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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



3 



Photograph by William T. Ellis 

 SOME OP OUR CZECH PEPPOW-PASSENGERS ON THE VOLGA 



"These men were singularly alert and well kept, their uniforms, or semi-uniforms, being 

 in an admirable condition of spruceness. Each man wore a red and white ribbon. They 

 were Czechs, or Bohemians, who had been conscripted into the Austrian army, and at the 

 first opportunity, during the battle of Eemberg, two years before, had voluntarily surrendered 

 to the Russians. After the revolution the request of these Czechs to fight on the side of 

 liberty had been partly acceded to" (see text, page 253). 



beans, apples, peaches, pears, plums, and 

 luscious grapes — there is no stint in As- 

 trakhan ; but bread and sugar are procur- 

 able only by ticket. 



Many river ports have food in plenty 

 and the peasant women bring it down to 

 the wharves. During the time the steamer 

 is at the dock the scene is a busy one, pas- 

 sengers milling about, like cattle in a cor- 

 ral, as they pass from vendor to vendor, 

 seeking bargains. This frequent exodus 

 to the shore of shoppers for food is the 

 most absorbing spectacle of the Volga 

 River journey. It never loses its human 

 interest. 



WHERE GERMS ARE NOT SUSPECTED 



The peasant women and children are 

 patient, pleasant, and shrewd merchants. 

 Neither they nor their customers are 

 bothered by such trifles as dust or germs ; 



for the only booths of this bazaar are 

 baskets and a few feet of earth along the 

 dusty dock or its approaches. Here 

 round loaves of dusky bread, 18 to 24 

 inches in diameter, are displayed, that 

 they may later be gathered to the bosoms 

 of hungry passengers and borne to their 

 cabins. Lucky is the soldier who can pil- 

 low his head upon one of these loaves by 

 night and munch upon it by day. 



The idea of Russia's plenty is visual- 

 ized along the river. Upstream ships are 

 laden within and without with great 

 hampers of fruit, carefully sewn beneath 

 cloth covers. At some small ports there 

 are literally thousands of watermelons on 

 display. Small fruits are abundant. Some 

 things are even cheap at places, as a 

 watermelon for 10 or 15 cents and a loaf 

 of bread for about the same. 



Much of the fresh produce must go to 



