42 A SHOOTING TRIP TO KAMCHATKA 



unless heavy rain falls in the mountains. It is incon- 

 ceivable to my mind how the constructors of the 

 Transbaikal Railway' did not take into consideration 

 this important item, which at times entirely stopped 

 traffic and caused no slight delay in the conveyance of 

 Russian troops during the Boxer War. The line ought 

 to have been continued to Pokrovskoie, at the junction 

 of the Shilka and Amur rivers, some three hundred 

 versts beyond Stretensk, and the pcrckats or 

 shallows would have been avoided. As it was, the 

 steamer which we intended to take (of the Amur 

 Navigation Co.) had not turned up, and we found 

 ourselves at Stretensk for an unlimited length of time, 

 and with the disagreeable prospect of missing our 

 steamer at Vladivostok. A Government steamboat, 

 the Aiuiir, had been placed at M. Isvolsky's disposal, 

 and it was entirely owing to his obliging behaviour 

 that we were able to continue our journey. He 

 spared us a cabin on board, though there was but 

 little accommodation for himself and family. A small 

 launch, the Sniigari, which was to accompany the 

 minister in case of need, took on board Messrs. 

 Littledale and Tallent. 



We left Stretensk that same day at five [).m., lucky 

 to get off An hour later the dismal sound of our 

 keel L>Tatino" over g-ravel indicated that we had run 



