The John Muir Newsletter, Summer 2005
EjOi HVfeRSnY OF' THE PACIFIC, STOCKTON. CA : Volume 15, Numbers Summer 2005::= r ORLD IOUR Introduction by W. R. Swagerty Director, John Muir Center John Muir's World Tour of 1903-1904 is not well known for good reason. The journals from this trip have never been published and Muir wrote...
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| Summary: | EjOi HVfeRSnY OF' THE PACIFIC, STOCKTON. CA : Volume 15, Numbers Summer 2005::= r ORLD IOUR Introduction by W. R. Swagerty Director, John Muir Center John Muir's World Tour of 1903-1904 is not well known for good reason. The journals from this trip have never been published and Muir wrote no specific book from his European travels. The manuscript journals are part of the John Muir Papers within Holt-Atherton Special Collections here at Pacific. The journals are lengthy and were transcribed by Muir scholar, Linnie Marsh Wolfe, sometime in the 1940s or 1950s. They have also been microfilmed as part of the John Muir Papers, edited by Dr. Ronald Limbaugh and Kirsten E. Lewis (1986). Muir did not keep a diary, but he kept journals on his many trips, including this one, with intentions of using his notes to write articles and to incorporate information upon his return into other projects. The World Tour journals are odd in that Muir apparently did not keep a journal during the first leg of the trip, which began on May 29, 1903, by steamer from New York in the company of fellow conservationist Charles Sprague Sargent, and his son, Robeson. Sargent was a strong supporter of national parks and forest preserves and had known Muir for some time. Sargent's fourteen-volume Silva of North America (1891-1902) had established him as the leading expert on the continent's trees, and he was well known throughout the world for his botanical contributions. With Sargent as guide and companion, many doors opened to Muir in places where he was not well known himself. Letters written to Louie Muir and daughters Wanda and Helen inform us of Muir's movements from his arrival in London on June 6 to the party's entry into Berlin on June 25. This period includes a week in London, a few days in Paris, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam, places with botanical gardens and museums. The formal part of the journal has us following Muir from Germany to the forests of western Russia and Finland and to the Pacific on the Trans-Siberian Railroad. In Manchuria, Muir became very ill, suffering from ptomaine food poisoning. By September, finally free from pain, Muir sailed to Korea and on to Japan. In Shaghai, Muir and the Sargents went separate ways. Muir traveled on to India via Hong Kong, then to Egypt, Ceylon (Sri Lanke), and Australia by year's end. On January 11, 1904, he sailed for New Zealand, remaining until February 29. He retraced his steps back to Sidney on February 29 and started the journey home to California via Malaysia, Manila, Hong Kong, Yokohama and Honolulu, arriving on May 27 in San Francisco. What follows is Wolfe's transcript, to appear in this Newsletter in several parts over the next year or so. We thank Shan Sutton, Head of Holt-Atherton Special Collections, and the Muir-Hanna family for allowing us to share this important document for the first time with our readers. W. R. Swagerty Note: We have only corrected [with brackets] the first few dates to avoid confusion. Where words are illegible we have indicated this with [illegible word]. Where Muir left a blank space or penciled a "?", we have retained such. (Continued on page 4) page 1 Jews A. K Conference Announcement John Muir in Global Perspective March 31-April 1, 2006 ' -life IP College of the Pacific's John Muir Center will host a conference at the Stockton campus of University of the Pacific on March 31-April 1, 2006. The focus of the 2006 California History- Institute will be "John Muir in Global Perspective." Conference organizers are seeking paper proposals on aspects of John Muir's Scottish roots; Muir's world- travels; Muir's historical impact across the globe in such areas as botany, geology, mountaineering, and conservation; correspondence and friendships abroad; and Muir's contemporary legacy worldwide. Highlights of the conference will include a preview of the exhibition on naturalist John Muir, artist William Keith, and University of California geology professor Joseph LeConte, curated by Steve Pauly of Grass Valley, California. The three Bay area residents began meetings in 1889 that led to formation of the Sierra Club in 1892. The exhibition which originated at Saint Marys College this spring will be mounted at The Haggin Museum of Stockton during