Through Siberia and Manchuria By Rail BY OLIVER G. READY AUTHOR OF “_Life and Sport in China_” NOTE _This short account of my journey from London to Shanghai by way of the Siberian Railway was at first intended for private circulation only, in order to meet the enquiries of numerous personal friends. Now, however, that war has broken out between Russia and Japan, and that it may be years before this, the longest railway in the world, is again open to international traffic, I feel that any information, however slight, concerning so stupendous an undertaking, as well as about the remote region which it traverses, may be of interest to the general public. I wish to emphasize that much of what is herein described was seen only from the windows of a moving train, and must therefore be lacking in that accuracy and detail which closer inspection could alone insure. _The Russian words on the cover_ КТО ИДЕТЪ _signify “who goes there”?, and the Chinese characters represent my surname. The Russian cross at the end, is that of the original Greek Church. _Shanghai, 29th February, 1904. _ EASTWARD HO! I left Charing Cross on the _15th October, 1903_, by the 10 a. M. Boat-train for Dover. As we glided on I mentally said good-bye tofamiliar scenes, for I was outward bound, to put in another five years’service under the dragon flag. At Dover we went aboard the Belgian _rapide_ “Ville de Douvres” and inten minutes were streaming at twenty miles an hour through the shippingon our way across Channel. It was a lovely day with fair wind and smooth sea, and had only thevessel’s bows been pointed in the opposite direction, I should have beenperfectly happy, but they were not, so I had to make the best of things, which consisted in watching over the stern Old England’s chalk cliffs, gleaming white in the brilliant sunshine, slowly sink and disappear intothe heaving main.  .  .  .  .  .  .  Good-bye. Eastward ho! The Belgian coast was sighted at about 3 p. M. , and shortly after 4 welanded at Ostende, and I was soon installed in a first-class coupé ofthe weekly _Nord-Express_, which was to carry me without change as faras Warsaw. This _train de luxe_, consisting of an engine and five or six cars, wasas replete with comfort and luxury as it was possible to compress withinso limited a space. That night we passed through Belgium by way of Brussels, and at 7. 30next morning, the _16th October_, arrived at Berlin, but only stoppedfor half-an-hour, when we were again _en route_. The day was fine and the country pretty, without being beautiful. Inplaces it was well wooded with firs and silver birches. For many miles Inoticed sorrel growing alongside the line almost as thickly as grass. Shortly before arriving at the Russian frontier that afternoon, I sawmany truck-loads of parsnips, and _heard_ a train-load of geese, whichwere coming from the “merry green fields of Poland” to make _pâté defoie gras_ for the Germans. The frontier town of Alexandrowo was reached at 3 o’clock, and there wepassed from German to Russian control. At the German end of the longplatform officials and porters were wearing the German uniform. At theRussian end of the platform, all porters were clad in long, white cottonsmocks with leather girdles, while officials wore the uniform of theCzar. As the two nationalities were here contrasted, I think theRussians showed to greater advantage, being generally taller and havinga more natural bearing than the over-drilled Teuton. Our luggage was examined by the Customs officers, and our passportstaken away, viséd, and returned, before the train was allowed toproceed. It was getting dark as we steamed into Russia, so that not much of thecountry could be seen, but as far as I could make out, it looked flatand gloomy enough. We reached Warsaw at about 8 o’clock, and as the train stopped here, itbeing a terminus, I drove to the Hotel Bristol. The general impression I had received while on this rapid journey acrosshalf of Europe in little more than 24 hours, was that in Belgium thingslooked slip-shod, in Germany organized, and in Russia potential. The hotel I found to be first-class and up-to-date in every way, whileprices were moderate (six roubles a day) and the cuisine excellent. The dining room was a perfect blaze, being illuminated by more than1, 000 electric lights, let into the walls and screened by round, opaqueglasses, so that the effect was something like that of so manybull’s-eye lanterns. As soon as I had been shown to my room, my passport was again demandedby a police agent, and again taken off to