286 TURUKANSK AND THE WAY THITHER 



fortunately, Captain Wiggins fell into the trap, and made 

 matters ten times worse by hoisting the Union Jack. 

 The Zessedatel of Turukansk was naturally astounded 

 at such extraordinary proceedings, and from excess of 

 zeal impounded the goods and refused horses to the 

 travellers. After a desperate quarrel, nearly ending in 

 bloodshed, in which the Blagachina and the Postmaster 

 conspired against the Zessedatel, the travellers proceeded 

 to Yeneseisk, leaving the goods behind them. The 

 Zessedatel had other enemies. Two of the principal 

 merchants of the Lower Yenesei, who shall be nameless 

 — I call them the arch-robbers of the Yenesei — ^joined 

 the conspiracy. The Zessedatel was too honest; he 

 would not accept the bribes which these worthies pressed 

 upon him in order to blind his eyes to their nefarious and 

 illecral practices. The upshot of it all was, that when 

 Captain Wiggins and Schwanenberg passed through 

 Krasnoyarsk they were able to bring so much pressure 

 to bear upon the good-natured Governor that the Zesse- 

 datel of Turukansk was removed from his office, and 

 when we arrived at this Ultima Thule we found that a 

 new Zessedatel reigned in his place. This gendeman 

 had received orders from head-quarters to assist Captain 

 Wio-gins to the utmost of his power, and had also been 

 advised of my intended visit. The Cossack who escorted 

 us for the last two hundred versts had strict orders to 

 bring us to the Zessedatel's house, and we were imme- 

 diately installed as his guests. He placed his dining- 

 room at our disposal, and we occupied the two sofas in it 

 at night. We tried hard to avoid trespassing upon his 

 hospitality, but he would take no refusal. 



Turukansk is a very poor place, built on an island. 

 It may possibly consist of forty to fifty houses. Most of 

 these are old, and the whole place bears an aspect of 



