BAD ROADS 41 



places our wheels were hidden from view, and it 

 required much persuasion on the part of our driver 

 to make the wretched ponies struggle through. The 

 villages struck me by their size, and the inhabitants 

 seemed fairly well off. 



Most of the peasants here are descendants of 

 Russian colonists who had emigrated and acquired 

 a certain prosperity, owing to a liberal allotment 

 of ground such as is unknown in European Russia. 

 Their ways and manners are entirely different from 

 those of the peasants in Central Russia. Here one 

 observes a stronger spirit of independence and sense 

 of personal freedom. Labour and intelligence are 

 the striking features ; common people do not kneel 

 down before officials or noblemen, but consider it 

 more natural to shake hands. Carefully tended 

 education, and residence at a distance from all- 

 centralising authorities have done more to civilise 

 the country than any efforts on the part of the 

 Government. Further colonisation, however, of 

 these parts has been stopped, and emigrants from 

 Russia are now being directed eastwards, where 

 large tracts of land still await human hands and 

 cultivation. Another reason for the welfare of the 

 country is, I believe, the absence of common 

 property which exists in most parts of European 