April. In addition, an exhibition in the University Library of original John Muir manuscripts from the John Muir Papers will be available for viewing during the conference. Conference attendees are encouraged to visit Yosemite National Park during the annual meeting of The Yosemite Association on March 25. Contact information on Muir-related sites in northern California will be provided for those who want to tour Yosemite, Muir's home in Martinez, and/or Muir Woods before or after the conference. We expect to host a number of Scots who are active in promotion of John Muir's legacy abroad and will have Harold Wood, Chair of the Sierra Club Education Committee, and Garrett Burke, designer of the John Muir California State Quarter with us throughout the weekend. Send abstract and brief vitae to W. R. Swagerty/ John Muir Center/University of the Pacific/Stockton/CA 95211; (209) 946-2578 (FAX); or e mail j ohnmuir@pacific. edu Sketch of John Muir from: www.saintgregorys.org/Media/JohnMuir-sket2.jpg (News & Notes continued on page 15) 'heJohnMuir Newsletter Volume 15, Number 3 Summer 2005 Published Quarterly by The John Muir Center for Environmental Studies University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211 ♦ STAFF ♦ Director W.R. Swagerty Editor W.R. Swagerty Production Assistant Marilyn Norton Unless otherwise noted, all photographic reproductions are courtesy of the John Muir Papers, Holt-Atherton Department of Special Collections University of the Pacific Libraries. Copyright 1984 Muir-Hanna Trust This Newsletter is printed on recycled paper page 2 Sargent "Saw The Forest For The Trees" By Michael Wurtz Archivist, Holt-Atherton Special Collections University of the Pacific Library Last December, Yosemite lost one its strongest advocates when Shirley Sargent passed away in Mariposa, California. She was first published in 1947 and had since written 35 books chiefly about Yosemite. Although a great admirer of Jolm Muir, Sargent is best known for fighting against the "John Muir Syndrome" as it is stated in Richard Dillion's forward for Sargent's Solomons of the Sierra. He says the symptoms of this syndrome specifically include viewing Yosemite as purely the domain of John Muir. Authors frequently ignore the contributions of so many other individuals such as geologist and surveyor Clarence King, Yosemite homesteader Galen Clark, early entrepreneur James Hutchings, mountaineer Theodore Solomons, and conservationist Theodore Lukens. The antidote to this Muir myopia is the writing of Shirley Sargent. Indeed, she wrote about John Muir, but she immersed herself in all aspects of the history of the Park. In 1964, she built her home eleven miles from Yosemite on the foundation of Theodore Salomons' house at the Flying Spur homestead. The foundation was first used in 1910, but that early house burned in 1936. In 1990, Sargent was rescued from the house before it burned again in a wildfire. Unfortunately, that fire took a wealth of research material she had accumulated in her quest to know Yosemite. What is left of Shirley Sargent's papers can be found throughout California in public and private hands. Local researchers can begin their quest right here at the Holt-Atherton Special Collections. The majority of the Shirley Sargent Papers at the University of the Pacific are short stories that she had written such as: "Who's Tricking Whom?," "Truth Does Not Pay," "The House That Wanted To Be A Home," "Mama's Little Heart Murmur," and "This Is A Stinker!" Also included in the collection are correspondences concerning John Muir in Yosemite published in 1971. There are drafts of many of her books including Galen Clark: Yosemite Guardian and Mother Lode Narratives: Jessie Benton Fremont. Fremont had lived with her husband and pathfinder Jolm Charles Fremont, near Mariposa in the 1840s. Outside of Holt-Atherton, her papers can be found in many places. I started with the On-Line Archive of California (oac.cdlib.org), a statewide index to hundreds of publicly available archival collections. In addition to her papers here at Pacific, there were more book drafts and correspondence scattered about in seven other collections throughout California. The greatest share of Sargent's work can be found at the Yosemite Archives just outside the Park in El Portal. The Museum in Yosemite Valley holds her postcard collections. The balance of material is currently in private hands, but it will soon be donated to the Yosemite Archives. Sargent's collections reflect what a remarkable woman she was. In fact, all of her obituaries used the word "remarkable" many times. Her career is all the more impressive when one considers that