Identifier: boytravellersinr00knox (find matches)
Title: The boy travellers in the Russian empire: adventures of two youths in a journey in European and Asiatic Russia, with accounts of a tour across Siberia..
Year: 1886 (1880s)
Authors: Knox, Thomas Wallace, 1835-1896
Subjects: Soviet Union -- Description and travel Siberia (Russia)
Publisher: New York : Harper & brothers
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
es to break the force of liorses running against thesleigh from behind. The driver of tlie vashok sits on a seat much like that of an ordinarycarriage, while on the kibitka he is seated on the boxed front, with his feethanging over the side. The position is one that requires constant vigi-lance to prevent falling off. The driver of a vashok miglit possibly sleepa little wdthout danger, but not so the driver of a kibitka. My kibitka was made in European Russia, and was said to have trav- STARTING ON A LONG SLEIGH-RIDE. 365> elled six thousand miles before I owned it. In my possession it went tliir-ty-six hundred miles, and was certainly good for several thousand more.In the whole ride it cost me about five dollars for repairs, principally tothe shafts and fenders. I gave eighty roubles for the sleigh in Irkutsk,and sold it at Nijni Novgorod for ten. The day of my departure was spent in making farewell calls and get-ting the baggage in readiness. A Kussian gentleman was to accompany
Text Appearing After Image:
FAKEWKLL TO IRKUTSK. me in my sleigh; two ladies, mother and daughter, were to be in another;and two servants of the ladies, a man and a maid, were to be in a third.The ladies lived in Irkutsk, and we were to dine at their house and startfrom it. At the appointed time we went there. There was a gay party at the dinner, and when it was over the start-ing signal was given. All j)resent seated themselves around the parlor,and a few moments were given to silent prayer, the travellers asking, andthe others wishing for them, a safe journey. On rising, all who professedthe religion of the Eastern Church made the sign of the cross before theikon., or holy picture, and bowed towards it. Every true Eussian scrupu- 366 THE BOY TRAVELLERS IN THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE. lonsly observes this ceremony before starting on a journey, whether byland or water. The Angara sweeps gracefully around two sides of Irkutsk, andraany of the houses are on the bank. There is a swinging ferry to con-nect the opposite shore

Note About Images