be viséd. I subsequentlylearnt that _everyone_ in Russia--not only travellers but also allRussians--must have a passport, without which it is impossible to geteven a night’s lodging, so that the entire population comes directly andconstantly under the eye of the police. This must at times be rathergalling, but on the other hand, it is a great protection, especially tostrangers. _17th October. _--Warsaw is an interesting town for many reasons, also, it is well laid out, having several large boulevards flanked with grassand trees, though the back streets are dirty, and badly paved withlarge, uneven blocks of stone. Many beautiful churches raise their lofty spires and oriental domes, painted green or gilded with gold and surmounted by crosses, forRussians are of the Greek faith. The principal streets were crowded withfine soldiers in gay uniforms, the slums were packed with repulsivelooking Jews, who, in long black coats and little peaked caps, sneakedabout as though in constant dread of persecution, their hooked noses, pale faces and black beards giving them that furtive and craftyappearance for which the Polish Jew is so well known. Objects of pity, their history is written on their faces. The horses, though fine-drawn, looked strong, well-bred and good goers. Cigars were very dear--about eighteen pence for a medium one--and eachseparate cigar was sold in a kind of glass or gelatine air-tight tube. _18th October. _--Left Warsaw at 9. 30 a. M. , and the train was so crowdedthat although holding a first-class ticket, I was obliged to travel in asecond-class sleeping-car, in company with a Pole, a Russian, and aGerman and his little three-year-old daughter, to say nothing of pilesof luggage. Passed through fine open country, quite flat, with woods offir, pine and silver birch at intervals, marshy plains and cultivatedground (like Fens) alternating. Flocks of sheep and geese, herds ofcattle and horses. Very few birds of any kind--only saw some crows andlinnets. Roads were wretched, being mere tracks a foot deep in mud, and looked asthough they had never been repaired, or even made. Houses built low with no upper storey, walls of wooden beams and roofsof thatch. Men mostly clad in sheep skins, and women in red dresses witha red cloth over the head, bare legs and sandals. Winter wheat wellgrown. _19th October. _--Passed a good night, despite five in the compartment. This morning much colder, and at 10 o’clock saw snow, at first lying indrifts, but gradually increasing as the day wore on until everything wascovered, while ponds were frozen. Hardly any good houses. Peasants with hair four or five inches long andwearing sheep skin coats and knee-boots, came to stations to look at thetrain. The women had shawls over their heads, and squelched through themud and slush with bare feet. All looked cold and dejected, while thelandscape was most depressing. With the exception of a few wild and tame pigeons, saw hardly any birds, but turkeys at a farm. Arrived in Moscow at 4 p. M. , and drove in a droski (four-wheel cab) tothe Slavianski Hotel, where my passport was again required. In the evening, after an excellent dinner, I went to a first-classvariety entertainment at the Aquarium theatre. My bedroom at the hotel was warmed in a curious manner. There wasneither stove nor hot-water-pipe, but in one of the walls at some sevenfeet from the floor was a round hole about three inches in diameter. Being curious to know what this hole could be for, I put my hand up toit, and was greatly surprised to find a current of hot air pouring intothe room, which was thereby kept at a most comfortable temperature bothby day and night. _20th October. _--It was a miserable day with rain and snow, so thatwhile the streets, which are wretchedly paved with big blocks of stone, were bad for wheeled traffic, there was not sufficient snow forsleighing. In the morning I went to the Kremlin, which comprises the new and oldImperial palaces, churches, treasury, etc. , all grouped within a loftywall, pierced here and there by gateways, one of which being holy, itbehoves every good Russian to remove his hat on passing through. In thevast courtyard are ranged in long tiers the many hundreds of cannonwhich the Russians took from Napoleon I. It is impossible in this briefdiary to deal with the splendours of the Kremlin. Nothing I have everseen in Europe, Asia, Africa or America, can in any way compare with itssemi-barbaric magnificence. The ball-room in the new palace is of immense size and of most majesticproportions, the walls being