United States or Panama ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"Gentlemen," said he, "here is a better plan. We have now reached the highest ridge of the Ural chain, and thus have merely to descend the slopes of the mountain. My carriage is close by, only two hundred yards behind. I will lend you one of my horses, harness it to the remains of the telga, and to-mor-how, if no accident befalls us, we will arrive together at Ekaterenburg." "That, Mr.
"Then have you really reason to think that Colonel Ogareff is in Siberia?" "I myself have heard it said that he was to take the road from Kasan to Ekaterenburg." "Ah! you know that, Mr. Jolivet?" said Harry Blount, roused from his silence. "I knew it," replied Alcide. "And do you know that he went disguised as a gypsy!" asked Blount.
However, Michael Strogoff and Nadia were not the only travelers on their way from Perm to Ekaterenburg. At the first stages, the courier of the Czar had learnt that a carriage preceded them, but, as there was no want of horses, he did not trouble himself about that. During the day, halts were made for food alone. At the post-houses could be found lodging and provision.
Six hours afterwards the two vehicles, the tarantass preceding the telga, arrived at Ekaterenburg, nothing worthy of note having happened in the descent. The first person the reporters perceived at the door of the post-house was their iemschik, who appeared to be waiting for them.
Neither Michael nor his companions were likely to experience the slightest difficulty in obtaining means of continuing their journey in so large a town as Ekaterenburg. It was founded in 1723, and has since become a place of considerable size, for in it is the chief mint of the empire. There also are the headquarters of the officials employed in the management of the mines.
Then possessed with the one thought, that of reaching her journey's end, "I have calculated that there are three hundred versts between Perm and Ekaterenburg, brother," said she. "Am I right?" "You are quite right, Nadia," answered Michael; "and when we have reached Ekaterenburg, we shall be at the foot of the Ural Mountains on the opposite side."
"Forward, and a triple tip if we are at Ekaterenburg to-morrow morning." THE Ural Mountains extend in a length of over two thousand miles between Europe and Asia. Whether they are called the Urals, which is the Tartar, or the Poyas, which is the Russian name, they are correctly so termed; for these names signify "belt" in both languages.
As far as Tioumen, and even up to Novo-Zaimskoe, this road has slight inclines, which gentle undulations are the first signs of the slopes of the Ural Mountains. But after Novo-Zaimskoe begins the immense steppe. At Ichim, as we have said, the reporters intended to stop, that is at about four hundred and twenty miles from Ekaterenburg.
The day after the two carriages had left Ekaterenburg they reached the small town of Toulouguisk at seven o'clock in the morning, having covered two hundred and twenty versts, no event worthy of mention having occurred. The same evening, the 22d of July, they arrived at Tioumen. Tioumen, whose population is usually ten thousand inhabitants, then contained double that number.
Now, except by the direct route from Ekaterenburg to Irkutsk, the often marshy steppes are not easily practicable, and some weeks must certainly pass before the Russian troops could reach the Tartar hordes. Omsk is the center of that military organization of Western Siberia which is intended to overawe the Kirghiz population.
Word Of The Day