Page:The Boy Travellers in the Russian Empire.djvu/395

Rh "We left the road in pursuit of wolves, while travelling westward from Krasnoyarsk," said Mr. Hegeman.

"Jumping oukhabas," suggested one of the youths.

"Yes, that was it exactly. Well, we jumped oukhabas, rode over bare ground, were caught in a snow-storm, and had a tough time generally till we reached Tomsk, the next provincial capital. It takes its name from

the river Tom on which it stands, and is a prosperous place with about twenty thousand inhabitants.

"As at Irkutsk, there are many wealthy merchants in the city, and also a fair number of citizens who have made fortunes by mining for gold. The houses are spacious and well-built, and there is a large 'gymnasium,'