entirely of mirrors and gold gilt, and thefloor richly inlaid with many kinds of beautiful woods. Columns built ofmalachite, crystal, and precious stones. Stairways of marble and jade, while countless ornaments of pure gold adorned the various apartments. The old palace, which adjoins the new, is smaller, less magnificent, being of cloister like build, but intensely interesting. Here I saw thebedroom and the bed in which Napoleon slept for a few nights beforeMoscow was laid in ashes by her own inhabitants, and the French invadersdriven out to die like flies in the snow. In the afternoon I visited several beautiful churches, a museum, and anexhibition of Verestchagin’s famous war pictures. On the _21st October_ I returned to the Kremlin and visited itschurches, which are stored with priceless icons, golden vessels, gem-studded crucifixes, and silken vestures stiff with gold and preciousstones. In striking contrast to such wealth, some of the chapels haddirty, uneven brick floors, and were horribly dark. Afterwards I passedthrough the Treasury, until I was weary of looking on diamond-studiedsaddles, bejewelled swords and guns, thrones, crowns, the regalia andcoronation robes of all the Russian Czars, etc. , etc. Altogether thewealth of the Kremlin must represent scores of millions of pounds invalue. The bazaars of Moscow are far-famed, though more so in Asia than inEurope. I passed through the newest and largest. It struck me as beingmore extensive than the Crystal Palace, though not so lofty, and I wastold that it contained under its roof a thousand shops of the bestclass. At 10 p. M. That night I left the hotel in pouring rain and drove to thestation, where I was soon on board the trans-Siberian express, whichstarted at 11 p. M. In my coupé were two Russian Officers and aJapanese--all hurrying eastward in anticipation of a Russo-Japanese war. The most interesting part of my journey now commenced. I was about to gowhere but comparatively few Englishmen have ever been, and to passthrough a region chiefly known to the civilized world as a place ofexile, a place of horror, a dreary wilderness of frost and snow andwind, a place to which the words “ye who enter here must leave all hopebehind” were ever applicable. The greater part of this journey of over5, 000 miles from Moscow to the Far East, which I was about to make in afew days in a _train de luxe_, was, until recently, made by the wretchedexiles on foot, taking from one to two years. _22nd October. _--Passed through flat, uninteresting country. Much wheatcultivated. No trees, no hedges, no ditches and but little grass. Cloudyand depressing. Inhabitants ill-clad and poverty stricken. Miserablehouses with mud or wooden walls and thatch roofs. Some were builtpartly below ground for warmth, while earth heaped up round the wallsand over the roofs, gave them the appearance of enormous potato heaps, having a door, chimney, and two or three windows. Churches were the onlysubstantial buildings. _23rd October. _--Same kind of country as yesterday. In afternoon morehilly on approaching the Ural mountains. Dining-car far too small andhad often to wait hours for meals. General Wogack, a prominent RussianOfficer on his way to the Far East, seeing that I could not get a seat, very kindly invited me to lunch at his table, which had been reservedfor him and his _aide-de-camp_. Both the General and his _aide_ spokeEnglish perfectly. Another passenger was a Chinese Secretary of Legation from Rome, who, not being able to speak anything but his own language, hailed me withdelight, and we had long conversations in Mandarin. Grouped round towns and villages were enormous stack-yards, representingwhat must have been the entire wheat crop of the surrounding country, for I saw no other stacks in the fields. It seemed to me a verydangerous plan, for if one stack caught fire, the others would be almostsure to go too. There may have been as many as a thousand stacks closetogether. I saw numerous turkeys at the farms. _24th October. _--This morning we were in the Ural mountains, and atabout 10 o’clock stopped at Zlataoust, which is the last town in Europe, and where I bought two platinum candlesticks and a small model of asledge as mementoes. Here also much cutlery was for sale at very lowprices, being evidently manufactured in the neighbourhood, whileprecious stones were offered in the rough state, as taken from themines, but it was necessary to be a connoisseur before venturing to buy. At Miasse, the next stopping place and the first station in Asia, sawmany natives