Siberia and the exile system . cool, silvery-gray foliage of the sage-like shrubsgave me the impression of a landscape seen by moonlight. Soon after leaving the Kirghis encampment we crossedfor the first time in Siberia the terminal moraine of an ex-tinct glacier. It was an immense mass of loose rocks andboulders of all shapes and sizes thrown together in thewildest confusion, and extending far up and down one ofthe lateral ravines. At the point where we crossed it, itseemed to me to be at least an eighth of a mile wide, and itpresented obstacles that brought out all the best qualitiesof our K
Siberia and the exile system . cool, silvery-gray foliage of the sage-like shrubsgave me the impression of a landscape seen by moonlight. Soon after leaving the Kirghis encampment we crossedfor the first time in Siberia the terminal moraine of an ex-tinct glacier. It was an immense mass of loose rocks andboulders of all shapes and sizes thrown together in thewildest confusion, and extending far up and down one ofthe lateral ravines. At the point where we crossed it, itseemed to me to be at least an eighth of a mile wide, and itpresented obstacles that brought out all the best qualitiesof our Kirghis horses. They made their way over theloose slabs and boulders with the judgment and agility ofmountain sheep, rarely slipping, and, when they did slip,recovering their foothold without the least nervousness orexcitement. 214 SIBERIA Latt> ill \]w afternoon, after a very difficult and fatiguingji)urnoy of twoiity-five or thirty rersfs, we rode two or threethiMisaiid feet down a slii)]»ery, l)reak-neck descent into the. deep valley of the Rakmanofski hot springs, where, shut inby high mountains and framed in greenery and flowers, wefound a beautiful alpine lake. The medicinal properties of BRIDLE PATHS OF THE ALTAI 215 the water that flows from the Rakmauofski springs attractto this beautiful secluded valley every summer manyRussians and Klrghis from the neighboring villages andencampments, and there have been erected for their accom-modation two comfortable log buildings, and a small spring-house with three bathing-tanks. In the larger of thebuildings, which had a well-built Russian oven, w^e stoppedfor the night. The ceiling and walls of the room that weoccupied bore many names and inscriptions in French,Russian, and Tatar, among which I noticed N. Yadrint-soff, 16 Aoute, 1880;^ ^Qad. Banikof, VI 22, 1885; and M. T. Zheleiznikof, Semipalatinsk, 5 June, 1885. On thepartition wall over the rude plank bench where Mr. Frostmade his bed, some sufferer who, apparently, had
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectsiberiarussiadescrip
