Preparations to leave Barnaoul—A Bal Costumé-Siberian Courtship and Marriage-Whipping a Bride a Proof of Affection-The Cook and the Cauliflowers.

Barnaoul, May 1850.

I do hope I may Your next must be

I THINK I have great reason to retort, and complain of the non-arrival of letters from you. get one before we leave this town. addressed to Irkoutsk, but months will pass ere we reach it, and during all that time I believe you will have a little peace, as I shall be deprived of the power of scribbling to you. I am not sorry that we are once more going to wander amongst the mountains. With the return of spring I feel, like the birds, a desire to take wing and fly away; not but I shall feel very sorry to quit this place, where we have spent some most agreeable months. The longer I dwell here the more I like the inhabitants. During the winter we have been entertained with balls, marriages, private theatricals, and indeed no end of

amusements.

You will doubtless be surprised to hear that my son has made his début in the great world. He has been to a bal costumé dressed à la Kirghis; and a beautiful costume it was, the most inexpensive, but decidedly the most effective, in the room. Some of the children.

wore most costly dresses. When it was proposed to me to take Alatau, I thought the idea preposterous; but on the eve of the ball I began to regret that I had not accepted the offer of one of the ladies to go with me to purchase a material for a dress for the child. Mentioning the circumstance to his father, he said, Why not make him a Kirghis costume?' I thought the idea brilliant, so having arranged how it was to be done, I was up early on the day of the ball stitching away; perhaps you will like to know how he was dressed.

First he had a red silk (Chinese) tchimbar, then a beautiful little dressing-gown, of Bokharian material, striped red and yellow, the ends tucked into the tchimbar; and instead of a shawl round the waist, he wore a dark blue scarf with embroidered ends; a whip, a hunting-knife, and a match-box were stuck into the belt; red shoes, and a Kirghis hat, in shape like a boat, completed his costume. The hat was the most difficult job of all, but it succeeded admirably. It was quite scientifically cut out in pasteboard by my husband; I covered it with red Chinese silk, and decorated it with gold lace, coral beads, and Chinese ornaments, the feathers from the breast of a turkey supplying the place of the owl's. At six o'clock the carriage arrived. When he was dressed and saw himself in the glass, it was very amusing. I had difficulty in getting him away; however, I divested him of his hat, and wrapping him in my fur cloak, he slept till our arrival. The musicians were seated in the ante-room, and were just commencing a dance; this aroused the little fellow, I tied on the hat, and whispered to him to walk into the room,

CHAP. IX.

A SIBERIAN COURTSHIP.

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where the children were making a terrible uproar. He marched boldly to the door, where he stood apparently amazed at all he saw, we keeping behind. No sooner had he made his appearance, than a sudden silence ensued for a moment, then came a scream from all sides, 'It is Alatau! it is Alatau!' When we entered no one saw or took any notice of us; there was a crowd round the child, who had been seized by Madame Sokolovsky, and placed in the centre of a table where the gentlemen were playing cards.

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Afterwards one of the children said to me: At first I did not recognise Alatau, I thought he was a walking doll, and had been made to come into the room as a surprise to us.' It may truly be said of Alatau that he has already caused a sensation. We stayed till near ten, and had then a difficulty in getting him away.

You will like to hear something of a Siberian marriage. The courtships are not long,-a month is sometimes the extent of the acquaintanceship. This in some degree may be caused by the vast number of presents the bridegroom is expected to make; he never approaching the house empty-handed. One of his gifts must of necessity be a shawl, the value depending on his means. I once heard of a gentleman sending a courier express to England for one for his future bride. No sooner has a gentleman made his proposal to the parents of the young lady, and become her accepted suitor, than he is introduced to the whole of the relations of the family, servants as well; he is then looked upon in the light of one of its members, and is henceforth permitted to make his calls without being in full uniform.

On the eve of the wedding the young lady assembles her companions, when they all join in singing a farewell to the maiden. The bridegroom sends them vast quantities of bon-bons, and sometimes he sends a present to each of the young ladies; the bride also divides amongst them little trinkets which she has worn. Meanwhile the bridegroom gives a dinner to his bachelor friends, and takes his leave of them.

The dowry, for a day or so before the ceremony, is spread out for the inspection of friends who call to see it. The room in which it is displayed looks like a magazine. The dresses are suspended on stands, and tables covered with jewellery, laces, and linen tied with pink and blue ribbon, &c. &c. Before it is packed to take priest comes to bless the

to the bride's own home, the articles, and sprinkle all with holy water. He is usually admonished to be careful of velvet dresses, &c.; this he appears to understand, and if sufficiently rewarded is most sparing of the consecrated water. I was told when such was not the case, he would spitefully throw a large quantity over the perishable articles. The bridegroom furnishes the house; but the bride provides the silver and linen, as likewise a dozen shirts, a dressing-gown, and a pair of slippers for her future husband. I presume it is to be supposed that she with her own hands spins the flax, and then weaves it into cloth.

On the marriage day it is not permitted for the bride and bridegroom to meet till they do so at the church, the ceremony usually taking place about 8 P. M. The young couple are also obliged to fast from the time of rising on the eventful day, until after their return from

CHAP. IX.

A SIBERIAN MARRIAGE.

217

church, with the exception of a cup of tea without cream. As soon as the bridegroom and his party have entered the sacred edifice, the bridesman drives off to announce the fact to the bride.

The dress of the bride is usually very beautiful; it is full ball costume, and always pure white, with veil and orange blossoms. She is not allowed to do the slightest thing for herself; all the relations, and even the merest acquaintance, provided they are unmarried, are invited to assist in the dressing of the bride. The shoes, which are of white satin, are put on by the youngest brother, or if there is no brother, by the nearest relation, who places a piece of money in one of them; this is the perquisite of the femme de chambre.

On one side of the church are the relations and friends of the bridegroom, and on the opposite those of the bride; when the ceremony is concluded all return to the home of the bride's parents, and are met by music. Then the father and mother come forward,-not the real parents, but a couple chosen for the occasion, called Mère assise and Père assis. The young couple kneel to them, and receive their benediction, being crossed three times each with the image of the Virgin and Child, which afterwards is pressed to their lips; and then the crossing is repeated with the bread, in the centre of which is a silver salt-cellar containing salt. This is repeated by both father and mother to each of the newly married. After this is over, they both rise, and, kissing the hands of those who have blessed them, are conducted into an inner apartment, and seated on a sofa, where they receive the congratulations of the guests;