clad in skins, with very yellow and Asiatic looking faces, dirty. Here I bought two crystal eggs as paper-weights. In a booth atone end of the platform saw several stuffed specimens of game found inthis neighbourhood. Wapiti, lynx, deer, wolf, fox, etc. Highest pointreached by railway about 3, 000 feet. Many nice views. Ground coveredwith snow. Country very thinly populated. _25th October. _--Lovely day, no snow but sharp frost. Ponds and streamsfrozen and a few people skating. At Omsk saw numbers of Asiatics clad inskins, they were ugly, dirty and many pitted with small-pox. Country waslevel plain, with clumps of silver birch at intervals. Some cultivation, numerous herds of cattle, and a few ponies. Land mostly covered with drygrass about a foot high, like our Norfolk marsh grass. The station atOmsk was on outskirts of town, which looked to be of great size, withmany pretentious buildings. Few inhabitants in country. _26th October. _--This morning passed Obi, a town of considerableimportance. The air was delicious. Snow on ground, with hard frost. Sunbright and warm. Country much nicer--more undulating. Saw men carryingstones for building purposes on a kind of tray with two handles at eachend, as fishermen carry nets. China ponies were numerous here. Women andmen very ugly and dirty. Sledges in use for carrying litter, hay, wood, etc. To many stations the most delicious milk and cream I have evertasted were brought in bottles by women and girls, for sale to thepassengers, and at very cheap rates. Occasionally also, a few pears andapples of fair quality could be purchased, but the amount of fruit grownseemed to be small. _27th October. _--Much warmer, there being a good deal of snow, withbright sun. At about 2 o’clock reached Krasnoiarsk, a considerable town. Shortly after this crossed the river Yenesei on a magnificent ironbridge of several spans. The scenery became very fine in the afternoon, with pleasant hills and trees, all covered with snow. Several Chinaponies in droves. Sledges. More cultivation. At sundown slowly climbinga range of mountains. Saw many houses built underground with roof andentrance just appearing above snow. Country more pleasing than any seensince entering Russia. _28th October. _--Perfect weather--same as yesterday. Country very hillyand beautiful in the snow. Passing up a valley between lofty hills, noticed a corduroy road made of transverse trunks of trees, as seen inCanada. Well built water-towers about 30 feet high at all stations forwatering engines. Country looked more thriving here than in EuropeanRussia. Better houses, and bright skies instead of lowering ones. Silverbirch, pines and firs. At various places en route have seen the oldSiberian Road, of bitter memories. _29th October. _--Lovely morning with sharp frost. Saw many small houseswith only roofs above ground. Many tame pigeons and a few magpies, buthardly any other bird-life. Horses, or rather, ponies, small and poor. Skirted the river Angara for a long distance in early morning. Viewlovely. Water, where not frozen, clear as crystal. Swift current, which, breaking over boulders, showed that there was no great depth. Saw threesmall boys clad in furs fishing through a hole made in the snow-coveredice. At 11 o’clock reached Irkoutsk, but saw very little of it as thestation is two miles out of the town. At about two o’clock arrived atLake Baikal, where we left the train and went on board the ferry boat“Baikal, ” a remarkable craft with four funnels and twenty windsails, three screws aft and one forrard. It was said that she could plough herway through ice two feet thick at eight miles an hour. I judged her tobe about 260 feet long by 50 wide. She has a good saloon whereinrefreshments of all kinds can be obtained. The bows of this vessel, fromabout six feet above the water-line, are wide open, so that as she layat the wharf trains can steam into her hold, the metals on board andthose on shore connecting. She has three lines of metals in the hold, sothat three trains, each of about 240 feet in length, can stand abreast. There were twenty or twenty-one trucks aboard to-day, in three rows ofsix or seven trucks each, but no engines. Most of these trucks wereladen with twenty railway metals each, though three or four of themcarried merchandize. No ice on lake. We cast off at a quarter to three in the afternoon andreached Missovaïa on the other side at 5. 