Thomas Henry Barker

“ It is the native gold that has provided so many large Siberian fortunes, and the winners give large sums away for educational and philanthropic purposes. The younger Russians are fond of wine and women, but the elder ones are many of them most devout and benevolent.
Siberia now is a great contrast in many ways to what our ideas of it were, and it is going ahead wonderfully fast, and the climate gives energy to the people. ”

“ My Kutcher sat on one side in felt and skins, hair inwards and cloth cap lines with fur. We did the journey with one stoppage for "Chai" tea and eggs, which is all I have had to eat to-day, as the Hotel people could not breakfast me at half past six, and I had to be content with a glass of light beer, which served me until eleven, when we halted for "Zhafhuck" breakfast We had that (the breakfast) at a Russian Farm, which was full of people, a family of two or three generations, and as hot within as the air was cold without. The tea and the flour eggs I ate were good, also the black bread. ”

“ I completed a letter of 18 sheets to you last night at 12 o'clock, but I had to be up at six o'clock this morning, and as I could not trust anyone at the Hotel with money for stamps for postage, I have left the letter in my valise until Sunday, and it will very likely travel in the same train with myself to Tomsk. You must excuse my writing just now, as I have a slight gathering on my right little finger and I have to hold it out straight when I write; it is so painful. ”

“ My driver, an honest fellow said 40 copecks quite enough and he had 2 glasses of tea out of the pot. I was tucked in again in the farmyard, and one of the sons, a handsome young fellow, held open the two leaved gate, to let the "Karata" and pair out -- He was clad in a fur cape, yellow leather boots, and a tunic to his knees of soft magenta colour. The whole surrounding was like a medieval English farm, the costumes like English peasants of the time of Edward 1st, but rather more luxurious. The great grandfather was a patriach with long hair and beard. ”

“ He likes the Chinese best as Buddists or Confucians and deprecates the efforts to convert them. Before being in China he had been engaged for 6 years in constructing the Congo Line from Boma or Maladi to Leopoldville. He spoke only French, and I had therefore 2 days practice in that language. He stuck to me as I to him, and we had all our meals together, and sat all day in the restaurant saloon, which has easy chairs and couches and every comfort. We were 21⁄2 hours late in reaching Taiga, the junction for Tomsk, and 60 miles away. ”

“ I am going to see the Father, Paul Baron Hofer at St Petersburg. I have not yet had time to call on Mr Deakers (illegible text) , people are late in the morning here, & have a long break for lunch in the middle of the day, & daylight ends at four. I have bought four packages of post cards today. Moscow, St Petersburg, Russian peasants & Russian Military, from which you will get some notion of my surroundings. I hope to get away from St Petersburg on Saturday & should travel via Berlin, maybe there on Sunday. ”

“ Karaouloff says that crime in the country is common, but the worst people are soon captured and send to Saghalien. They are not hanged, but they are worked hard for the good of the community, and if reformed they are allowed a measure of freedom, as at Alexandrovski. ”

“ We have nothing like them: they are relics of Rome.
I shall be here until Tuesday night, when I leave by express for St Petersburg. I have to see here Baron (illegible text) 's sister, who is married to Major General something, Judge of the Court Martial court, evidently a great & powerful functionary. They say the Russians are courting the English just now.
Mr Groves has just told me of the narrow escape of our Queen – how delighted I am at the news. It would have been dreadful had she been burnt. The Russian Empress is better, & I hear the German Emperor is middling. ”

“ He had a purse full of English coins, which he said were better than Russian money.
We reached here 5 hours late at 6.15pm last night, & I wired you & Sir Alfred today. I had working & re-packing to see to, & did not get out until 11am today. I then went first to buy a German guide to Moscow & afterwards spent 11⁄2 hours with the British Consul, Mr or rather Capt Groves. Afterwards I drove round the Kremlin to St Saviour's church, a gorgeous church. There they make much of Christ & less of the Virgin. Russia is most religious. ”

“ I have never had anything so full of interest and variety before, and I am not the least tired of travelling I have a large and comfortable sitting and bed-room combined here, and people keep calling to see me. ”

“ I spoke in that language to many of the prisoners, who do all the work of that vast establishment, for there are 1500 in the Central Prison, and the village of between 2,000 to 3,000 inhabitants is also a prison. None but prisoners and officials and the 200 soldiers in charge are allowed to live in Alexandrovski. ”

“ The West end is the finest. There are situated, the University the great Schools, and the Cathedral of the Trinity. There are about 10,000 students here, male and female, in the Schools and University. ”