JOURNEY FROM ST. PETERSBURG. 29 



As for the beautiful alley, it has not escaped the ruthless 

 hand of man, for over the whole extent of a large farm, 

 many versts along the high road, not a single one of the 

 noble trees remains.' 



Of the journey from Ufa to Bogoyavlensk a lady 

 of the party wrote to me: 'The journey from Ufa to 

 Bogoyavlensk was made in two tarantasses, to each of 

 which were harnessed three horses abreast. It is pretty 

 hilly, and the roads very good. The first village that we 

 stayed at was a Mahommedan one rather strange-looking 

 people the Tartars are, especially the women. Bogoyav- 

 lensk is an exceedingly pretty place. Eddie and I often 

 made little tours together on horseback. The village 

 seems to be built on a plain surrounded by hills ; the 

 latter have vast forests on them, stretching for miles on 

 miles. The river Usolka flows along by the side of the 

 village. About four versts from Uncle Edward's place are 

 the salt springs : to go to these salt springs used to be our 

 favourite drive, the road being so good and the scenery so 

 lovely. We picked up a great deal of ore from the ground. 

 About eighty versts from this place is the village of Ver- 

 gator. My brother and I went there ; and though I had 

 heard much to the disparagement of the scenery there, it 

 pleased me just as much as that at Usolka. The village 

 at Vergator is, perhaps, not quite so prettily situated, but 

 the hills are just as high and the forests just as dense as 

 at the other place. I remarked a great many very beau- 

 tiful willows on our way I have never seen such splendid 

 willow trees as those. At Vergator once, my uncle, my 

 brother, and I went out on horseback, the children accom- 

 panying us in wagons, for a picnic. We went up to the 

 top of one of the highest hills, where we had the samovar 

 and tea. Below us on one side was a splendid forest, on 

 the other side were stretched different fields of corn, oats, 

 and barley. Between these fields and another forest were 

 two or three streams winding in and out ; I cannot 

 describe it properly ; but it was simply beautiful.' 



