Chapter I: Preface

A few introductory remarks are, I feel, necessary, if only to give the _raison d’être_ of my journey, and as a sort of apology for adding to the already formidable array of books of Asiatic travel.

The celebrated voyage of Captain Wiggins in 1887, when he successfully accomplished the feat of navigating a steamer (the _Phœnix_) across the Kara Sea and up the river Yenisei to the city of Yeniseisk, is too well remembered for it to be necessary for me to recapitulate an exploit which is destined to become historic, solving as it did the much-vexed question of the practicability of establishing commercial relations between England and Siberia viâ the Arctic Ocean and the Kara Sea.

This successful expedition, opening up such immense possibilities, naturally encouraged its financial promoters to follow it up by another and much more important one. Towards the end of July in the following year, therefore, the _Labrador_, a powerful wooden steamer specially built for Arctic work, was despatched to the mouth of the Yenisei with a cargo of “all sorts,” with which to try the Siberian market; the _Phœnix_, which had been laid up for the winter at Yeniseisk, being commissioned to proceed down the river and fetch back the cargo brought out by the _Labrador_, the latter vessel being too large to be able to get such a distance from the estuary. For all this, special permission had naturally to be got from the Russian Government; but so far from making any objections or putting any obstacles in the way of the scheme, the officials, advised of course from head-quarters, lent every assistance in their power and showed a most friendly spirit. Through a diversity of causes, into which it is not necessary to enter here, the expedition failed to accomplish its purpose, and the _Labrador_ returned to England without having crossed the Kara Sea at all. An ordinary man would have been discouraged, at any rate for a time, by such a failure; but Wiggins is not of that stuff. Nothing daunted, he at once began trying to raise “the sinews of war” for a fresh expedition, and was so successful (such confidence had his friends in him), that the following year the _Labrador_ once again started for the far North-East—but only to meet with another failure, though this time the failure, it was proved afterwards, could have been easily averted. In fact, so conclusively was this proved, that, emboldened with the knowledge of how near it had been to being a success, a syndicate of rich and influential London men was without difficulty got together, and it was at once decided that two ships should be sent out the following year, and that everything possible should be done to ensure success. This time there were no half-hearted measures; money was forthcoming, and with it a renewed enthusiasm in the scheme, which, I may add parenthetically, helped not a little to bring about its eventually satisfactory result; this notwithstanding the fact that the expedition started handicapped by the untoward absence (owing to his having met with shipwreck on his way to join us) of Captain Wiggins, the leading spirit of the project.

Talking about Russia one morning with Mr. Ingram at the office of the _Illustrated London News_, he suddenly suggested my going out as their “special artist” with this expedition. The love of travel and the spirit of adventure are so strong in me, that without the slightest hesitation I eagerly caught at the idea; in fact, had he suggested my riding across the Sahara on a bicycle I should probably have jumped at it with just as much alacrity.

Well, to cut a long story short, after a lot of correspondence had passed between us, the “Anglo-Siberian Trading Syndicate” agreed to take me, subject to certain restrictions as to publication of sketches and matter relating to the expedition, and to land me eventually, if all went well, at the city of Yeniseisk, in the heart of Siberia. On my taking a map of the route down to the office, and asking Mr. Ingram where I was to go if I ever found myself there, “You can go wherever you like, so long as you send us plenty of interesting sketches for the paper,” was his generous reply. With liberty, therefore, to roam all over the world, so to speak, and with unlimited time and plenty of means at my disposal, I started on a journey, the narrative of which I now venture to put in print, in the hope that at any rate some parts of it may give a few fresh facts about the vast continent I traversed from north to south.

In conclusion, I must candidly confess I arrived in Siberia with foregone conclusions derived from the unreliable information and exaggerated stories so current in England about this part of the world. How far my subsequent experiences dispelled the prejudices with which I started, the reader of my narrative may judge for himself. I have touched but _en passant_ on the exile and prison system, for nothing was further from my thoughts, when I undertook the journey, than to make a profound study of this question. Efforts in this direction have been made both by prejudiced and unprejudiced writers, all of whom, however, are agreed on the main point, that the system is an anachronism and unsuitable to the present age. What I felt was that in Siberia, that vast country with such immense natural resources, there must be much which would be novel and interesting to study in its social aspect, apart from the actual prison life and hardships with which the name of Siberia has always been associated; so I determined to devote my chief attention to phases of life which are still, in general, so little known that to many readers, probably, much that I have attempted to describe in these pages will come, as it did to me, in the light of a revelation.

