Chapter I: Front Matter

ROUGHING IT IN SIBERIA

ROUGHING IT IN SIBERIA

WITH

_SOME ACCOUNT OF THE TRANS-SIBERIAN
RAILWAY, AND THE GOLD-MINING
INDUSTRY OF ASIATIC RUSSIA_

BY

ROBERT L. JEFFERSON

AUTHOR OF “A WHEEL TO MOSCOW,” “ACROSS SIBERIA ON A
BICYCLE,” ETC.

ILLUSTRATED

LONDON
SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON & COMPANY
_LIMITED_
St. Dunstan’s House
FETTER LANE, FLEET STREET, E.C.
1897

_To_

_JOHN KEMP STARLEY, ESQ._

_DEAR MR. STARLEY_,

_Appreciating the practical and sympathetic interest which you have for some years taken in Russian affairs, I venture to dedicate this volume of mine--“Roughing it in Siberia”--to you, as a small token of my esteem._

_Believe me_,

_Very sincerely yours_,

_ROBERT L. JEFFERSON_.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. THE FIRST DAY IN ASIA 1

II. RUSSIA’S COLONIZATION SCHEME 12

III. ARRIVAL AT OMSK 31

IV. A MOST PALATIAL HOTEL! 43

V. ACROSS THE STEPPE 55

VI. IN THE OBI VALLEY 68

VII. IMPRESSIONS OF TOMSK 79

VIII. THE END OF THE RAILWAY 101

IX. KRASNOLARSK 120

X. DOWN THE YENESEI 138

XI. AN EXCITING ADVENTURE 152

XII. NEARING THE CHINESE FRONTIER 166

XIII. IN THE SYANSK MOUNTAINS 181

XIV. SIBERIAN GOLD-MINING 195

XV. LIFE AT THE MINE 210

XVI. A TRIP INTO CHINA 224

XVII. LOOKING WESTWARD 241

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

TO FACE PAGE

PORTRAIT OF THE AUTHOR _Frontispiece_

SKETCH MAP OF THE AUTHOR’S ROUTE 1

A TRAIN ON THE TRANS-SIBERIAN RAILWAY 8

EMIGRANTS AT CHELABINSK 16

OMSK 40

A STATION ON THE SIBERIAN RAILWAY 64

TOMSK 80

KRASNOLARSK FROM THE RIVER 112

THE YENESEI RAPIDS--SUMMER 136

ON THE YENESEI--SUMMER 160

MINUSINSK 168

KARATUSKI 176

GOLD-MINING APPARATUS ON THE UPPER YENESEI 192

TRIBUTE WORKERS IN THE SYANSK GOLD-MINES 208

OUR CAMP IN THE MOUNTAINS 224

A GOLD-MINE ON THE TOP OF THE SYANSK MOUNTAINS 240

MAP
to accompany
“ROUGHING IT IN SIBERIA”
By R.L. Jefferson.

_G. Philip & Son, 32 Fleet St. London._

London: Sampson, Low, Marston & Co., Limited.]

ROUGHING IT IN SIBERIA