of the tea whilst in packages, and take great pains to extract the flavour and to drink it in perfection. A considerable quantity of blue and yellow nankeen, some silk, and coarse sugar-candy are the other staples. The white month is the fair time, but throughout the year there is some business going on. The annual amount of imports on either side is said to be about 12 millions rubles, it is not less. The duties are high on both sides, but the other regulations and restrictions do more injury to the trade. Tea pays the Czar about a ruble the pound: it may amount to a million rubles per an num. Selinginsk is a perfect military station, having been built by the division stationed there for the defence of the frontier. At present they are neither soldiers nor citizens, they are an enslaved militia; yet they answer the purpose for which they were sent: they are good materials for an army, assembled at beat of drum, maintained at little expense, and probably keep up their numbers. The population may be about 3,000, exclusive of three villages on the opposite bank of the Selinga. This place has altered but little since the visit of Bell, whose description of the Boriats, and especially that of their tea-table, is perfectly correct. Scarcely a day passed without our seeing some of these people, who appeared to have much esteem for and confidence in their young apostle, Mr. Stallybrass, and with him I also visited several of their tents, their chief priest and his temple. The Boriats have somewhat of the Chinese physiognomy, especially about the eyes; high cheek bones and small beards; their noses are not prominent, and they often have colour in their cheeks, but are not fair or clean: their height about five feet five inches, but their dress of sheep skins makes them look large. Being herdsmen, they dwell in tents made of felt, which are neat and comfortable; they are much on horseback; they seldom remain a month at one place, but return to it at the same period the year following. In this wandering mode of life, and even amongst the Tungoose hunters, the same rights of property and jealously of encroachment are maintained as amongst the inhabitants of cultivated lands, where "every rood maintains a man." The lands about Selinginsk are open and waste, being under the immediate control of Government. The Boriat tribes were the original possessors, but they are much oppressed by the Russians, who still acknowledge them to be more sober, industrious, honest and successful than themselves, and I believe this conviction inclines some of the poor superstitious Russians to entertain the idea that the Boriat gods are better worth serving than their own, whom they coax and flatter for what they hope to get. Some time ago Treskin, when Governor, in his great zeal for the cause of the Bible Society, sent 12,000 rubles which he had collected, and two Saisangs (chief officers of a Boriat tribe) to Petersburg, in order to facilitate a version in compliance with the desire of a few Boriats who had heard some chapters read. The truth is, that if the Boriats had known for what purpose the money was taken from them they would much rather have paid for exemption from Bibles. The Saisangs were torn from their families, and bewailed as men who would be forced to apostatize. This circumstance was blazoned throughout England and acquired for Treskin a high character for piety and zeal. Even the Emperor appeared to be deceived by it, and said to Messrs. Stallybrass and Ralm, that it was a remarkable coincidence that God should incline their hearts to the Boriats just at the time he stirred them up to seek instructors. The Boriat Lamas are numerous; they are confined to celibacy. Families having three or four sons generally bring up one as a Lama. Most of those of the Selinginsk tribe can read Boriat, and many Tangut also, though but few probably understand its meaning. Some of the Lamas are employed solely in their religious, medical and literary duties; others engage in all lay concerns, yet retain the yellow or red robe of their order. They print with wooden plates like the Chinese, and cut these plates themselves. The only books they have are prayers, or rather discourses, much in the style of the sacred books of the Hindoos, probably the same as the Bhuddists. One of those which Mr. S. read to me was, "when a guest calls do not show him into a dirty room, which is not swept, or he will not call again," &c.&c. Lamas carry a nom in their bosom, with which they strike on the head those who salute them. The Kumba or chief priest is the fattest man I ever saw; corporeal dimension is the qualification for the office: he has a wooden house and a tent, in each of which there is an altar. He possesses a very fine and numerous flock of sheep. We had brought him some bread, and he entertained us with koumis and tea. He had not been able to visit the temple, which is about five versts from his house, for some months, and was anxious for snow, being able to go there only in a sledge, on account of his size. The place of worship consists of about a dozen wooden buildings of different sizes, placed near to each other; the inside of the largest greatly resembles our own places of worship. Their ideas of matter and motion have led to modes of praying cheaper than the candle worship of the Russian, and less troublesome than counting heads as some of the Greek clergy do when in company. The Boriat procures a nom written on a long slip of paper, and suspends it where it will be moved by the wind, passengers, &c., or rolls it round the barrel of a small windmill, such as is frequently placed in gardens to