Letter from T.H. Barker to his wife Mary, 27 November 1903

ALEXANDROVSKI, 27th November, 1903.

Dear--

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. I will have it poulticed to-night, as it interferes with my only amusement which is writing. I have had a new experience to-day: Wrapped in sheepskin, with woollen cabman's cap and a heavy fur cap over it, I have been driven 50 miles in a sleigh through the silds of Siberia--Icicles were hanging to my cap and my eyebrows and moustache had a solid coating of ice. The sledge was long and I was in a half reclining position, lying on matting rugs and felt, and two great fur aprons over me to my nose. 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. They make good and delicious tea everywhere here, and I shall never like English tea again. There were two beds in the parlour and a big stovem and in the outer room two or three beds



narrow, upon which men were lying side-ways, with their legs gathered up, like some people I know. A baby was being lifted up and down in a kind of covered scale, and I could not see it, and fortunately did not hear it. I have the youngest boy visible, with a face rather like Harry's some sugared nuts in a canister, and his grandfather was satisfied with 11d. for my breakfast. 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. The Russians are very fond of this type, which is Norse, straight eyebrows, long noses, pointed beard, and foreheads with two creases in them, like mine. I see the Norse type now comes out in myself.

We did the second half of our journey, 27 miles, or 38 versts, without stopping, the horses going well through the soft powdery snow, which they kicked up into my face. The country was lovely, like a great park wrapped in purest snow -- long ridges lay on both sides, wooded to their summits with fir and birch, silver birch, with very delicate lace like twigs and branches -- sometimes there were groves of small firs amongst them, the effect very pretty. Once we had a beautiful view of the valley of the Angara, which reminded me of that of the Seine from Montmorency. Often our way ran along the top of a middle ridge and then dropped into valleys between two long ridges. At last, when I was almost asleep, being charmed by the soft