JULIUS M. PRICE.

SAVAGE CLUB, LONDON, _March, 1892_.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

CHAPTER I.

FROM BLACKWALL TO SIBERIA.

The object of the expedition—The steamer _Biscaya_ and its
passengers and cargo—Across the North Sea—Uncomfortable
experiences—First glimpse of Norway—Aalesund—The Lofoden
Islands—The midnight sun—A foretaste of the Arctic
regions—“Cape Flyaway”—Our ice-master, Captain Crowther—We
sight the coast of Siberia—The village of Kharbarova—The
entrance to the Kara Sea 1

CHAPTER II.

THE KARA SEA.

In the midst of the ice-floes—Tedious work—Weird effects
at twilight—A strange meeting—We pay a visit to the home
of the walrus-hunter—Curio-hunting—A summer morning in the
ice—Delightful experience—The Arctic mirage—We part from
our new friends—An uncertain post-office—Ice-bound—Novel
experiences—Seal-hunting 16

CHAPTER III.

THE KARA SEA—_continued_.

Further impressions of the Arctic regions—The awful
silence—Average thickness of the ice—On the move once more—A
fresh danger—A funny practical joke—The estuary of the River
Yenisei—Golchika—A visit from its inhabitants—From Golchika to
Karaoul 27

CHAPTER IV.

THE PORT OF KARAOUL AND ITS INHABITANTS.

The tundras of Northern Siberia—The Samoyedes—Arrival of the
_Phœnix_—My first Russian meal—Vodka and tea—Our departure for
Kasanskoi 36

CHAPTER V.

KASANSKOI.

Our Russian customs officer—A shooting-excursion—Visit
to the settlement of Kasanskoi—The house of a Siberian
trader—Interesting people—First experience of Russian
hospitality—The return of the _Phœnix_—Departure of the
_Biscaya_ 48

CHAPTER VI.

THE RIVER VOYAGE OF THE _PHŒNIX_ UP TO YENISEISK.

The Yenisei river—Its noble proportions—Scenery along the
banks—The first tree—Our first mishap—The return of the tug—An
exciting incident 60

CHAPTER VII.

THE RIVER VOYAGE—_continued_.

An awful fatality—Misfortune follows misfortune—M.
Sotnikoff—Selivanaka, the settlement of the Skopti—A visit from
the village “elder” 70

CHAPTER VIII.

TURUCHANSK.

Visit to the monastery—Werchneimbackskoi—Our first visit from
official Russia—The police officer of the district—The village
priest 80

CHAPTER IX.

THE KAMIN RAPIDS.

A whole chapter of accidents—First touch of winter—Arrival at
Yeniseisk 88

CHAPTER X.

THE CITY OF YENISEISK.

Custom-house officials—Novel sights in market-place
and streets—My lodgings—Siberian idea of “board and
lodging”—Society in Yeniseisk— A gentleman criminal exile 97

CHAPTER XI.

THE CITY OF YENISEISK—_continued_.

A visit to the prison—First impressions of the Siberian system 107

CHAPTER XII.

YENISEISK—_continued_.

The hospital—Siberian houses—Their comfort—The streets of the
city 117

CHAPTER XIII.

FROM YENISEISK TO KRASNOIARSK.

My first experience of sledging—A delightful
adventure—Krasnoiarsk—The market-place—The High Street 123

CHAPTER XIV.

KRASNOIARSK—_continued_.

Privileged criminal exiles—Ordinary criminals—A marching
convoy on the road—Convoy soldiers—The convoy—Proceedings
on arrival at the Perasilny of Krasnoiarsk—The staroster of
the gang—A stroll round the Perasilny—The married prisoners’
quarters—A “privileged” prisoner in his cell—Scene outside the
prison—Prison labour—I give it a trial—Details as to outside
employment of prisoners 134

CHAPTER XV.

