CHAPTER V. 



THE FALLS OF KEEWASH. 



I AM indebted greatly to the Forst-Meister in charge at 

 Vosnisenya. and not less so to the Forst-Meister in charge 

 at Petrozavodsk, and to the Oberforst-Meister Giinther, 

 whom I met on my return voyage. Desirous of seeing 

 something of the forests beyond, with the advice of the 

 Forst-Meister in charge, and accompanied by his brother, 

 also a forest official, I proceeded from Petrozavodsk to the 

 Falls of Keewash, which took me through some stretches of 

 old forest, as well as extensive stretches of forests in a state 

 of rejuvenescence, and land which, reclaimed from the 

 forests, had been devoted to agriculture. The latter showed a 

 fertility which justifies those who, though lamenting the 

 inconsiderate destruction of wood, tell that the forests are 

 not to last for ever, and that even the destruction of them 

 may be made the means of promoting the advancement of 

 a country. My excursions into the forests took me 

 over well nigh a hundred miles, and were deemed sufficient 

 to give me a general idea of the condition of those existing 

 in the district. The road which we took brought us in 

 sight of some beautiful lakes, sprinkled with beautiful 

 islets, generally wooded to the water's edge. 



I had here an opportunity of seeing one of the Objest- 

 chicks, or Forest Circuit Wardens, in his home. This was 

 anything but a palace. It consisted of but a single apart- 

 ment, with a projection I cannot call it a verandah 

 extending the whole breadth of the house, and some ten 

 feet deep. My fellow traveller and I arrived at midnight, 

 and the -wife was immediately in attendance to make 

 arrangements for our comfort. In this verandah were all 



