Page:Letter from T.H. Barker to his wife Mary, 27 November 1903.pdf/1

 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