MY JOURNEY FROM KRASNOIARSK TO IRKUTSK.

My servant Matwieff—The Great Post Road—The post-houses—Tea
caravans—Curious effect of road—Siberian lynch law—Runaway
convicts—A curious incident—The post courier—An awkward
accident—Arrival at Irkutsk 156

CHAPTER XVI.

IRKUTSK.

Unpleasant experiences at hotel—Hospitality of Mr. Charles
Lee—First impressions of the city 180

CHAPTER XVII.

PRISON LIFE IN SIBERIA—_continued_.

The Irkutsk prison—Comparative liberty of
prisoners—Incongruities of prison life—The “shops”—Prison
artists 192

CHAPTER XVIII.

PRISON LIFE IN SIBERIA—_continued_.

Outdoor employment of prisoners—A chat with an employer of
convict labour—The “convict’s word”—An interview with a
celebrated murderess—The criminal madhouse—Political prisoners
in solitary confinement—I get permission to paint a picture in
one of the cells—End of my visits to the prison 198

CHAPTER XIX.

IRKUTSK—_continued_.

A gold-caravan—Particulars as to the gold-mining industry of
Siberia—The Foundling Hospital—The fire-brigade—Celebration of
the Czar’s birthday—Living in Irkutsk 208

CHAPTER XX.

FROM IRKUTSK TO THE MONGOL CHINESE FRONTIER.

My journey to Kiakhta, the city of the tea princes—Across Lake
Baikal on the ice—Interesting experiences 221

CHAPTER XXI.

FROM IRKUTSK TO THE MONGOL CHINESE FRONTIER—_continued_.

The road from Lake Baikal to Kiakhta—The “Kupetski
track”—Incidents on the way—I change my sledge for a
tarantass—Exciting adventures—Arrival at Troitzkosavsk, the
business suburb of Kiakhta 235

CHAPTER XXII.

ACROSS MONGOLIA.

The Russo-Chinese frontier—Maimachin—The Mongols of
to-day—Curious customs—Hair-dressing extraordinary—A pestilent
farmyard—Exciting incidents—A forced encampment—An awful
night’s experiences—The Manhati Pass—Magnificent scenery—I
pull off a successful “bluff”—“Angliski Boxe” in the wilds of
Mongolia—Arrival at Ourga 249

CHAPTER XXIII.

THE SACRED CITY OF OURGA.

The Russian consul, M. Feodroff—Hospitality of the
Consulate—The “lions” of Ourga—The colossal statue
of the “Maidha”—The “Bogdor of Kurene”—An impromptu
interview—Prayer-wheels—Praying-boards—Religious fervour
of the Mongols 272

CHAPTER XXIV.

FROM OURGA TO THE GREAT WALL.

My preparations for the journey across the Gobi Desert—The
Russian Heavy Mail—My camel-cart—Good-bye to Ourga—The first
few days out—Discomforts of the journey—The homeward-bound
mail—The desert settlement of Tcho-Iyr 301

CHAPTER XXV.

THE GOBI DESERT—_continued_.

Sport in the desert—The “post-station” at Oud-en—The last of
the desert—Saham-Balhousar—First impressions of China—Chinese
women—Returning to sea-level—Curious experience—The eclipse of
the moon—Arrival at Kalgan 318

CHAPTER XXVI.

KALGAN TO PEKING.

A hearty welcome—Yambooshan—The Great Wall of China—American
missionaries—My mule-litter—From Kalgan to Peking—Scenery
on the road—Chinese inn—First experience of a Chinese
dinner—Amusing _rencontre_—The Nankaou Pass—The Second Parallel
of the Great Wall—First impressions of Peking—The entrance to
the city 331

CHAPTER XXVII.

PEKING.

Exciting times—A chat with Sir John Walsham—The Chinese
city—Horrible scenes—Social life at the Legations in
Peking—Lady Walsham’s “At homes”—The hardest-worked man in the
East—Interesting evening with Sir Robert Hart—His account of
his life 353