Page:Letter from T.H. Barker to his wife Mary, 23 November 1903.pdf/1

 Transbaikalia near Tehita 23rd Nov. 1903.

Dear--

I am going to try to write you a letter in the Trans-Siberian Train, which will be dififcult owing to the vibration. I wrote you last from Moukden, and gave my letter and a paper to Mr. Fisk to post. Mr. Stepanov drove me to the station and we had an hour to wait for the Express from Dalne to Kharbin – When it came up, Mr. Mackay of Tientsin got out. He was one of my fellow passengers on the "Empress", with his wife and daughter. His wife has developed tumour and she is returning to Cardiff to be operated on. He was travelling with her as far as Manchuria. It is about 24 hours journey from Moulden to Kharbin, but we were 2 hours late, arriving about 4 p.m. I went to the Russe-Chinese Bank, but Mr. Gabriel was not a second Mr. Fisk, and I had to look about for a bedroom. Hotels are poor, small and full. Kharbin, is the Winnipeg of Manchuria, near extensive grain districts and is very rapidly growing. It has 15,000 European, mostly Russian, inhabitants, and 30,000 Chinese. The new, old, and European towns cover much ground. The new town is on the Sungaru River, at present frozen, dozens of River Vessels being anchored and frozen in, in a group, filling the water way. I found a poor, barely furnished bedroom, but a good restaurant, where there was a band and much company, but where they "squeeze" – Kharbin men have large salaries. The place (outside) was bitterly cold, it stands on a plateau, and catches the wind. I was afraid of frost-bite. I slept well, and in the morning was taken by a German over a large flour mill, with the most modern machinery; there are several mills at Kharbine and many fine buildings; the Russian lay out their towns well, and the buildings are more stately than