NOVO-NICOLAEVSK 113 



village church bells. We had two hours to wait 

 before we could start on our last stretch of 54J 

 Hailes along the branch line which has been laid 

 to the Siberian capital, and these two hours we 

 utilised by taking a light lunch, which was excellently 

 cooked. 



I had left nay camera in the train by mistake. 

 It was brought to nie by the Cossack in charge 

 of the station while I was at lunch. I followed hirH 

 out of the buffet, thinking to show ffly appreciation 

 of his honesty in the approved and orthodox manner, 

 the more so as a careful study of accepted authorities 

 had priined me with the knowledge that honesty is 

 almost a negligible quantity in Russia. I was more 

 than surprised, therefore, when iny proffered " back- 

 sheesh " was firmly but politely declined. However, 

 this was not the first occasion on which my rouble 

 had been refused. Twice previously the guards, once 

 on the St. Petersburg-Moscow train and once on 

 the Siberian line, had refused to be tipped. 

 Obviously, therefore, the accepted authorities already 

 referred to require sorne revision. It is scarcely just 

 to label a whole nation as venal and dishonest 

 because one or two individuals are found to be so. 



I was, of course, very pleased indeed not to have 

 lost my camera, the Goetz lens of which alone had 

 cost me six guineas. 



I may point out incidentally that, so far as Siberia 

 is concerned, the authorities do not seem to be at 

 all afraid of the camera and never interfere with any 

 one who uses it. 



The greater part of the journey from Taiga 

 Junction to Tomsk is through a drear, uninteresting 

 country covered with swampy " taiga:." Beyond 

 the first important station, however, the outlook 

 improves; the flat " taiga " is replaced by undulating 

 hills, and the scenery, for that part of Siberia, is 



8 



