Page:Siberia and the Exile System Vol 2.djvu/82

66 semi-inclosure made by a low breakwater, within which a side-wheel steamer called the Platon was lying quietly at anchor. The blue water of the lake was hardly more than rippled by a gentle north-easterly breeze, and far away beyond it could be seen a long line of snow-covered mountains in the

Trans-Baikál. I was a little surprised to find the lake so narrow. Although it has a length of nearly 400 miles, its width at Lístvinichnaya is only 20 miles, and its average width not much more than 30. The opposite coast can therefore be seen from the steamer-landing with great distinctness; and as it is very high and mountainous, it can be traced by the eye for a distance of 60 or 70 miles. Mr. Frost spent the greater part of Friday morning in making sketches of the village and the lake, while I returned to the hotel, after a short walk along the shore, and devoted myself to letter-writing. About half-past ten Frost came in and reported that the steamer Buriát with the mails from Irkútsk was in sight, that the Platon had made fast to the wharf, and that it was time to go on board. We walked down to the landing, engaged the only first-class stateroom on the steamer, had our baggage transferred to it, and then waited an hour and a half for the mails from the Buriát. They came on board at last; and the Platon, backing slowly