CHAP. XIV.

SOCIAL REFORMS.

293

by a very amiable German family, whose only fault in the eyes of the Irkoutsk ladies is a desire on the part of the governor to curtail their lavish expenditure on dress. He devised a scheme which he believed would answer admirably, and that was, instead of having balls at the assembly-rooms once a month, to have meetings there once a fortnight, to which they should come with their knitting and sewing. The band was to play, when the fingers of the elder ladies and the feet of the younger would dance to its music, thus combining utility with amusement, and securing an immense gain to the pockets of the married gentlemen. All declared they would go, and go they did; but at the second meeting very few went, and at the third not half a dozen so he has been obliged to relinquish his pet project, the ladies unanimously declaring that it is more amusing to have their private friends at their own homes. So the dress reform has fallen to the ground. General Mouravioff's reform met with the same fate. His was not in dress, but in wine; he wished them to drink only the wine of the country, namely, Nalifka, and he set the example by always taking it himself; but it was useless, no one chose to fall in with his views.

I quite agree that a reform is necessary in this respect, and particularly amongst the dignitaries of the Church. On the Emperor's name-day a great dinner was given by General Mouravioff to all the officers in the town, besides his private friends, but no ladies were present. Alatau and myself were invited, with two other ladies, to dine with Mme. Mouravioff, so we betook ourselves to the gallery, thinking to amuse the child by hearing

the music and seeing the healths drank; when we ourselves were highly amused at seeing, when dinner was concluded, the great dignitary of the Church led out: so it is not surprising that the General advocates reform so strongly.

It is our intention to visit Kiachta, and I do not expect to write to you again before our return from the town of Pigtails. We are going for the fête called the White Month; but, on account of the mourning, there will not be such grand doings as usual. However, I will tell you all I see.

Journey to Kiachta-The Baikal-A Chinese Dinner-Shopping at Maimatchin-Method of making Tea-Resemblance of the Russians and Chinese in some National Customs-A Day at Selenginsk-Preparations to receive an English Visitor-The Theatre-The Goldseekers and the Peasantry-Bribery and Peculation-Sleeping on Horseback-The little Traveller in the Snow-The Mayor and his Hospitality.

Irkoutsk, March 1852.

On our return from Kiachta, I found your letter stating that the box containing colours, paper, &c., had been sent off months since; this causes us great uneasiness, we think of it day and night. The governor has received his things, which started at the same time as ours; and, if our boxes arrive in the same state as his, I do not know what Mr. Atkinson will do. One of their cases, containing beautiful fine linen from Holland, was stolen on the road, and a case, perfectly similar, filled with snow and rubbish, to make it of the same weight, substituted. It was very foolishly insured for only two hundred silver roubles, whereas they say a thousand would not pay for the linen alone. Mme. Venselt says she could not procure it in Petersburg for anything like that money; and, besides, the case was filled up with various things, which she does not now remember. The loss is a very sad one for them, and I

am exceedingly sorry, as I know what my feelings would be under the circumstances. The governor told me that our boxes were coming under his protection; but that does not appear to be any safeguard, for I presume, if he could have saved those of anyone they would have been his own.

However, I will leave disagreeable subjects, and tell you of our visit to Kiachta. We started in the beginning of February, and it was a visit of pleasure. I took one of my servants with me, that I might be quite at my ease with regard to sight-seeing and visiting, and besides she is a capital lady's maid, and yet is only cook; she is so much cleverer than the maid I have, that I took her in preference, and I assure you Vara is charmed. She is the same servant I had all last winter. During my absence in summer, she would not take another situation, but worked in the fields till our return. She is the best servant I ever had, though I received a most horrible character of her from our landlady, in spite of which I tried her, and have never had reason to regret doing so. The Princess Troubitskoi mentioned to me the difficulties I should find in procuring one, and thinks I am very fortunate in having secured Vara.

We started about two o'clock in the morning, so that we might reach the Baikal, and cross by daylight, as it is better than crossing in the night. It is fifty-five versts from one side to the other, which we accomplished in four hours. Formerly there was a station midway, but the ice breaking up suddenly some years back, the men, women, children, horses, and everything,

CHAP. XV.

PICTURESQUE SCENERY.

297

were swept away; it was a frightful disaster. They are now no longer permitted to erect a station during the winter months, therefore one set of horses performs the journey across. It was a bitter morning when we started on the Baikal, a keen wind was blowing, and the thermometer stood at 43° Reaumur. Fortunately, we had a comfortable warm sledge, which General Mouravioff had kindly lent us; notwithstanding which, and also being well wrapped up in furs, I had a difficulty in keeping myself from freezing. The servant had often to rub my feet to stimulate the circulation; but Alatau threw off his furs, he was so warm he said, and sat for awhile with his arms naked. The poor horses were bleeding at the nose, and the yemstchick was frequently obliged to rub them with snow, and he himself, poor man, had to run at times by the horses, to keep himself from freezing. These men, from the effects of the frost, often have their faces as though they had been scalded or burnt. little care would prevent their being in such a state; it is merely to take snow and rub the frozen part with it before entering a warm room. How much pleasanter this journey would have been in summer! Now the aspect is quite changed, nothing presents itself but one dreary snow-white waste, as far as the eye can reach. Still it was curious to see our old friend the Baikal with its waves of ice, apparently frozen as they were rising high; but the road over which we travelled was as smooth as glass.

A

The scenery on the river Selenga, by which we journeyed, is very picturesque and beautiful; and then