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    1H8 THE LEADER. ¦ [Saturday,

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    REVELATIONS OF SIBERIA. Revelations of S...

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    Butler's Analogy V. Modern Tjnbelie1. 2v...

    ment of it , we see things in a great degree unlike one another , and therefore ought not to wonder at such unlikeness between things visible and invisible . " To the first of these we reply , that although men do admit that there are innumerable things beyond their natural comprehension , they do not admit of dogmatism on those things . The second is another sample of the reasoning which will suit the ILoran quite as strictly as the Bible . He does not see that , as witness this reply to an objection he raises : — ' "' But is it not self-evident that internal improbabilities of all kinds weaken external probable proof ? ' Doubtless . But to what practical purpose can this be alleged here , when it has been proved before t hat real internal improbabilities , which rise even to moral certainty , are overcome by the most ordinary testimony ; and when it now has been made appear that we scarce know what are improbabilities as to the matter -we are here considering ; as it will further appear from what

    follows . " What can we do with a reasoner who having proved that many things which are improbable are true , brings forward that proof as an ergo that these particular improbabilities are true ? It is the old fallacy of the hippogrif . Next week we shall enter with Butler into a more detailed examination of the claims of Christianity .

    1h8 The Leader. ¦ [Saturday,

    1 H 8 THE LEADER . ¦ [ Saturday ,

    Revelations Of Siberia. Revelations Of S...

    REVELATIONS OF SIBERIA . Revelations of Siberia . By a . Banished Zady . Edited by Colonel Xaeh Szyrma . In Two vols . Colburn and Co . Eve Felinska , the sister of one of Poland ' s admired poets , and herself a woman of some cultivation , having incurred the displeasure of the Czar , was politely conducted to the agreeable regions of Siberia to give her patriotism an airing ; and the results of her experience during these years of captivity , 1839—41 , are told without ostentation in the volumes before us ; which , however interesting , must be read with the recollection that they -were written on her return , and under the eye of the police , so that , as far as " revelations" go , they are not satisfactory .

    The interest of these volumes , apart from that sympathy with which we always follow biographical experience , arises from the novelty of the scenes and manners it describes , the glimpses it gives us of those remote regions . Politics there is none ; scene-painting little , and not of the best ; dramatic incidents are sparing , yet by means of a quiet womanly glance at things , and a simple straightforward style , Madame Felinska becomes a very agreeable companion . The reader must make up his mind to a temporary dislocation of the' jaw , after being called upon to pronounce the names so liberally strewed over the surface of the narrative . We should be glad to see in Walker's Pronouncing pictionary plain directions for the delivery of names like Krzyzanowski , Pietraszkiewiez , Kzonczewska , Iasyczenko , and some others . Swallowing a rasp is a bagatelle-in comparison . Let us ,- however , dip into these volumes for some sketches of Siberian life .

    A . HUSBAND A . ND A FATHER I " At one of the post-stations between Kazan and Perm , a chief of a village , actuated , as I suspected , less by politeness than curiosity , arrived to pay his respects to us . He was no longer young but looked robust . He was dressed in a broad kaftan , with , a turban on his head , and led his wife by the hand , whom he presented to me . A long veil was thrown over her head , concealing the whole of her waist , and her other dress . Her face , however , was uncovered ; but it was horrible to look at , so thickly was it overlaid with rouge , white and crimson ; and her eyebrows were painted jet-black . It bore not the least appearance of a human face , but more that of a hideous mask , or a doll made of parchment . Her bedizened visage , and her fantastic costume , made me think that we , at that moment , were at n masquerade , and had one of its most perfect patterns before ; us . " It was not , however , long before 1 repressed my foolish wonder at her figure and resumed an earnest countenance . Having formerly had frequent

    opportunities of seeing the Tartars , and not being at all a stranger to their manners , I entered into conversation with this strange couple . "' How many wives have you got ? ' I asked the Mussulman . " ' Four / replied he . " ' Why did you not bring them all here ?' "' All the others are old and ugly ; I never take them with me . This one is but thirty-two years , and I am proud of her , ' answered lio , casting udoating glance on his better hulf .

