216 



THE POLAR WORLD. 



of society, the greatest discipline is necessary to keep them in order. The sys- 

 tem of a secret police, so cherished by all arbitrary governments, is here ex- 

 tended to its utmost limits ; scarcely has a suspicious word fallen among the 

 workmen, when the director is immediately informed of it, and takes his meas- 

 ures accordingly. Every man knows that he is watched, and is himself a spy 

 upon his companions. 



Hofmann relates an instance of a plot singularly nipped in the bud. In one 

 of the gold-diggings on the ^^'oiba, the workmen, at the instigation of an under- 

 overseer, had refused to perform a task assigned to them. It was to be feared 

 that the spirit of insubordination would gain ground, and extend over all the 

 neighboring diggings. The director, consequently, sent at once for military as- 

 sistance ; this, however, proved to be unnecessaVy, for when the Cossacks arrived 

 at the Noiba, a thunder-storm arose, and at the very moment they came riding 

 up to the digging a flash of lightning killed the ringleader in the midst of the 

 mutineers. As soon as the men recovered from the iirst shock of their surprise 

 and terror, they all exclaimed, " This is the judgment of God!" and, without 

 any further hesitation, at once returned to their duty. 



Besides free rations, the ordinary wages of a common workman are 15 rou- 

 bles banco, or 12 shillings a month, but more experienced hands receive 50 or 

 even 60 roubles. The pay dates from the day Avhen the workman makes his 

 appearance at the residence, and thenceforward, also, his rations are served out 

 to him. They consist of a pound of fresh or salt meat, or an equivalent portion 

 of fish on fasting-days, cabbage and groats for soup, besides fresh rye-bread 

 and quas (the favorite national beverage) ad libitum. The whole number of 

 workmen employed in a gold-digging subdivide themselves into separate socie- 

 ties, or artells. Each of these elects a chief, or head-man, to whom the provis- 

 ions for his artell are weighed out, and to whom all the other common interests 

 are intrusted. The sale of spirituous liquor is strictly forbidden, for its use would 

 render it impossible to maintain order ; and, according to law, no gin-shoj) is 

 allowed to be opened within 60 versts of a digging. 



The pay and the liberal rations received would alone be insufficient to allure 

 workmen to the diggings, for, as we have seen, the voyage there and back is 

 extremely irksome, and the labor very fatiguing. An excellent Dlan has conse- 

 quently been devised for their encouragement. The contract of each workman 

 distinctly specifies the quantity of his daily work, consisting of a certain number 

 of wheelbarrows of sand — from 100 to 120, according to the distance from the 

 spot where it is dug to the place where it is washed out — each reckoned at three 

 pouds,* which one party has to fill, another to convey to the wash-stands, and 

 a third to wash. 



The task is generally completed by noon, or early in the afternoon. For the 

 labor they perform during the rest of the day, or on Sundays and holidays, 

 they receive an extra pay of two or three roubles for every solotnik of gold 

 they wash. Every evening the workmen come with the produce of their free 

 labor to the office, the gold is weiglied in their presence, and the artell credited 

 for the amount of its share. This free-work is as advantageous for the mas- 

 * The poud is equal to 40 pounds. The poud is divided into 96 solotniks. 