frighten the birds; one stage contains about a hundred of these praying mills, and the roof of the chapel has so many prayers pendant, that no one can move a step without also moving petitions. Near the door is a case which turns on a vertical axis containing the books of their law, secured from inspection by iron bands, but easily put in motion, together with a number of bells and pendants. At the upper end of the chapel is a large model of a temple brought from China, or perhaps Thibet. The walls have several representations of hideous monstrous deities, counterparts of those of the Hindoos. The missionaries who are allowed to instruct the Pagan tribes of Russia are under engagement not to interfere, either directly or indirectly, with the national church. This restriction renders the situation of the missionaries irksome in some degree when surrounded by Russians. Mr. S. had therefore built a house opposite to Selinginsk, where the Boriats could visit him unmolested, and to which he now removed, and a few days after received the visits of the gentry on the occasion, who each brought according to custom a loaf of the best white bread and some other trifling present. This class consists of: The Major, who has command of the place; he is as honest as he can be, as he gets only a bare subsistence. His wife, a Polish lady, is a strange being; it was dangerous to let her see any thing, as she would insist even on taking a lady's cap off her head if it pleased her. The Major's son is a fine young man; he expects soon to join the army, where it is not uncommon for young gentlemen to begin their career in the ranks. Maria Ivanova, orphan daughter of the General who commanded two years ago, lives with her maternal grandmother; she is a fine girl, about 16 years of age, and the belle of the place. Vassilitch, a Lieutenant of artillery, is married to the sister of the above; having served in Germany, he is civilized in comparison with the other inhabitants of the place. A lieutenant-postmaster, of the rank of postillion, but with greater facilities for getting money than his superiors in the military service. Vorashelof, a rich shopkeeper, whom the officers honour with their company at his entertainments, and by quartering on him all travellers of rank. Mrs. V. is a good-natured talkative body, and appears to have her husband in as good order as he has his premises, which are the best in the town. Their daughter is married to a trader of Irkutsk, who lives in more style than any person at Selinginsk, though he has lately become a bankrupt. The burgomaster, who is a trader, and one or two more may be considered as demi-genteels. The Pope is too great a drunkard to be genteel: I never met with him. The surgeon is the same as usual. I saw him once, and he was then drunk. The female servants are a most wretched set: they do not possess the least sense of honesty, sobriety or chastity; they are extremely impertinent, dirty, indolent, ignorant, and fond of finery. Mrs. S., than whom it would be impossible to find a better mistress, could seldom induce any one to stay with her above a few weeks together; the animal she had when I left her was one of the General's slaves, yet she would occasionally take the pet and walk off. Menitsky sends to Russia for servants, instead of having slaves, and On yet he has to complain of them. Christmas eve Mrs. Major gave her servants a supper, and waited on them herself, in compliance with a Polish custom. Although there is much stickling for rank, the slaves take many freedoms which would not be allowed were they free; they often join in conversation, and always stand and listen. A Calmuc who had been freed by the General, though working for her livelihood, visited every family on an equality with the one to which she had belonged; and Onesia, a servant of Mrs. Stallybrass, was taken notice of and invited by the ladies purposely to keep her from forming low connexions. Maria Ivanova was heard one morning representing to her the impropriety of going to some dance or party to which she had been invited, and where she would not be surrounded by friends and persons of respectabillity. Another trait in the character of the people of Selinginsk, which pleased me greatly, was the attention and respect they retained for their old General; they considered the ladies as their mistresses, and always spoke of them with attachment; the house was saluted as though it continued to be headquarters. For a week or two I had been desirous of proceeding to Parcelskar, in order to recross the Baikal immediately it should be frozen, but was not allowed to go. On Christmas day, hearing that the sea stood, went to town, and took leave of the gentry. Mrs. Major told me to send her plenty of shawls and other fine things from India, as she understood they were in plenty; grandmama sent me a supply of biscuits, &c. Mrs. Stallybrass was daily expecting to be confined, without other assistance than that of her husband, whose medical fame sometimes brings patients from a distance of 50 miles. Few countries are so greatly destitute of physicians as Siberia. The Russians acknowledge that, next to their clergy, their medical men are the greatest drunkards in the country. In most parts of the world the old women have some skill, the result of experience, but here they do not attempt it. When I have asked a villager "what they do when sick?” the reply has always been, "what can we do? we leave it to the will of God." Dec. 26. Parted from these esteemed missionaries, with whom I could have been well contented to spend the remainder of my life; being persuaded that the propagation