396 FROM NORTH POLE TO EQUATOR. 



like princes, simply on account of our scientific mission. Words 

 fail me to express our gratitude with adequate warmth. Beyond 

 Tiumen, in which we stayed three days, inspecting the prisons of 

 the exiles, the tanneries, and other sights of this first Siberian town, 

 the peasants showed us their mastery even of the rivers. For 

 the approaching spring had melted the ice on the Pyshma and the 

 blocks had begun to move; we, however, had to get across before 

 this happened. At the village of Romanoffskoye the inhabitants 

 with bared heads stood waiting for us on the bank of the Pyshma, 

 and even the river had to wait before it was permitted to shake off 

 its icy bonds. Boldly and cleverly the peasants had thrown a 

 makeshift, bridge across the half -melted stream, using a large boat 

 as a centre pier, above and around which they had fettered the 

 treacherous ice with strong hawsers and ropes. Willing hands un- 

 yoked the team of five required for our day's journey, seized spokes 

 and axles, and bore one wagon after another across the yielding 

 bridge, which groaned and creaked under its burden. The task was 

 safely accomplished, and on we went merrily through water and 

 snow, mud and mire, over log-roads and ice. 



The Tobol, which we wished to cross on Good Friday, the 14th 

 April, the first day of true spring, was less accommodating. Here 

 also all requisite arrangements had been made to secure our passage: 

 one of the wagons was unyoked and rolled on to the ice, but this 

 suddenly cracked and split, and forced a hasty retreat. The bells 

 on the cross-trees had tinkled merrily when we left YalutorofFsk ; 

 they sounded sadly as we drove back again, and it was not till 

 Easter-day that we were able to cross the great river with the help 

 of a ferry-boat. 



So we continued on our way. Before and behind us the rivers 

 threw off the yoke of winter; only the dreaded Irtish lay still 

 hard-bound and secure under our feet, and thus, after more than a 

 month's journey without further adventure, we reached Omsk, the 

 capital of Western Siberia. 



After we had seen what was to be seen in Omsk, the streets 

 and the houses, the military academy, the museum, the hospital, 

 the military prison, and so on, we continued our journey toward 