35, a distance of only 40miles, this being the narrowest part of the lake, the length of whichexceeds 300 miles. The water was clear and of a steel-gray colour. Hills of perhaps 2, 000feet lined either shore as far as the eye could reach. Presently thesetting sun lit up the snow on these mountains with every colour of therainbow, and we steamed along, as it were, between walls of flamingbrilliancy. Soon the placid waters took on the colouring as reflectedfrom the hills, and we were indeed moving in a basin of liquid fire. Many seagulls, appearing as quite old Norfolk friends, followed in ourwake. At Missovaïa we found another _train de luxe_ awaiting us, and it washere, from the warmth of a saloon car, that I first saw a batch ofSiberian exiles, although I had previously seen the cars with cagedwindows wherein they are now transported, instead of having to undergothat weary tramp of 4, 000 miles. It was already dark and the train had not yet started, when I saw a bandof armed soldiers surrounding some thirty people carrying bundles, coming along the dimly-lighted platform, and then form up at one end ofit, the people being always surrounded by the soldiers. What hadespecially attracted my attention, or I might not have noticed in theuncertain light of what the band consisted, was a little boy of about 10or 12 years of age, who was carrying a large bundle which looked likeclothing, trying to pass on the wrong side of some palings, when he wasroughly seized by the ear by one of the Cossack guards and quicklybrought back. Wishing to post some letters, I tried to pass along that end of theplatform in search of the pillar-box, but was at once stopped by theguard. The steam from our engine, congealed by the sharp post, fell in afine snow about this luckless band, and glistened white on their clothesin the station lights, and it almost seemed to add an uncalled-forinsult to the misery of their lot. I could not help wondering as to whattheir thoughts might be as they watched our waiting train, replete withevery comfort and blazing with electric light. I have never before seenthe extremes of misery and captivity on the one hand, and the extremesof freedom and luxury on the other, brought into such close and strikingcontrast, and I hope never to see it again. Subsequently the dejectedlooking throng, in which I fancied I saw women, were marched through adoorway into a darkened passage in the station, and so disappeared fromsight. 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 wasconstrained to compare our lots, and be thankful for mine. I, free to gomy way in every comfort. They . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .  ? After crossing the Ural mountains I noticed numbers of magpies, throughin European Russia I also saw a few. _30th October. _--Another beautiful day. In the morning we passedPetrovski Zavod, a place historical in Russian annals as being the penalsettlement of the conspirators who early in the nineteenth century triedto overthrow the ruling dynasty, and where numbers of the Russianaristocracy died in exile. It is now a large village of log houses, withwide, mud streets. Hills surround this spot, so that it could be easilyguarded, and escape made very difficult. A large, black Russian cross, conspicuous on the highest peak, overlooks the valley. It marks theburial place of one of the most noble exiles. The scenery to-day has been very good, having at times a park-likeappearance, with rolling downs and scattered fir trees. In theafternoon we climbed the Nertchinsk mountains, and by dark had reached aconsiderable altitude, the air being very keen. At Khilok station, wherewe stopped for a few minutes, I got out and ran up and down forexercise, but found the cold so great that I was glad to get on boardagain for fear of having my ears frost bitten, they having becomeperfectly numb. Since leaving Irkoutsk the houses have been better built, and thecountry has looked far more pleasing than in European Russia. I sawgreat piles of sleepers stacked alongside the line, and heavy metalslying by the track for many miles, so that the present light rails areapparently to be replaced, but so far, very few men at work. To-day wepassed a waggon-church in a siding at a small village. Thiswaggon-church moves about up and down the line to places where there areno churches, and there it is stopped, and mass said for the inhabitantsby a Russian priest. A few fat-tailed sheep were also seen. These animals have enormous tailsof solid fat, about as large, and of much the same shape, as a smallham. During winter when the frozen ground is covered with snow and nopasturage is to be found, it is said that they live on the fat stored