of Christianity is the highest benevolence and the noblest task of man. The Selinga now standing, the sledge was in use. About nine in the evening arrived at Verkniudinsk, where I called and shook hands with my old companion. At midnight, finding that the Baikal road was not open, and being uncomfortable on account of the boisterous snowy weather, I put up at the station where Onesia's brother acts as overseer; it turned out that he had conveyed the Kiachta post when I was there, and said that, had I accompanied him, I should have been warmer than in the sledge; so that I lost six weeks merely in apprehension of my fingers and toes. Dec. 27. In the afternoon arrived at Parcelskar; two Cossacks had set out in the morning to discover if the road across the Baikal was passable. The whole country was a scene of gaiety, merriment, visiting, and drinking. The drivers were scarce, and sometimes half drunk; the women dressed in all their finery, parading about in sledges from village to village for 50 versts round. The country on this side the Baikal, though far from being highly cultivated or thickly inhabited, is accounted by the Siberians extremely fertile, populous, and rich, and comparatively it is so. It is mountainous, and the soil sandy, yet produces abundance of corn, supports many cattle, and is plentifully supplied with fish. Wood is brought down the river and supplied cheap. The Russian villages are large and numerous, not confined to the post road, but appear to be scattered in all directions. Although there is the convenience of water carriage from Petersburgh to Irkutsk and Kiachta, with the exception of three postages, amounting to 100 miles, yet goods are generally brought by land the whole distance; heavy goods of small value alone are conveyed by water. Dec. 28. A stormy night succeeded by a fine morning. It was my intention to have called at the monastery, but being assured that all who entered must remain till night, gave up the idea and crossed the sea; the distance is 55 versts, which took four hours and a half. On the way met a sledge, which informed us that the Cossacks had got over safely. The ice was rough, being formed chiefly of patches of drift ice; some spots, frozen in calm weather, were pretty smooth. Nothing retards the standing of the sea so much as gales of wind, which destroy more ice in a few hours than is formed in many days. Most of the rivers of Siberia are covered with the same sort of rough ice, by the rapidity of their currents preventing them from standing until covered, and almost choaked with drift ice. A slow river was frozen so smooth and clear that the fish were very distinctly seen at the bottom. The Angara, which is a drain from the Baikal to the Icy sea, forms its ice at the bottom; the current breaks it off and floats it: this is supposed to arise from some peculiarity of the soil which composes the bed of the river. Most rapid rivers form the ice in their bosom, not at the surface; whilst the large rivers and lakes are freezing, they are covered with thick black mists, composed of the vapour arising from them, which is often frozen into a fine snow, or rather hoar frost, the particles of which are visible in the sunshine; as soon as the water stands the exhalation ceases, and the atmosphere becomes dry and clear, the sky serene, and the weather clear and settled. The post-house was in great confusion, just as it was when the road broke up in the spring. Proceeded along the lake to the next station, about eighteen versts' distant, which was in a still worse condition; all my endeavours to get farther that night were ineffectual, as three horses had been lost in the morning, the sledge people narrowly escaping. In the course of the night a Boriat Saisang arrived from Irkutsk; we were as friends: the mission was the connecting link. They had been shewn the newly published Gospels by the Archbishop; their pride was hurt, considering their own books as insulted. This chief was an intelligent well behaved man, as suspicious as any of his countrymen of encroachments on their customs, considering the thread of their own existence interwoven with that of their tribe. Monday, 29. The next post being near the shore in shoal water, the ice was rough and undulated like waves; thence two posts of thirty versts each was chiefly along the shore of the Angara, the beginning of which was open, as the current is there very rapid. These large rivers are seldom completely frozen over, but have large open spaces in various parts, especially over shallows, and about points where the currents are strongest. The country from Baikal to the very scite of Irkutsk is nearly in a state of nature, a mere forest. Steam vessels appear well adapted for the navigation of the Baikals. Menitzky is so desirous of having them on the Lena, that he has promised the master of one vessel five to ten thousand rubles if he would get one. About sunset arrived at my old lodgings, after an absence of nearly two months instead of ten days, as was expected on setting out. The widow did not know what had become of me, having left my baggage, and so much exceeded my time. Hearing singing and dancing in an adjoining room, and being unable to sleep, I rose and went in, expecting to find another wedding party, but was disappointed in meeting only the daughters of the widow and another old lady who occupied part of the house, and three or four neighbours. I never in my life saw such an assemblage of slovenly females; however there was no retreat, I was obliged to do penance for peeping: forfeits and cards succeeded dancing, and we were kept up till one-half of the young