A|SUMMER ON THE YENESEI 101 



like bacchantes. Miss Czaplicka approached the most 

 violent of them, who happened to be Protyvik's 

 mother-in-law, and snapped the capsule in her face. 

 The effect was instantaneous. The woman immediately 

 dropped to the ground in convulsions. I really thought 

 that, with the best of intentions, we had killed her, and 

 so did her companions, who began to lament more 

 loudly than ever. Miss Czaplicka, however, directed 

 them to put her to bed, and by the following morning 

 there was not much the matter with her. As we 

 returned to the house, we met Mrs. Michael Prokopchuk 

 herself, very intoxicated ; and, saddest sight of all, on 

 the doorstep, crawling on all fours like a beast, was her 

 four-year-old child, quite bemused with vodka. The 

 sight made me feel glad that I had refused to go down 

 the river with the family. 



Each time that a steamer arrived, Golchika was the 

 scene of similar orgies, but it is only fair to say that 

 it was never so bad as when Kutcherenkoff passed by. 

 The fault lies not so much with the people, who indeed 

 have such a desperate fight with the climate and con- 

 ditions that it is hardly surprising that they should 

 take their rare pleasures in excess. The blame should 

 rather rest on those who, under the pretext of con- 

 trolling it, actually encourage the traffic in alcohol. It 

 is true that the Government have tried to make certain 

 restrictions in the sale of drink on the Yenesei ; but 

 these laws are more honoured in the breach than in 

 the observance, and are easily evaded.^ For instance, 



^ The above was written before tbe recent action of the Russian 

 Government with regard to the sale of alcohol. 



