia,--concerning which country it may be well here to make some general observations, with...

Old Finnish prisons.--Model Petersburg prison.--Officers.--Contraband importations.--Russian prisons of six kinds.--Siberian prisons of three kinds: their number, location, stru...

The Russians introduce or allow the introduction into their prisons of an ameliorating influence, in the form of local committees, for furthering the temporal welfare of the pri...

Dimensions of river.--Its tributaries.--Province of Tobolsk.-- Geographical features.--Population.--Voguls.--Samoyedes.-- Intemperance.--Commercial prospects of Obi.--Siberian p...

Early history of Siberia.--Yermak.--Conquest of the Tatars.--Tobolsk the first capital.--The exiled bell.--Our visit to the Governor.--Hard-labour prisons.--Interior arrangement...

The Siberians are rich in time. Days to them are of little consequence; hours of no moment. With them “Time is _not_ money.” “What difference,” said a coachman at Ekaterineburg...

The province of Tomsk.--The city of Tomsk.--Visit to the Governor.--The prison.--Institution for prisoners’ children.--A Lutheran minister.--Finnish colonies in Siberia.--Their...

When you purpose to travel “post” in Russia, your first business is to get a _podorojna_, or permit, of which there are three kinds. The first is a “courier’s” podorojna, which...

Application for horses.--Effect of Petersburg letter.--A false start.--A horse killed.--Attempted cooking.--Siberian weather.--Meteorology.--Scenery.--Trees, plants, and flowers...

Situation of town.--Cemetery.--Burial of the dead.--The Emperor’s usine.--Visit to Mr. Clark.--Visits to hospital and prison.--A recently-enacted tragedy.--Crime of the district...

It will be expected, of course, in a journey from the Urals to the Pacific, that something should be said of the Siberian Church, to treat of which is to treat of the Russian Ch...

Parochial clergy.--Their emoluments.--Duties.--Official registers.--Discipline.--Morality.--Status.--Our clerical visits.--Monastic clergy.--The Metropolitan Macarius.--Fasting....

Book-distribution in Western Siberia.--Departure from Tomsk.--Postbells.--How to sit in posting.--Sleeping.--Boundary of Western Siberia.--Wild and domesticated animals.--Birds....

Sources of the river.--Discoveries of Wiggins and Nordenskiöld.--The Yenesei at Krasnoiarsk.--Current, width, depth.--Breaking up of ice.--The Yeneseisk province.--Geography.--M...

Gold in Siberia.--Where found.--Gold-hunting.--A prospecting party.--Thawing the ground.--Subterranean passages.--Hardships.--Mining calculations.--Building of barracks.--Prepar...

Situation of Krasnoiarsk.--Our hotel.--Dr. Peacock.--Visit to prison, hospital, and madhouse.--Cathedral.--Drive in “Rotten Row.”--Shoeing horses.--Bible affairs at Krasnoiarsk....

We found the prison a huge building, which had been originally erected for a brandy distillery. Hence it was, and sometimes still is, called the Alexandreffsky _zavod_, or facto...

Approach to Irkutsk.--The city entered.--Remains of a fire.--A second fire.--Our flight.--Crossing of the Angara.--A refuge.--Inhabitants fleeing.--Salvage.--Firemen’s efforts.-...

Province of Irkutsk.--The capital.--Its markets.--Telegraph officers.--Visit to the Governor.--Ruins of the city.--Attempt to establish a Bible depôt.--Supposed incendiarism.--B...

History of Russian invasion.--Former travellers to Okhotsk.--Cochrane, Erman, and Hill.--Down the Lena to Yakutsk.--Prevalence of goitre.--The Upper Lena and its tributaries.--T...

The province of Yakutsk.--Rivers.--Minerals.--The town of Yakutsk.--Its temperature.--Inhabitants.--The Yukaghirs.--The Yakutes.--Their dwellings.--Food.--Dress.-- Products.--Oc...

Leaving Irkutsk.--The Angara.--Approach to the Baikal.--Its shores and fish.--Steaming across.--Seizing post-horses.--Arrival at Verchne Udinsk.--Smuggling at the prison.--Arriv...

Hospitable reception.--History of Kiakhta.--Treaties between Russians and Chinese.--Early trading.--Decline of commerce.--The tea trade.--Troitzkosavsk church.--Miraculous ikons...

Outlook into Mongolia.--Town of Maimatchin without women.--Visit to a Chinese merchant.--Refreshments.--Attendants.--Purchases.--Tea bricks for coin.--The town.--Buddhist temple...

Farewell ceremonies.--Writing home of changed plans.--Caravans.--An iron foundry.--Buriat yemstchiks.--Methods of driving.--Salutations.--Insignificant post-stations.--Visit to...

Country of the Buriats.--Their physiognomy and costume.--Habitations.--Mongol yourts.--Hospitality.--Fuel.--Possessions in cattle.--Character of Buriats.--Their religions.--Budd...

