CHAPTER II.

Ekaterinburg—Dangers of the Road-A Russian Murder-Caution enjoined upon us-Jasper Works at Ekaterinburg-Visit to a Circassian Lady-Resume our Journey-Meeting with the Exiles-Mouravioff— The political Exiles of 1825-Anecdotes of their Mode of Life-Their Treatment by the Siberians-On the Road again-Arrive at OmskChurlish Police-Master-Wretched Quarters-Dinner at the Governor's-Arrival at Kaiansk-The lost Dog found-An Escape from Robbers-Bad Roads-Arrive at Tomsk-A strange Couple--Enforced Delay-The Gold Seekers of Tomsk-The Heiress-English Residents in Tomsk-Balls and Dinner Parties-The Archbishop and his Hostess.

Tomsk, April 25th, 1848.

As we shall be obliged to pass some weeks in this town, I shall have plenty of time for writing. I must give you an account of our route hither, which was really a fearful one; but first I will return to Ekaterinburg, and make you acquainted with what took place there, I not having had time to do so before leaving, as I had scarcely a moment to myself, although /L we spent fifteen days in the town.

I was told by our kind hostess that it was considered a duty on the part of every visitor to make the acquaintance of the principal persons in the town; besides which, several were friends of my husband's; so, what with visiting and receiving visitors, our time passed away very quickly.

CHAP. II.

DISCOURAGEMENTS TO PROCEED.

17

And then I had everything to re-pack, as we proposed leaving a box containing valuables in the care of our friends in Ekaterinburg: these articles being quite unnecessary to us on our journey, being, in fact, gifts presented to me on the occasion of my marriage, the loss of which would be indeed vexatious.

There were many stories rife in Ekaterinburg of robberies and fearful murders committed on the unwary traveller. I cannot comprehend how it is that all our friends, instead of trying to give me encouragement, seem, on the contrary, bent on disheartening me. Each one has some horrible story to relate. This being Lent, one gentleman was reminded of a circumstance which took place some few years ago :—

A father and son were travelling together on the same route we intend taking: they stopped one night at a peasant's cottage; it was late, and the inhabitants had retired to rest. Amongst this class of people the top of the stove forms the sleeping apartment of as many of the family as can be stowed away upon it. The travellers were admitted to the only room the house contained; and, having been many hours without food, brought forth their provisions and commenced eating their supper, which consisted of cold meat, &c. Their supper ended, they lay down on one of the benches to sleep, which was not long in overtaking the weary travellers. They had been but a short period in the land of dreams, when one of the men on the stove slid gently down, and, taking in his hand a hatchet (which every peasant carries with him in his belt), with cautious steps approached the sleepers, and, lifting the instrument with

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both hands, brought it with such force down upon the head of the poor father, that he literally cleft it in two; he then turned to the son, who was in a sound sleep, and despatched him likewise. The brutal murderer then returned to his berth and slept till morning, when he went and informed the nearest authorities of the two murders he had committed. His object was not plunder, he said, when asked his reason for committing so horrible a deed; he described how he was sleeping, and hearing these two men conversing, he was induced, from what he heard, to watch their actions, and saw them committing the awful sin of eating meat in Lent, how it weighed upon his soul, how he turned away and tried to sleep but could not, how he felt that for the sake of Him who had died to save sinners, he ought to prevent these men from sinning again; he had tried to avoid commiting a crime, which he knew it was, but a voice kept continually urging him on, and saying that he was only putting an end to sin. My informer was not able to say what had become of the man, but, to prevent such a fate being ours, he presented Mr. Atkinson with a hatchet. I assured him he need not fear, for nothing could induce me to sleep in these little hovels, where the heat is almost unbearable; indeed, our meals, which are only two in the day, are regulated by the kind of station we stop at. We always give orders that, as soon as day breaks, we breakfast at the first clean station, and in the evening, that we take tea (which is dinner also) before the cottagers retire for the night, as I think you can scarcely form any conception of the unpleasantness of entering one of these

CHAP. II.

JASPER-WORKS.

19

heated apartments, which has been closed for several hours with a number of persons sleeping in it. There are stations on the road where a separate room is kept for travellers, and the further we advance into Siberia, the cleaner they are, the floors so white that one might almost eat off them; we invariably find the peasants dirtier and poorer the nearer they are to large towns.

I presume one reason for my friend impressing the necessity of caution on us was, that we had discharged Nicholai, on account of neglect of duty, and gross misconduct in many ways. The fellow was not to be trusted, and Mr. Atkinson had always treated him with great leniency. I had been rather amused at some. of his doings in Moscow. Whilst there, he received a sum of money in advance, to enable him to fit himself out with everything necessary for a journey of two At almost the last hour he asked for more, years. which astonished Mr. Atkinson, as he had received in advance a whole year's salary, and was therefore refused, until he said he wanted to buy something for his old mother,'— he might have known his master's weak point — Mr. Atkinson's heart relented immediately. On arriving in Ekaterinburg we found out that he had brought in our sledge a large quantity of goods on speculation, and was occupied in disposing of them, the poor old mother' receiving not a single article of all he had brought with him.

We visited the Granilnoï Fabric, where the stones found in the Oural are all cut and polished (I received specimens of many). I here saw men working at a jasper table, on which several had been engaged nine

years; it was nearly completed, and was for the Empress. A wreath of forget-me-nots, in mosaic, surrounded it; it was certainly beautiful, but still did not appear worth the time and labour that had been expended upon it.

We next visited the Mint, and observed the process of coining the copper money. They coined a piece of each kind for me, and placed them in a small box, made purposely to contain them.

A description of the town Mr. Atkinson has already sent you; and the amusements of the inhabitants I hope I shall be able to tell you something about on our return, as we intend passing some little time here on our homeward journey. This being Lent, everyone is quiet; there are only a few dinner-parties, and we have been but to one, that was at General Glinka's.

I must tell you of a visit I paid to a Circassian lady, the wife of a Russian. On entering the room I found the lady sitting on a sofa with a table before it, as is customary in every Russian house; she was engaged with other visitors on our entrance. I approached and was formally introduced by Mr. Atkinson, with whom she was already acquainted; a seat was offered to me near her. The other visitors shortly departed, when we chatted on for nearly an hour. She was a delightful woman, clever and very witty, also very beautiful, with a large well-formed head, thick luxuriant hair, stout, but not too stout for so tall a woman as she appeared to be. When we rose to depart I again shook hands with her, and, as she was an invalid, I begged her not to rise, as I saw it was her intention to do; but she insisted, and actually slid down from the sofa on which she was sitting, and