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The National Geographic Magazine 



objected, and appealed to the captain 

 of the steamboat, but to no effect, for 

 the captain decided that the order must 

 be obeyed, although he admitted it was 

 arbitrary and absurd. 



There are times when a despotic gov- 

 ernment is a good thing, if } 7 ou are ' ' it, ' ' 

 but one needs to be " on the inside ' ' to 

 enjoy it. When our passports were 

 vised at Tokio by the Russian ambas- 

 sador, he sent back with them personal 

 letters to each of the governors of the 



Museum at Irkutsk 



provinces through which we were to 

 pass. On presenting the letter to Gen- 

 eral Tchitagoff, at Vladivostok, he at 

 once told us that he would telegraph to 

 Khabarovsk and have our rooms at the 

 hotel and state-room on the steamer re- 

 served, and also have the chief of police 

 assist us while there. 



The traffic on the Amur under an)' 

 conditions is enormous, but with naviga- 

 tion almost suspended by reason of very 

 low water, both Stretensk and Khaba- 

 rovsk had been crowded for weeks by 



passengers waiting to go up or down 

 the river. We were told by others who 

 had engaged rooms weeks ahead that 

 no first-class accommodations could be 

 secured, but we went on in faith and 

 hope, and when the train stopped at 

 Khabarovsk an inspector of the police 

 met us, engaged our hisvorshiks or cabs, 

 looked out for our baggage, escorted us 

 to the best hotel, where excellent rooms 

 had been secured, and advised us that 

 a good state-room was reserved on the 

 steamer for the next day. On 

 the following &ay he came to 

 the hotel, again cared for our 

 baggage, escorted us to the boat 

 and put us in a first-class state- 

 room, and the gentleman who 

 had so kindly advised us not to 

 go went second-class. A call 

 on General Grodekoff, at Kha- 

 barovsk, and presentation of 

 our letter to him, secured the 

 same attention, so that when 

 we arrived at Blagovestchensk, 

 at ri o'clock at night and two 

 days behind time, an inspector 

 was there waiting for us at the 

 wharf, our carriage was se- 

 cured, and we were sent to the 

 Grand Hotel, where excellent 

 rooms had been engaged. 



RUSSIAN COOKING 



We had learned at Nagasaki 

 that travelers through Russia 

 must carry their bed-clothing 

 with them, and had provided ourselves 

 there with pillows, pillow cases, sheets, 

 and blankets ; but the hotel at Vladi- 

 vostok and the dining car on the rail- 

 road to Khabarovsk thoroughly con- 

 vinced us that Russian cooking did 

 not appeal to Yankee appetites. The 

 Siberians are good feeders and stiff 

 drinkers, but vodka, which is princi- 

 pally alcohol, and quass, which is a red 

 beer distilled from rye bread, and strong 

 tea served five times a da)- and taken 

 by the tumblerful as freely as water, 



