ABUSES CONNECTED WITH EXPLOITATION. 125 



points, and on every road.' Such was the staff, but what 

 of the discharge of their duties? 



These men entered the service not for the honour of the 

 service, but as a means of livelihood ; and the custom at 

 one time was for officials to pay themselves as much as 

 they could by practices which every right minded person 

 must condemn, but to which no dishonour attached there 

 and then. I was told in the time of Nicholas that, except- 

 ing himself, there was not a man in the Empire who was 

 not open to a bribe. The statement was, I believe, too 

 sweeping ; but it indicated the general belief and the 

 general practice. It was customary at that time for 

 Government officials to wear, between two button holes on 

 the breast of the coat, a coloured ribbon with Roman 

 numerals in gold representing the length of time they had 

 been in the service. And I was told of one of our country- 

 men, whom I knew, being wont to point to his ribbon 

 with a knowing wink, and saying : ' Look, 14 years with- 

 out ever having been detected ! ' 



It is told of Nicholas that at a meeting of council during 

 the Crimean war — I presume a council of war — as one 

 proof of malversation after another connected with the 

 manipulation of military returns, and the purchase of pro- 

 visions and munitions, breaking out in passion before the 

 generals, the nobles, and the princes at the board, and 

 taking his son and successor by the hand, he said : ' Alex- 

 ander, there is not a man in the Empire in whom I can 

 trust but you.' 



I adduce this as an indication of a moral tone which 

 was widely prevalent, and I consider that I do no wrong 

 to those who were then in the forest service in alleging 

 that it is not improbable that so it was with them. If so, 

 opportunities were not alacking for their doing as did 

 others. 



I was informed that at the time the information was 

 given to me, by general, if not universal usage, each zavod 

 was entitled to 300 cubic fathoms of wood a year from 

 Government forests for the production of steam in aid of 



