CHAP. xxi. KUYA. 263 



articles de luxe, which his soul lasted after ; so the steamer 

 was ordered to Kuya, and we gladly accepted berths in her. 

 On the way we met one of the rafts coming down from 

 Kuya. We drove on to Mekitza to visit the prahms ; queer- 

 looking vessels, something like canal boats, carrying a 

 gigantic mast in the centre, and an arched roof above. 

 They come down every summer from Cherdin, near Perm. 

 Each vessel is a shop, where miscellaneous merchandise is 

 sold or bartered, and the owners are sometimes very wealthy 

 men. The goods fetch high prices on board. We paid 

 elevenpence for sugar per pound, and six shillings for tea. 

 The merchant from whom we bought our provisions was 

 reputed to be worth a million sterling. Nor was it extra- 

 ordinary, considering the amount of traffic he managed to 

 secure. He had come down to Mekitza with three prahms, 

 had cleared the cargo of two, and sold the vessels ; very few 

 goods now remained in the one in which he intended to 

 make his journey homeward. In the villages the prices 

 were much lower than those asked on the prahins. Thus 

 we paid only l%d. per Ib. for excellent fresh beef. 



At Kuya several timber-rafts passed us, proceeding to 

 Alexievka ; these we waylaid. They were carrying a batch 

 of letters for us, up to June 7th. Having secured this 

 welcome trophy, we set our faces towards our head-quarters. 



The five versts between Kuya to Mekitza and back we 

 travelled in a " rosposki," a machine composed of four wheels, 

 about two feet in diameter, the axle-trees of which are 

 connected by three parallel poles, upon which we sat. This 

 vehicle is, without exception, the most uncomfortable carriage 



