NIKOLAIEVSK 



275 



dirty houses. The same two great rival firms as at 

 Vladivostok and Blagovestchensk stand opposite each 

 other, as if ready for combat, and the population 

 presented a similar aspect of a mixture of various 

 nationalities ; white summer caps of Russian officials 



THE MAIN STREET, NIKOLAIEVSK. 



could be seen amongst the predominating masses 

 of Chinese coolies, Japanese fishermen, or native 

 Giliaks. Here also strolled numerous ex-convicts, 

 mostly Caucasians who had *' done time " on " The 

 Island," and the most enterprising of whom had started 

 different trades. One of the buildings appeared to 

 us to surpass the others by its comparatively better 