inthese tails, in the same manner as camels exist for considerable periodson their humps, seals on their blubber, and bears by sucking their paws. Here and there I observed mobs of China ponies, some nondescript dogsand a few ordinary-looking cattle. Between Lake Baikal and Manchuria all food was much dearer, while onlyAmerican beer could be obtained and that at the exorbitant price of onerouble and a quarter, say half-a-crown, the bottle, which was because ofexcessive import duty. We crossed many streams, the waters of which wereclear, although generally frozen. The Buriat population of this regionlooked of a low type, fairly large in stature but hideous, and generallybadly marked with small-pox. Saw one boy on skates. Bought postagestamps for 40 kopeks at a small station, but had to give another 10kopeks 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 ata good pace, having two engines, one in front and one behind. Were nowin country of the nomad Bactrians. No cultivation. Saw mobs of poniesand flocks of black and white sheep, cattle much resembling Scotchbreeds, having long, thick hair, and a good many two-humped camels. Observed one man shooting with a gun, another riding with bow and arrowsslung on his back. The houses, or wigwams, were square in shape witharching roofs, and looked to be constructed of wicker-work and skins. Inmany places noticed irregular, flat stones set up on edge and varying inheight from three to six feet, forming circles about twenty feet indiameter, in which, presumably, were graves. At Buriatskaia, which means capital of the Buriats, were two typicalMongols with pigtails and clad in skins. One of them was wearing anofficial tassel attached to his skin hood, but no official button toshow his rank. To-day saw a flock of larks, a hawk and a magpie. Fromdaylight till dark, during which time we travelled a distance of perhaps300 miles, there was no vestige of either trees, shrubs, banks orhedges, and no cultivation, only the rolling grass lands slightlywhitened with snow. Reached the town of Manchuria, which is on theManchurian frontier, at 8 p. M. , and changed one of the 1st Class cars, something having gone wrong with the axles. _1st November. _--A bright morning, but more snow on ground and not socold. Saw many Mongols and Chinese. The country was hilly and sparselywooded with silver birch and bushes. At Irekte the Russians have quite acolony, and the line apparently has a branch running South. From Irekteto Boukhédou, a distance of about 25 miles, the line passed over somevery steep hills. Two engines to haul us up, and coming down the descentwas made in gradients, the train first running a mile or so one way, then stopping, when the engines were shunted to the other end, when weran about a mile in the opposite direction, and so on, so that wedescribed a perfect zigzag. A tunnel through this range of hills isbeing bored, and a colony of 150 Italian mechanics, together with theirwives, has been imported to do it. Boukhédou is already quite a largeplace with numbers of substantial Russian houses built of wood, and manymore, as well as a station, in course of construction. Sentries armedwith rifle and revolver were stationed every here and there along theline. A fair amount of rolling-stock. Saw several long-haired goats, also some Chinese pedlars. Evidently a good deal of ground game in thislocality, judging from traces in the snow. _2nd November. _--We arrived at Harbin (or Kharbine) towards noon. Icould see tall factory chimneys for some time previously, and then wecrossed by a fine iron bridge over the Sungari River, whereon I sawabout a dozen river-steamers, of say 1, 000 to 1, 500 tons, laid up forthe winter, and a score or so of barges of perhaps 400 to 600 tons. Alarge paddle steamer was towing a barge under the bridge against theswift current as we passed over. This large town, which has entirely sprung up since advent of therailway, looked almost wholly Russian, there being a population of about64, 000 Russians and not so many Chinese. Russians here were even workingas labourers, drivers of droskies, etc. Many European houses and severallarge brick-built factories in course of construction. The Russians arehere with the intention of staying, and are making good their hold asquickly as possible. The station is perhaps a mile from the river and of considerable size, though still in a rough stage, for Harbin is the junction of the line toVladivostock and the line to Dalny and Port Arthur. Here was a greatdeal of rolling-stock--scores of cars and