48o HOMEWARD BOUND 



European ideas behind, and are, to all intents and 

 purposes, among Asiatics in Asia. The Mongols are at 

 home there, but you are a foreigner. The late Emperor, 

 no doubt, did much to de-Tatarise his vast realm, and, 

 from what I can learn, with sure, if comparatively slow, 

 results. I am told that the most European town in all 

 the Russias is Irkutsk. Some day, doubtless, this city 

 will be a second New York, the capital of an Asiatic 

 United States, a free Siberia from the Ural to the Pacific. 

 This change will probably not be brought about by 

 revolution. The Russian is too law-loving a man to 

 try and free himself by force from the mother country. 

 He will trust to the accidents of diplomacy. Siberia will 

 some day be free. Every Siberian imbibes the notion of 

 freedom with his mother's milk. Though born in Russia, 

 or the child of Russian parents, he repudiates his nation- 

 ality, calls himself a Siberiak, and is proud of his country. 

 He looks down upon the Russian as the Yankee scorns 

 the Britisher. 



We left Perm on the morning of the 1 6th of September ; 

 a strong sou'-wester blowing, which during the afternoon 

 ended in a deluge of rain. A day later on the road we 

 and all our goods would most likely have been drenched 

 throusfh. From the river we did not see much of the 

 town ; the banks were steep, and we only saw that part 

 built in the valleys which came down to the water's edge. 

 At a distance the lower valley seemed to be full of public 

 buildings, and the upper one of factories. 



We had heavy gales and showers all the next day. 

 Only at intervals could we enjoy a walk on deck. The 

 banks of the Kama are hilly and well wooded, and the 

 trees were in all the brilliancy of their autumnal tints. I 

 have only seen in America any hue approaching the 

 chrome-yellows of the birches, or the fire-red of the 