ladies had spread their sheepskin coats and blankets, and laid down on the floor and benches. Petticoats are seldom worn; a chemise and gown, sometimes only the latter, is the usual dress, which is generally kept on the whole week, day and night. Bedrooms are seldom used; males and females lie down about the room, usually on the oven, or on a raised platform over the door. We separated after midnight. The game of cards was truly Russian; it was for rank: officer, soldier, merchant and peasant were the gradations. Tuesday, 30. My first call was on Treskin, who was as inquisitive and sociable as before. On paying my respects to the Governor General, I found him in his cabinet alone, mild and attentive as usual. I was invited to return at two o'clock to dinner: the interval was passed in calling on an English lady, who had been fifteen years a resident of Irkutsk, and on the Mangolian interpreter, who reads Chinese, &c. Returning to dinner, I found Speranski with three young men, all in plain clothes, each engaged in reading. The house is well fitted up, and furnished elegantly in the modern style, with the exception of the lobby or hall of the Cossac guard: it is clean, and every thing in character, which is rare in the best Russian houses; in Treskin's, for instance, common deal dining-tables, rudely made, are seen by the side of splendid green velvet sofas, &c. The dinner was served with the utmost propriety and comfort; there was neither profusion nor meanness; there was no appearance of tyranny or servility, every one seemed to forget the Governor in the father and the man: his lips dropped honey, his words were coveted like gold. I could not but love him, and thank God for raising up a Daniel in these countries, which so greatly need one. : Supped with Treskin, and passed a lively evening the old gentleman has always a thousand questions to put regarding India and my voyages. I am sure he must think me a great liar, yet he seems amused with my eastern tales: those which relate to the extent and wealth of our possessions and trade are the most difficult of belief. Even Speranski was surprised at the population of Calcutta, and at its rapid growth. When speaking of the missionaries, Treskin said, "No, no, the Boriats will never be converted, they are not such fools; they know that they are a great deal better than Christians, for they don't lie, steal, or get drunk half as much. Why don't you send your missionaries to India? why don't you turn missionary, as it is such a good thing? No, no, you are not such a fool: you find something better to do in the East-Indies." Another time, speaking on the same subject, he said, "How many Christians did you meet on your road between Ochotsk and this place? come, speak, real good Christians? be honest. Ah! not one." Then, calling the attention of some of the company who were talking together, had a hearty laugh at having thus ascertained my idea of the country. A Latin Bible is always on the writing-table, and another edition, with maps, was often opened in the course of the evening. I found true what Mr. S. had told me, that few Russians were so well acquainted with the Bible as Treskin; he was brought up by a very worthy Moravian: Pestel, the late Governor General, is himself a Moravian. Rising after supper, the old gentleman said, "I don't wonder you wish to be off, for I am sure you must be tired with my questions." My blunders had contributed not a little to the amusement: the young ladies understood French, but for want of practice, would only help me now and then with a word in French or Russ. After crossing, they ran most affectionately to their father and kissed his hand: it was a pleasing sight, and made me think of home. I like the whole family very much. Menitzky, his affectionate amiable wife, the daughters, and their father's present uncomfortable situation in the place where they so lately reigned, are the ties which endear them to me: they are amiable unaffected girls; they dress well and neatly, and their father has done his utmost to give them a good education, which is not easily effected in Siberia. Dec. 31. Called on my old friend Gladker, who had arrived during my absence. He advised me to travel with a Copet, and found one Cherkaset, about to set out after the morrow. The chief of the marine, and two young lieutenants on their way to Ochotsk, spent the day with Treskin, where there was a small party to close the year. Since the Governor's fall, it is said that he can scarcely get visitors ; some of his humblest servants, when sent for as heretofore, are engaged. To-morrow's masquerade fills every head: the place is one scene of holiday-making. Formerly only nobles were admitted to the public entertainments; since Speranski's arrival, this distinction has been done away with, and a few thousand of the trading class were at the last masquerade: they are so full of the novelty, that Cherkaset says he can get no one to do business; when he talks of teas, they reply about masks and dominos. After dinner the General, which is now Treskin's style of address though a civilian, went to pay his respects to the Governor General; on his return he called us all about him, and seeing that none were absent, especially his dear children, he gave us the following account of his visit, in his usual hurried manner, and with considerable agitation, his whole soul seeming to hang on Speranski's favour. After waiting near an hour the Governor General came in with the Vice Governor; the usual salutation took place, when Treskin said he was come to congratulate his Excellency on the close of the year, and to wish him a |