KONGUR 477 



ruts into which our wheels sank nearly up to the axles. 

 To add to our misery we were overtaken by frequent 

 showers of rain. We seemed generally to be on high 

 land, only occasionally descending into the valleys. 

 Rooks were very abundant, and we constantly passed 

 colonies of their now deserted nests in the birch-trees on 

 the road-side. The hooded crows seemed to live very 

 peaceably amongst them. We often noticed birds of the 

 two species amicably feeding together, but there was not 

 the slightest evidence of any interbreeding between them. 

 The rook is probably only a summer visitor here as it is 

 in Tiumen, and the hooded crows may possibly pair before 

 the rooks arrive. Jackdaws were also equally abundant, 

 some having the neck grey, others with a ring almost 

 pure white. As soon as we arrived at Kongur an isvost- 

 chik drove us to the house of Mr. Hawkes. Unfortunately 

 he was from home, attending the great fair at Nishni 

 Novgorod, but his manager entertained us most hospitably, 

 and we enjoyed some English porter, which to us was as 

 great a treat as champagne would have been. Kongur 

 was the most easterly town we visited whose streets were 

 lighted at night : no attempt, however, being made at 

 paving, we found them transformed into rivers of mud. 

 The four remaining stations to Perm occupied us fourteen 

 hours. The road was simply diabolical, and had it not 

 been that we could frequently leave it and travel on the 

 grass bordering it, we should have been much longer on 

 the way. Attempts to improve this highway have been 

 made to little or no purpose. The amount of traffic upon 

 it is enormous. We no sooner passed one caravan than 

 we came upon another ; and frequently, as far as the' eye 

 could reach, there defiled before us one long line of 

 telegas, laden with goods en route for Siberia. In the 

 other direction the traffic was less. 



