GENERAL 150LDYREFF 25 



largely imported, especially in time of famine. Trees 

 were to be seen here and there, mostly birch, but 

 hardly close enough to form woods. In fact, it may 

 be said that the whole tract of land between the 

 Ural Mountains and the Ob is practically bare. 

 The exceedingly slow pace at which we advanced 

 was most trying. In confirmation of this statement 

 I may refer to a lively scene of which we were 

 witnesses. The train on quitting a station had left 

 behind some of the passengers, who had gone out 

 into the fields to pick flowers. At the next station, 

 where we halted a long time, we saw our wretched 

 fellow-travellers who had been dropped running 

 breathless along the line, and eventually overtaking 

 the train with frantic yells and waving of caps. 



On the 28th of May we reached the Ob River, 

 and were heartily greeted by General Lomatchevsky, 

 Governor of Tomsk, to whom I had sent a letter 

 of introduction, and General Boldyreff, chief of the 

 Altai district, whose headquarters were at Barnaoul, 

 and who received us in a most hospitable manner. 

 These gentlemen informed us that we should find 

 it a very difficult job to follow the Tchouia Valley 

 up to Kosh-Agatch, especially with ladies, the path 

 being in places exceedingly narrow. No repre- 

 sentatives of the female sex had ever tried it, save 



