278 SIBERIA 



itwo being in front and one behind. We did not 

 stay long and were soon rumbling along to Koivoviva 

 — twenty-two miles — over a. fairly good road, occa- 

 sionally up and down hills, with soft snow. iWe 

 covered this distance in 2§ hours. The general 

 description of the country was flat with plenty of 

 forests. All kinds of game were plentiful, but we 

 had now no time to waste in sport, and twenty minutes 

 after arrival at Koivoviva we were on our way again 

 to Bersk, the last station before Novo-Nicolaevsk, 

 which was reached by us, after a journey of 2J hours, 

 at 8.30 in the evening. We covered the last stage 

 much more quickly than we expected, considering the 

 bad condition of the roads, there being hardly any 

 snow on the way ajid the sledge being heavy and 

 the district generally very hilly. As we entered the 

 village we heard the watchman's rattle, and being 

 very tired, decided not to go on that night to Novo- 

 Nicolaevsk. Besides, at that hour, my interpreter's 

 people would have retired for the night. I think we 

 created a record that day for travelling at the end of 

 the winter, having covered in all i S 4 J versts, or 

 equal to 103 miles. We were travelling from 

 5.15 a.m. to 8.30 p.m., and during the 15 hours and 

 1 5 minutes we changed horses and sledges, besides 

 transferring and repacking luggage, six times. It 

 surprised us very much that we had been able to 

 utilise sledges all the way, with the solitary exception 

 of the first station, as at this time of the year it is 

 usual to find the country thawed. 



From Bersk, the next morning, we again made a 

 very early start, as it was necessary to cross the Obi 

 twice before reaching Novo-Nicolaevsk, and in the 

 early morning the ice would no doubt be in better 

 condition than later on . This district was well wooded 

 and we were not long before we reached the track 

 leading across the river. It stood some two or three 