The Buriats, who are Buddhists, have temples, ritual, an order of priests, and a considerable literature. With a religion so developed, it will not be difficult to account for i...

The Za-Baikal a natural prison.--“Decembrists” of 1825.--Misapprehensions respecting political prisoners.--The story of Elizabeth.--Vindictive foreign writers.--Palpable misstat...

The Trans-Baikal province.--Books deposited with Governor.--Specimen letter of consignment.--Prisons and hospitals.--Governor’s distribution of books.--Satisfactory results.--Jo...

The supposed quicksilver-mines.--Inadequate evidence of their existence.--Unsupported statements of writers.--Not known to Anglo-Siberians.--Silver-mines perhaps intended.--Dele...

Nertchinsk.--Its climate and history.--Scene of a Russo-Chinese treaty.--Appearance of the town.--Visits to authorities.--Dinner with a rich merchant.--Siberian table customs.--...

Arrival at Stretinsk.--Recorded distances from Petersburg.--Taking in a passenger.--Travelling allowance to officers.--Parting with interpreter.--Farewell to tarantass.--Startin...

Evil reputation of Kara.--Testimony from Siberians and exiles.--My own experience.--The Commandant.--Our evening drive.--Hospitable reception.--Statistics respecting prisoners,...

Gold-mines not underground.--Hours of labour.--Visit to a mine.--Punishments.--Branding abolished.--Miners marching off.--Statistics respecting runaways.--Women criminals at min...

Departure from Kara.--Parting hospitality.--Ust-Kara police-master.--Head waters of the Shilka.--Collins’s descent of Ingoda.--The Onon.--Formation of Shilka.--Scenery below Str...

Divisible into three periods.--Period of Cossack plunder.--Poyarkof.--Khabarof.--Stepanof.--Discovery and occupation of Shilka.--Chernigovsky.--Period of conflict with Chinese.-...

Formation of the Amur.--Chinese boundary.--Our steamer.--Captain and passengers.--Natives of Upper Amur.--Orochons.--Manyargs.--Their hunting year.--Our journey.--Run aground.--...

Russian orthodox missions.--Particulars of Orthodox Missionary Society.--Visit to telegraph station.--Seminary for training priests.--Salaries of Russian clergy.--Blagovestchens...

Departure from Blagovestchensk.--The Zeya.--Climate.--Employment of time.--Russian tea-drinking.--The Bureya river and mountains.--Delightful scenery.--Ekaterino-Nicolsk.--Distr...

Manchuria and its aboriginal inhabitants.--Their history.--The Daurians.--The Manchu.--Visit to Sakhalin-Ula-Hotun.--Manchu dress.--Music.--Conveyances.--Articles of commerce.--...

Fuller treatment of this province.--Boundaries and dimensions.--Mountains, bays, and rivers.--Climate.--Fauna and flora.--Aboriginal and Russian population.--Government.--Food p...

My plans altered.--A serious alternative.--Khabarofka.--Fur trade.--Post-office and bank.--A Siberian garden.--Started for Nikolaefsk.--The Lower Amur.--Its affluents.--Fish.--A...

The Gilyaks perfect heathens.--Their habitat, number, and form.--Diseases, generation, and character.--Habitations.--Living on fish.--Winter and summer clothing.--Methods of fis...

My arrival.--Visit to prisons and hospitals.--Health statistics.--Siberian hospitals in general.--A Sunday service arranged.--Visits to inhabitants.--Russian customs, superstiti...

The Upper Primorsk.--History of north-eastern maritime discovery.--Travellers in the Upper Primorsk.--The Sea of Okhotsk and fisheries.--Bush’s journey.--Okhotsk and its natives...

Geographical description.--Meteorology.--Flora and fauna.--Population.--Cultivation.--Mineral products.--Coal-mine at Dui and penal settlement.--Prison statistics.--Flogging.--D...

From Nikolaefsk to Khabarofka.--Proposal to move the port.--Military forces in the province.--Departure for Kamen Ruiboloff.--The Ussuri.--Visit to a parish priest.--The native...

Difficulties in prospect.--Appearance of the country.--Vegetation.--Garden produce.--Medicinal plants.--Ginseng.--Country almost uninhabited.--A serious loss.--Remarkable landsc...

My “work” was now almost done, and I looked forward with hope, for I regard the Russian people as presenting a promising field for the diffusion of a more spiritual religion tha...

Situation of town.--Lodged with Captain de Vries.--Chinese labourers.--Chinese convicts.--Coreans.--Inhabitants of Vladivostock.--Presented at the Governor’s house.--Admiral Erd...

The commander took me to visit the boys’ pro-gymnasium or high-class school for 45 scholars, established four years previously. It was modelled on precisely the same plan as all...

Reflections on leaving Siberia.--Departure.--The Russian navy.--The _Djiguitt_.--Seamen’s food, clothing, work.--Relation between officers and men.--Received as captain’s guest....