Wishing to post some letters, I tried to pass along that end of the platform in search of the pillar-box, but was at once stopped by the guard. The steam from our engine, congealed by the sharp post, fell in a fine snow about this luckless band, and glistened white on their clothes in the station lights, and it almost seemed to add an uncalled-for insult to the misery of their lot. I could not help wondering as to what their thoughts might be as they watched our waiting train, replete with every comfort and blazing with electric light. I have never before seen the extremes of misery and captivity on the one hand, and the extremes of freedom and luxury on the other, brought into such close and striking contrast, and I hope never to see it again. Subsequently the dejected looking throng, in which I fancied I saw women, were marched through a doorway into a darkened passage in the station, and so disappeared from sight.
Probably they were all criminals who deserved their fate. Possibly not. Preconceived ideas and old tradition, however, stirred one’s sympathies, and left an unpleasant feeling in the mind for some time. I was constrained to compare our lots, and be thankful for mine. I, free to go my way in every comfort. They .............................. ?
After crossing the Ural mountains I noticed numbers of magpies, through in European Russia I also saw a few.
30th October.—Another beautiful day. In the morning we passed Petrovski Zavod, a place historical in Russian annals as being the penal settlement of the conspirators who early in the nineteenth century tried to overthrow the ruling dynasty, and where numbers of the Russian aristocracy died in exile. It is now a large village of log houses, with wide, mud streets. Hills surround this spot, so that it could be easily guarded, and escape made very difficult. A large, black Russian cross, conspicuous on the highest peak, overlooks the valley. It marks the burial place of one of the most noble exiles.
The scenery to-day has been very good, having at times a park-like appearance, with rolling downs and scattered fir trees. In the afternoon we climbed the Nertchinsk mountains, and by dark had reached a considerable altitude, the air being very keen. At Khilok station, where we stopped for a few minutes, I got out and ran up and down for exercise, but found the cold so great that I was glad to get on board again for fear of having my ears frost bitten, they having become perfectly numb.
Since leaving Irkoutsk the houses have been better built, and the country has looked far more pleasing than in European Russia. I saw great piles of sleepers stacked alongside the line, and heavy metals lying by the track for many miles, so that the present light rails are apparently to be replaced, but so far, very few men at work. To-day we passed a waggon-church in a siding at a small village. This waggon-church moves about up and down the line to places where there are no churches, and there it is stopped, and mass said for the inhabitants by a Russian priest.
A few fat-tailed sheep were also seen. These animals have enormous tails of solid fat, about as large, and of much the same shape, as a small ham. During winter when the frozen ground is covered with snow and no pasturage is to be found, it is said that they live on the fat stored in these tails, in the same manner as camels exist for considerable periods on their humps, seals on their blubber, and bears by sucking their paws.
Here and there I observed mobs of China ponies, some nondescript dogs and a few ordinary-looking cattle.
Between Lake Baikal and Manchuria all food was much dearer, while only American beer could be obtained and that at the exorbitant price of one rouble and a quarter, say half-a-crown, the bottle, which was because of excessive import duty. We crossed many streams, the waters of which were clear, although generally frozen. The Buriat population of this region looked of a low type, fairly large in stature but hideous, and generally badly marked with small-pox. Saw one boy on skates. Bought postage stamps for 40 kopeks at a small station, but had to give another 10 kopeks as commission. Saw a Mongol with pigtail at one of the stations, which showed that we were approaching the borders of the Chinese Empire.
31st October.—Lovely day, air like champagne. Descended mountains at a good pace, having two engines, one in front and one behind. Were now in country of the nomad Bactrians. No cultivation. Saw mobs of ponies and flocks of black and white sheep, cattle much resembling Scotch breeds, having long, thick hair, and a good many two-humped camels. Observed one man shooting with a gun, another riding with bow and arrows slung on his back. The houses, or wigwams, were square in shape with arching roofs, and looked to be constructed of wicker-work and skins. In many places noticed irregular, flat stones set up on edge and varying in height from three to six feet, forming circles about twenty feet in diameter, in which, presumably, were graves.