6o SIBERIA IN EUROPE. chap. vi. 



On our arrival at Ust-Zylma at two o'clock on Sunday 

 morning, we found service going on in the church in cele- 

 bration of Easter Eve. We went with M. Znaminski to the 

 3 A.M. mass, and after service breakfasted with him, and at 

 7 A.M. turned into our hammocks for an hour or two's rest. 

 The Easter holidays lasted three days, during which we saw 

 plenty of eating and drinking, and some (but not much) 

 drunkenness. The Eussian peasantry in Siberia in Europe 

 easily get drunk. They drink vodka neat, and two or three 

 glasses are enough for most of them. There is one very 

 curious circumstance about drunkenness in this part of the 

 world. So far as we could ascertain, with the Eussian 

 peasants drunkenness never produces crime. When a Eus- 

 sian peasant is drunk, he is not quarrelsome like most 

 Englishmen, but simply becomes obtrusively affectionate. 

 He wants to embrace you, and kiss you, and be your v^ry 

 best friend. During these holidays when we were returning 

 from the hospitable beards of our E^gsian or German friends 

 in the small hours of the morning, we would occasionally 

 meet one or two victims of excess of vodka lying in the 

 snow, their malitzas being warm enough to prevent them 

 from being frozen to death. 



On the Sunday night there was a very heavy fall of snow. 

 At least a foot must have been added to the depth. On the 

 Monday morning the weather was very stormy, and the fresh 

 fallen snow was drifted into hills and valleys. The change 

 in the appearance of the town was wonderful. The vast 

 dunghill of Ust-Zylma had put on its Easter holiday attire, 

 and was once more pure as the driven snow. Everything 