    " ' I low many children have you ?' " ' Only four sons and nine daughters , ' replied ho , with a mournful shake of tho hend , nB if desirous wo should pity him . " To give bin sorrow on that account sv ludicrous turn , E continued : "' They arc handsome , lusty maidens , surely , and you will gut a good round sum of money for them . ' "' Hut hn-s it not cost , mo much to rear them ? I much doubt that I shall got buck my money , ' replied he . " Such was thin worthy and calculating fialer fami-Has of the Steppe . "

    Their TithI . experience of Bcrezov , the plnco of their < : ; ij > tivil . y , was not encouraging : — " I asked our landlord if ho could procure us sonic articles of food from the markef , when he replied that , then ; was none in tho town . " ' ] Vo market ! Thru where do you get , your food r" I inquired . " ' Everybody gets Ins ( bod where lie can , ' was his reply . " I never supposed , nor could any such idea have ever entered into my imagination , that a town could exist , without , a , market . Yet such was the cane hero ; and wo suvv that we could not , do otherwise thnn accommodate ourselves to tho exigency . " I inquired of the ( lossack whether lie could not , supply us with Hoinething out . ofhin own pantry ; but his reply was , that ho had nothing , and all lie could give un : it ; t . liat , moment was sour ducks , which perhaps would not , be to our taste .

    " Tho hungry aro nevor over dainty . Thinking , therefore , thai , the ducks of which lie spoke so disparagingly , might ; not be ho ImuI , and that hunger might , easily reconcile our palates to a ' worse , dish , I requested that , they should he served . This being done , we found to our great , mortification that 'sour' was but , u euphonious torm for moat absolutely putrid .

    " We could not touch even a morsel of such disgusting stuff , and there remained no alternative but to betake ourselves to bed , without appeasing the cravings of hunger . " There was no night , but the perfect light of day prevailed the whole time This ditference we could not observe before , while we were on board the vessel " through the narrow window of our cabin , for , though it might have been clear on the deck , the light even of noon could but scantily penetrate into our dormitory But here the case was different ; it was continual daylight , without any distinc- * tion between day and . night ; and this the more visible from the houses in Siberia having an excessive number of windows . I can hardly account for the introduction ' of such an absurd taste in architecture , and one so particularly unsuited to a northern climate .

    " What with the glare of light streaming upon us , the keenness of hunger , and the novelty of our position , neither Josephine nor myself could for a single moment close our eyes , and we passed the whole night in restless attempts to compose ourselves . " The suddenness of Spring , or rather , of the leap from Winter to Summer , must be an enchanting surprise : — " After a day or two , it suddenly became very hot . It seemed as though we had made an abrupt leap from winter to summer . One day we were obliged to have a fire in the stove , and on the next the heat was intolerable . The whole face of the earth was then brown , and the trees naked ; but now we saw grass springing up , plants sprouting , trees bursting into leaves ; and the hollyhock appearing in bloom . The change was as sudden , as it was marvellous ;

    " We could scarcely believe that within the short interval of eight hours , Nature had effected such a great change . What had become of spring ? what of that spring in which our senses are filled with such rapturous delight , and which divide s the froat of winter from the sultriness of summer ? Here the leap is instantaneous . Yesterday the warmest clothing liardly sufficed to keep me warm ; to-day again , the heat is so intense that we are obliged to cool the water we wish to drink with ice . " The day was everlasting , and whether * we closed our eyes or awoke from sleep , day-light was constantly streaming in at the windows , and circling over the horizon No dew was to be met with here ; and the earth Lad none the whole

    summer . " Oh , lovely spring of my country ! how I shall ever remember , and ever long fortlieeV You have a tolerably vivid idea of a Cossack , name of terror ! therefore read this : —< " Throughout Siberia the custom of the so-called siesta , in the afternoon , is as universal as sleep at night in European countries . In all houses the window-shutters are closed , and _ the people go regularly to bed for several hours . During this interval no visits are made , nor any business transacted . " At Tobolsk , at these siest a hours , the shops are shut throughout the town . Business and amusements are , as a consequence , protracted far into the night . Playing at cards is a favourite amusement , Jand commonly all leisure hours in Siberia are spent in gambling .