many engines. After leaving Harbin armed guards along the line were more numerous, while every few miles were brick-built block-houses surrounded byloop-holed walls. The country looked fertile and well cultivated, and the Manchu andChinese inhabitants more prosperous. Rolling hills and a few trees. Much warmer. No snow. _3rd November. _--Lovely day, bright and warm. No trace of snow. At Tienline saw some rickshas, also good, brick European housesbeing built. Chinese navvies working on the line, a good deal ofrolling-stock, and truck-loads of superior looking bricks. Chinesewere _wheeling_ barrow-loads of mud instead of, as is usual, carrying it in baskets, owing, probably, to Muscovite persuasion. Country looked rich, well cultivated and well peopled; the women, being nearly all Manchus, having large feet. Chinese carpenters, bricklayers and joiners at work on many new stations and houses. Pigs, cattle and fowls. Few birds. Thinly wooded. A pleasantlooking country. Donkeys, ponies, goats and mules. At Moukden, which is the capital of Manchuria, the train only stoppedfor a few minutes, and as the station was outside the city walls, Icould get no idea of what the place was like. From Moukden to Dalny Isaw many and substantial traces of Russian occupation. At one point amud fort crowned with guns, at another a large camp with half a dozenfield-pieces, and so on. The line all through seemed to be well laid, though rails far too light, which forbade running at high speeds. There appeared to be too fewsidings. On one of the cars I saw the number 2, 741, which may be someindication as to the amount of rolling-stock. Along entire length of theline I noticed overhead telegraph wires, which sometimes numbered six orseven and occasionally two or three. For the whole journey the food on train was good, but owing to the largenumber of passengers, after giving the order one had oftentimes to waitfrom an hour to an hour and a half before getting served. After Baikalthis considerably improved, there then being two restaurants, one forsmokers and one for non-smokers, whereas before, men smoked withoutrestraint while women and children were eating their meals. Thisdining-car was a perfect babel of tongues, for there were collectedRussians, English, French, Japanese, Germans, Swiss, Chinese andItalians, generally all talking at once. On the whole we rubbed along fairly well, although where so manynationalities were closely packed together for a fortnight, a certainamount of racial antipathy was occasionally bound to appear. When noRussians were about both the Japanese and Chinese would eagerly questionme on the chances of war. When a Russian appeared, they immediatelyseemed to lose all interest in the subject. The Germans affected todespise the Russians, and the Russians said they hated the Germans, while they both suspected the English. _4th November. _--We reached Dalny at 7 a. M. , and I drove in a droskifrom the station to the wharves, a distance of perhaps one mile and ahalf, and there went on board the Railway Company’s steamer “Amour”which was to convey us to Shanghai. It is truly wonderful to what alarge European town Dalny has grown from absolutely nothing, in aboutfive years. Good private residences, factories, hotels, shops, publicbuildings, the beginnings of botanical and zoological gardens, a drydock measuring, I judged, about 350 feet by 70, wharves, breakwaters, dredgers, tugs, steamers . .. Everything except the one thing needful, trade. Of the half-dozen fine steamers in port, and others eitherarriving or preparing to depart, all were practically light. Money hasbeen poured out like water by the Russians in constructing the Railwayand in building Dalny, and it is very doubtful if this giganticenterprise will ever be made to pay. It is said that Dalny, which isidentical with Talienwan, can never thrive unless Newchwang be closed toforeign trade. The harbour has a depth of 28 feet and is being dredged. The Railway Company’s line of superb steamers carrying mails, passengersand a little cargo between Dalny and Shanghai, is being run at a heavyloss. The naval fortress of Port Arthur, at the extremity of theLiaotung peninsular, is thirty miles by rail from Dalny. The impression left on me by my journey through Siberia is that Russiahas advanced her outposts into Manchuria far beyond range of effectivecommunication, that is, communication by the Siberian railway alone, which is only a single line of light metals some 5, 375 miles in length. Travelling over this line day and night for fourteen