ARCHANGEL 15 



and bieloye po krasnomou* with billiard-balls large 

 enough for Hercules to have played with. Archangel, 

 the white city, must have been christened in winter. 

 Most of the houses are painted white, the streets were 

 white, the Dvina was white, and as far as the eye could 

 reach the whole country was white. The principal street, 

 the Troitski Prospekt, is a long straight road flanked with 

 low houses, separated by gardens. All the houses are 

 constructed of wood, except in the centre of the town, 

 where many of them are of plastered bricks. The popula- 

 tion is said to be from fifteen to seventeen thousand in 

 winter, increasing in summer to about half as many more. 

 Archangel seems to be declining in importance as a 

 commercial centre, doubtless in consequence of its isola- 

 tion from the railway system of Russia. The number of 

 large firms does not increase, and there are now only 

 three export houses of importance. The chances of 

 commercial success are consequently small, and most of 

 the young men who can afford it leave the city. The 

 cost of living is small. House-rent is very cheap, and 

 provisions equally so. For example, the best joints of 

 beef can be bought in winter for 3^. per lb., in summer at 

 $\d. White bread costs ^\d. per lb., but brown bread 

 can be had for \d. Butter is j^d. per lb. Milk (un- 

 skimmed) \d. per quart, and cream $\d. per pint. Game is 

 ridiculously cheap, capercailzie being j^d. each in autumn 

 and is. jd. each in winter ; hazel grouse ^d. per brace in 

 autumn and i \\d. in winter; hares $d. each, and salmon gd. 

 to is. $d. per lb. In spite of the long and severe winters, 

 the price of fuel is not a very important item. Wood 

 sufficient to serve a small family for a year costs 

 about io/. 



For some days we sat in commission, examining 



* Red upon white, and white upon red. 



