132 FORESTRY IN EASTERN RUSSIA. 



wood-cutter does not turn out a bigger rascal than all the 

 rest, and fail to carry out your verbal agreement, or goes 

 and sells your wood to some one else ; and you are always 

 at his mercy, as he always has his money beforehand, 

 otherwise he won't undertake the work. 



' Perhaps you will say, Why be drawn into this corrupt 

 and disreputable way of doing business ? There is no other 

 way of obtaining timber, and you must either do in Rome 

 as the Romans do in these matters, or shut up shop and 

 clear out altogether. There is indeed another way, worse 

 still, which many follow, and have to do so, who have no 

 right to timber. There are a gang of men called forest 

 robbers, or wood stealers ; they will supply you with a 

 limited quantity at their own risk till they get it on your 

 premises in the night time ; but as it is without the Govern- 

 ment stamp, which all timber ought to have before it is 

 allowed to pass the sentinels who should be on the watch 

 night and day on every road leading out of the forests, you 

 have got to account to the authorities as to how it came 

 into your possession without permission, if it be discovered 

 there ; when nothing releases you from criminal prosecution 

 except paying black mail again. 



' You must know that each town, and village, and zavod 

 there on the Ural, has forests for the sole use of the 

 peasantry, for the building of their houses, the heating of 

 their dwellings, &c., and these forests are under the care 

 of the town authorities and the village communes, and 

 the head of each family is apportioned off a lot as it is 

 decided upon at their meetings. I can relate you another 

 anecdote illustrative of this. There is a party who had 

 his papers all in order, and had the right to his yearly 

 quantum of timber and firewood. There came a wood- 

 cutter to him, who said he had timbers to dispose of that 

 were legally his, cut down from their own woods to build 

 himself a house with j but that he could not go 011 with 

 this. Well, the bargain is struck, and the timber is 

 delivered ; but it turns out to be fresh cut, and without 

 the. necessary brand ! 