consecutive days, passing continuously through bleak, barren and almost unpopulatedregions, crossing numerous wide rivers, an enormous lake and severalmountain ranges, waiting sometimes for hours in sidings to allowhomeward bound trains to pass, and seeing enough snow, even beforewinter had actually begun, to understand what difficulties heavy fallsmust occasion, I cannot help feeling that Russia’s position in the FarEast is unnatural and even precarious. The railway in its entirety is flimsy and liable to collapse almosteverywhere, and I am certain it could never sustain a large volume ofrapid traffic. Even, however, supposing that it did not break down, butwas worked successfully to its utmost capacity, what would that capacitybe--the capacity of a single light line of over 5, 000 miles in length?Could a town of 100, 000 inhabitants rely _solely_ on it for supplies?Can a Russian army of even 100, 000 men rely on it? The S. S. “Amour” cast off from her wharf at noon on 4th November, andafter a quick and calm passage arrived in Shanghai at noon on 6thNovember, 1903. This fine vessel, measuring about 2, 000 tons, steaming 14 knots, fittedup with every comfort and kept scrupulously clean, was commanded byRussian officers and manned by a mixed crew of Russian and Chinesesailors. Since the outbreak of hostilities, however, she has beentransformed into a hospital ship at Port-Arthur. Approximate Cost of Journey _£ s. D. _ Passport viséd at Russian Consulate in London 4 10 Ticket from London to Moscow, 1st Class 14 4 9 Freight and Insurance on heavy luggage from London to Shanghai by P. & O. Steamer 4 0 0 Cab hire at Warsaw and Moscow 1 0 0 Ticket from Moscow to Shanghai 34 10 0 Maintenance _en route_ (including hotels) for 22 days at ten shillings a day 11 0 0 Sundries 5 0 0 --------- Total from London to Shanghai 69 19 7 ========= Length of Journey _Miles_ From London to Moscow about 1, 600 ” Moscow to Dalny ” 5, 375 ” Dalny to Shanghai (by sea) ” 550 ----- Total distance from London to Shanghai 7, 525 ===== Time Occupied _Days_ _hours_ From 10 a. M. On 15th October to noon on 6th November, 1903 22 2 Less 3 days 19 hours stay at Warsaw and Moscow 3 19 --------- Time spent in actual travelling 18 7 ========= The rate of travelling was therefore rather morethan seventeen miles an hour, inclusive of all stoppagesand delays. Between Moscow and Dalny the train stopped at 151 stations, therebylosing almost 37 hours. The rouble is equivalent to about two shillings and a penny. There are100 kopeks to the rouble. German is the most useful foreign language for travelling in Russia. [Illustration] FINIS SECOND EDITION. “Life and Sport in China. ” (ILLUSTRATED. ) BY OLIVER G. READY, B. A. PRESS COMMENTS. _Times_--“A bright popular account of Anglo-Chinese life, and of the characteristics and customs of the Chinese. ” _Spectator_--“A very bright contribution to the aspect of animal nature and domestication in the Far East. Is full of keen observation, and lightened by a very pleasant sense of humour. ” (Topics of the day). _Standard_--“Of life in China the author has much to tell us. He is a keen and often sympathetic observer. ” (Leading article). _Yorkshire Post_--“This book is ‘alive’ and interesting, and far in advance of the ordinary record of travel. ” _Scotsman_--“Entertaining and fair-minded. ” _Glasgow Herald_--“Certain to excite the interest and the envy of young men at home. ” _Birmingham Gazette_--“One of the Books of the Day. Is pleasantly written, immensely entertaining, and full of information. ” _Dundee Advertiser_--“The chapters on Shooting, Riding and Sailing will prove specially interesting to sportsmen and athletes. ” (Chapman and Hall, London, 10s. 6d. Net). ERRATA This type was set up by Chinese compositors. _Second_ proofs contained 268 errors! Page 11 for hehind read behind ” 14 ” cheep read cheap ” 18 ” exhorbitant read exorbitant ” 21 ” navies read navvies Transcriber’s Note: The items mentioned in the errata have been changed, along with the following: Page 7 general inpression general impression to strangers, to strangers. Page 10 gem-studied gem-studded Page 15 length of whch length of which 300 miles 300 miles. Page 16 in the the station in the station Page 17 Petrovski zavod Petrovski Zavod conspiritors conspirators Page 19 clad in skins clad in skins. Page 20 and Chinese and Chinese. Page 21 chimnies chimneys we passed over we passed over. trace of show trace of snow Page 22 Few birds Few birds. Page 24 even precarious, even precarious. Page 25 P & O. Steamer P. & O. Steamer