LAND TENURE 73 



gold crowns before being placed upon them. The bible 

 and the crucifix were kissed. A silver cup of wine was 

 quaffed by the plighted pair, each drinking from it 

 alternately. Censers of incense were swung. The 

 priest, the happy couple, and the assistants bowed and 

 crossed themselves continually, and between each part of 

 the ceremony prayers were offered. 



We were not very successful in our attempts to 

 obtain accurate information as to the tenure of land. It 

 was sometimes difficult to reconcile conflicting statements. 

 Most of our informants, however, agreed that they or 

 their ancestors were formerly serfs of the Crown, that 

 after their emancipation the land remained the property 

 of the Crown, and was leased to the village or commune 

 at a nominal rent. The affairs of the commune are 

 managed by a parliament or town council, composed 

 of every householder, electing a mayor or starrosta 

 (literally, oldest man), whose term of office is three 

 years, and who is responsible to the Government for the 

 rent or taxes payable by the commune. Every three 

 years a redistribution of land takes place, the arable land 

 being divided amongst the householders in lots propor- 

 tionate to the number of individuals living in each house. 

 Five hundred roubles will build a handsome habitation 

 in Ust-Zylma. We were informed that every peasant 

 was annually entitled to a fixed number of cubic yards of 

 firewood without charge, and to a limited number of balks 

 of good building timber, which he was free to sell if he 

 did not require to use it. 



The near approach of summer was the signal for 

 unusual exertions on the part of the peasants. Pro- 

 crastination seems to be a Russian national vice. Now, 

 when the horses were nearly worn out by long feeding 

 upon bad hay, and when the roads were very heavy by 



