CHAPTER VIII ; 



KATUNDA— SPRING THAW DIFFICULTIES— BYSK 



Katunda church and priest — We visit a hunters' establishment — 

 Beneficent efforts on the part of the Government — Steam-boats 

 required to relieve the traffic — An inspector of forests — Extent 

 of Altai forests — We leave Katunda — The coming of the great 

 thaw — Ouemon — A good night's rest — Thriftlessness of the 

 peasantry — Compelled to continue our journey on horseback 

 — Triumphant " tarakans " — A sledge drive — Abbi cemetry — 

 An obstinate driver — Kalmucks — Horsemanship — We break 

 down — Are rescued — Kirlick — Shooting wild fowl — Ouskam— 

 On the way to Chorni-Anni — Returning to civilisation — The 

 Easter fair at Chorni-Anni — A drive in the dark — Solonishini — 

 A letter from Prince Khilkoff — An Easter service — Chiran- 

 chanka creamery — Lejanovo — Solonofka — An Easter cavalcade 

 — Starebrolikave — A night adventure — A watery journey — 

 Smolensk — A snowstorm — Katunsk — An Easter procession — 

 Crossing the Katun River — The River Bye — Architecture of 

 Bysk — Russian holidays — Siberian eggs and their exportation. 



We had promised to visit the village church, before 

 leaving Katunda, on the last day of our stay, therefore 

 we called for the priest and were conducted by him 

 to the church, which is the only one within a radius 

 of I GO miles. The churchyard is also the village 

 cemetery. We were struck by the absence of tomb- 

 stones, the graves being marked by plain wooden 

 crosses, or square posts with V-shaped heads, 

 innocent of inscriptions. The wooden church is 

 painted to resemble brick, it being the great ambition 

 everywhere along the Siberian railway, and more 



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