very

expecting to return to civilisation, I had not thought of preparing anything for him, when, lo! and behold, on the 4th November, at twenty minutes past four P. M., he made his appearance. The young doctor here said he would not live more than seven days, but, thank Heaven, he is still alive and well. He is small, but much improved since his birth. little bigger before I describe him. Alatau, as he was born at the foot of this mountain range; and his second name Tamchiboulac, this being a dropping-spring, close to which he was called into existence. The doctor says the premature birth was caused by excessive exercise on horseback.

I

shall let him get a He is to be called

Doubtless, seeing I speak of the doctor, you imagine we have a competent one here. Far from it, he is but twenty-three years of age; theoretically he may be clever, practically certainly not. When my husband applied to him in my case, he declared he had not the slightest knowledge of anything of the kind.

The day after my little man was born I got up, and, after walking about the room and doing a few odd things, I went to bed again, but the day after I got up after breakfast, and have been up during the whole day ever since. I should have written to tell you last Sunday, but I was too weak, and the post leaves here only once in the week, and that is on Mondays. I intend writing by next week's post, I shall then have more time to give you a description of this place, and an idea of how we live.

Although it is so long since you wrote to me, I shall still answer your letter. I wrote to you from Tomsk,

CHAP. IV. A QUESTIONABLE POSTMAN.

107

and the letter was taken to the post by a soldier then in our service; the idea has since occurred to me, that perhaps he destroyed the letter and pocketed the money; it has sadly annoyed me. From Tomsk I wrote also to Mrs. Tate, but as yet I have received no answer. I despatched the letter in April, and we did not leave Barnaoul till July, so there was ample time to have a reply. I fear we relied too much on the honesty of our soldier, and her letter has met with the same fate as yours.

CHAPTER V.

Kopal-A Yourt-Overtaken by a Bouran-Our House FurnitureA cordial Reception-Culinary Resources-A merry Party-Musical Soirées A Ball-A hasty Toilet-Odd Guests-Tongues LoosenedEffect of Chinese Spirit-A grand Event-Kind Attentions-Thankfulness to God-A sleepy Nurse-Sagacious Dogs-Distance Travelled.

Kopal, November 21st, 1848.

I TOLD you in my last letter of our arrival here, but I had not time to give you a full description of everything. I said, at night we used to take up our quarters in what the Kirghis call a yourt. It is like a round tent formed of a framework of willow, and covered over with a kind of felt cloth, called voilock; it is made of wool and camel's hair. The door, or rather what serves as a door, is so contrived as to roll up or down at will. The top of the yourt rises in the centre, which may also be opened, when necessary, either to admit the air, or give an issue to the smoke. The fire is always made in the centre, and of course on the ground, and all around it is covered with voilock, and over this carpets are spread. Thus in fine weather a yourt is no despicable accommodation, but Heaven protect you when a bouran, or even a moderately fresh breeze, arises. Here in Kopal I have been awoke out of my sleep by the wind, and have expected every

CHAP. V.

SHOCKING ACCOMMODATION.

instant the tent would be dashed to pieces.

109

The

hospital, which stands directly opposite our present abode, when a bouran has arisen, has been completely hidden from view. These winds carry everything before them, bricks or anything that comes in their way: the safest plan, when one arises, is to throw yourself flat on the ground.

One morning, the wind was blowing frightfully. I hastened to dress and get breakfast over as quickly as possible; I was, moreover, 80 cold that I did not know what to do. A fire was not to be thought of, as the smoke was enough to blind one (by the way, the Kirghis suffer fearfully from ophthalmia). I had only got the first cup of tea poured out, when I was obliged to rush out of the tent, and precipitate myself into the governor's, his being larger and stronger than ours. The gust over, we returned home, swallowed our breakfast, and placing all our goods and chattels in the middle of the yourt, we covered them over, and left it to its fate. It certainly weathered the storm, but it was no longer in the same place on our return.

Now, I am happy to say, we have a house over our heads. We have been in it about a month, having entered it before it was finished, and just one week before the little fellow was born. I now often think what would have become of me had we been in a yourt when I was confined. I believe both I and the child must have died. I have been sometimes so indisposed, and with such shocking accommodation, that I really wonder it has not killed me.

Perhaps it will interest you to know how our house is

furnished. We have one chair, the only one in Kopal, one stool; but we are rich in tables, as we have two; our bedstead is composed of a few planks placed on two blocks of wood, with voilock, and then furs instead of a mattress. Think not we are worse off than others. No! our house is as well, if not better, furnished than the governor's, as he has nothing but the voilock to sleep on.

Every time I now hear the wind blow I thank God with all my heart I am not in a yourt. My two small rooms appear to me equal to any palace; I feel so happy in them.

I must now tell you of our reception here. Baron Wrangle, the governor, was much surprised at seeing a lady enter, and perhaps also at my appearance, for, to say truth, I was not very presentable. On our journey I had mounted camels and bulls as well as horses, but the last day, having a stream to cross to enable me to reach a Tartar encampment, I found it too deep to ford pleasantly, as the water would reach to my waist. Whilst hesitating what was best to be done, a Kirghis, who had followed us down the bank, without ceremony walked into the water, and, placing himself before me in a stooping posture, patted his back, and signed for me to mount, which I at last did, and crossed on the man's back.

We found the Baron sitting cross-legged on a stool, with a long Turkish pipe in his mouth, a small Tartar cap on his head, and a dressing-gown, à la Kirghis Mr. Loigonoff, the engineering officer, and the topographer, were dressed in exactly the same way. They all gave us a most cordial welcome: we sat chatting till