    " I had to thank Madame X for a few acquaintances . In my round of calls with her I found more beauties among the women than I anticipated ; and what surprised me most , was , that among them were many brunettes , with jet black eyes . Fair hair and light blue eyes are admitted to be the exceptional type of the Itussian race ; and I am thus led to conclude that tho dark complexion , both in men and women , denotes descent from the Cossacks of the Black Sea , who accompanying Yermak , their chief , on his excursion into Siberia , settled in the country , and remained a distinct race . " My conjecture seemed to tally with tho account the Cossacks gave of themselves . One portion of them maintained that they sprang from the companions of » t ^ J 4 W ** S " *< * * " » - * ¦ * ^ - * ™ ** » ^^ ~ ~ ~~ ™ ^ " — . ' » - *—* fill settlers

    Yermak , who , after his conquest of Siberia , had left them here as . Ihey principally consisted of volunteers from the Dnieper and the Don , and from Lithuania ; some actuated by the hope of improving their condition , and others by the love of adventure . Another portion of them asserted that they were , at a later period , added as auxiliaries to tho former , by the celebrated merchants Strogonolls , from their villages beyond the Ural , in order to keep the conquered country in buI ) - jection . The latter , as to their external appearance , evidently bear more iiflini y to the common Kussinn type , and in many characteristics much differ from the otlieis . " The generality of the modern Cossacks of this place are si degenerated m < e , preserving none of tho spirit , courage , and boldness of their valorous ancestor * . Tho constant peace and security winch they enjoy , has contributed to oxtin ^ « ies sluggards , i

    among this people all warlike and even manly qualit . limmimg , y have merely turned merchants and barterers . They languish after their ie . u ^ beds , and are ready to sacrifico everything for comfort . I saw young «" twenty years cry like babies , when they happened not , to gel , their tea at , wi hour . " . j ¦ Cannot Leech give us a Hlceteh of a yountf CohhucIc blubbering lor nu toa ? , g « In their character of citizens , the Cossacks of Kerezov might in many ^ JF j be classed with the . lews of my own country . They are tnifhekcrs , Imt " «> ' I ducers ; their occupation is merely trading . Sometimes they go fwhmtf ,. »>'"' ¦ engage in woodcraft , or hunting . The usual articles of commerce , as well as ^ necc'SHaries of life , with fish and nino , can only lie obtained from the Ostiaks . common daily household business is likewise done by people lured from

    that , tribe . " Tho . se O . stiiikB arc a very primitive- raco : — ^ " The Ostiaks are as yet unac-quainted with the use of money . Hkins of ""^^ and far are the customary circulating media , and all agreement * in !» " > , ^ trade are referred to that , standard . l A white squirrel nkm ( hwlka ) repi : . - . » ^ value of twenty assignat , kopeks ; an ermine , forty kopeks ; a hI iih «» f ' (| u , bialy ( literally , white dog ) , three assignut rubles ; and u like rate exten H (> ai . preciouH sables down to the commonest , sorts of fur . In changing U" - * ¦ ^ lies fon Russian articles , the ( Mink never makes bis agreement ior wu . n ^ sum of money , but for so many of the above-named kinds of 1 <>> % < -vi , y

    which lias its fixed price . " (} hriHTn coxiHcqiionfio of tliis ignonmoo of tho " agent of civilization , iiiin morohaiilN make cutty fV > H , iinen out of tlio poor Onliaks : . ^ " The principal source of wealth of tho Ucrczovians is derived from tra ic

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 20, 1852, page 18, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_20111852/page/18/