328 The University of California A/agazifie. 



ization of the arrangements bespeaks a prospect of a pleasant 

 journey. 



The Volga is here a large river, but hardly impresses one as 

 so great as the largest river in Europe should be. It is, per- 

 haps, half a mile wide, but not uniformly deep, and in many 

 places is cut up by sand banks into many channels. The 

 water is dirty brown, not muddy, but discolored and runs at a 

 goodly rate. There is much traffic on its surface — huge barges 

 towed up and down by paddle-wheeled steamers, large pas- 

 senger steamers, smaller sailing craft, and lastly, huge rafts of 

 timber flitted out for the long journey they make with little 

 houses, and provided v^•ith huge rudders to guide them in the 

 winding channel. On the whole, Central Russia makes a pleas- 

 ant impression on the passer-by. A purely agricultural coun- 

 try and seemingly not very thickly inhabited, it seems to be 

 fairly fertile, and gives a fair return to the peasant labor. 

 These are a rather poor and stupid looking lot on the whole, but 

 seem happy and not discontented. Their raiment is poor, often 

 ragged, but whether this is due to poverty, I do not know. 

 Coarse features are the rule, and short, stout figures. The 

 hair, red or black — often in heavy beards, and the head 

 crowned with a heavy mop, falling to the same length all 

 around with curious effect. 



When we left the supper station last evening, we Ameri- 

 cans got together and gave them three times three Rahs! and a 

 "Rossia" on the end. The huge crowd of Monjiks who had 

 gathered to see us eat and depart seemed pleased and amused, 

 and as our train pulled out, returned our cheer with interest 

 though not in concert, their cry being apparently much like our 

 Hurrah! It was pleasantly done and well meant. 



Wia20vayah, AugJist 7, iSpy. 



You don't know what a curious feeling of unreality there 

 was about receiving your letter last night in this so out of the 

 way corner of the world. Here we are in the midst of the 

 Urals, seemingly cut off entirely from civilization, for none of us 

 have heard a word of what is going on outside of our train since 