she had been in a wheelchair since she was fourteen years old. Later in life she had to steady one hand with the other and typed with one finger due to the neurological disorder dystonia. Despite her lack of mobility, she made the history of the Park accessible to everyone. Yosemite researcher Fernando Penalosa is in the midst of writing a biography of Sargent that he hopes will be published next spring. If you are interested in learning a bit more about Penalosa's forthcoming book and want to see the most complete bibliography of Sargent's work, visit quaking-aspen- books, com/shirley.html. Shirley Sargent and Park Ranger Fred Fisher look at fire damaged material in 1991. Sargent, who was one of Yosemite's most prolific writers, died last December. (Photograph made available by © THE FRESNO BEE, 2005) page 3 Hotel Windsor, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W. June 8, 1903. Dear Louie, Wanda, Helen, We arrived in London Saturday at midnight. Yesterday we walked through St. James and Hyde Parks. They are full of fine trees and have many magnificent spacious lawns and far-reaching vistas leafy and flowery, suggesting pure wildness rather than the heart of the biggest city in the world. In the afternoon we went to Kew and enjoyed the grand trees and shrubs, especially the Rhododendrons most of which are in full bloom. [We} called on Sir Joseph Hooker's daughter. Lady Dyer, Were sorry to learn that Sir Joseph is too ill to be seen. This morning young Sargent and I went to Westminster Abbey, a world in itself. Prof. Sargent is at Baring Bros. & Co. for letters, money, etc., and to see about passports, which, strange to say, are missing. In a few days we intend going to Holland, thence to Paris, etc. I'll be glad when the wild forests, plains, and mountains are reached. I'm hoping to get a letter from you when Sargent returns, so I'll not close now. We are all well. 9:30 P.M. - about 3 P.M. your time. Sargent found lots of letters for himself but none for me at Baring Bros. & Co. He also made arrangements at the Embassy for new passports, all three having been stolen on the steamer, the President's letter doing us good service in our trouble. This afternoon we went to the famous Lady Wallace Gallery of paintings, etc., which we all enjoyed very much - a wonderful collection of old masterpieces, armor, furniture, etc. We will probably leave for Holland Thursday, visit the Hague, Amsterdam gardens, galleries, etc. for 5 or 6 days; then start for Paris, where I suppose 4 or 5 or more days will be spent before we get fairly on our way for Russia. From Moscow we intend to make a side trip to the Caucasus by way of the Crimea, Tiflis, and Baku, which will take perhaps two weeks before we get fairly on our way across Siberia to Pekin. I'm not yet quite sure whether I can visit Scotland, on account of this wretched passport business. They were all stolen from Sargent's satchel. Love to you all. I suppose my darlings will be coming to these old historic places and works some of these days. Write often, however briefly. [JOHN MUIR] (Con tin ued/rom page 1) BERLIN- June 27tk [25th] From Amsterdam to Berlin. Nearly one continuous green fertile level all the watj and about 400 miles (?). Patches ol ling both in Holland and Prussia on sandy common seemingly too barren lor cultivation. Little in Holland, mostly dunes. More in Prussia, but rnostly planted with pines pitifully small. Near the boundary are beautiful hills bounding valletjs comparatively broad and level, well cultivated. The lower hills red with houses - red brick and red tiled. More oaks in Prussia, fewer elms, less thrifty. Trees more complete, faultless, thrifty, uniform in growth without a dead limb or twig, the tallest near [illegible word J. Mostly elms, lovely avenues as well as roads. In Paris, the Bois del Bologue gives a fine [illegible wordj ground and many parks more remarkable for their fine statuary than trees and shrubs and flowers, though these also are finer for the air they have to breathe. The grounds around Versailles are grand in most every warj. The gardens are green and extensive about the Palace, but it is the forest with spacious lawns with bosky avenues radiating from mantj centers, etc. We also wandered through the park and picturesque buildings of Trianon where Queen Antoinette played dairymaid. June 28tk. [26th] Berlin. Around evening of 25 at the Kaiserhoff - imitation of Palace Hotel, San Francisco. 26 , wandered through the wild-like Humboldt Park in AM. In PM. took train to Baumskiil of [illegible word] a very large nursery and plant factory, employing in the busy season 500 hands, growing every fruit and ornamental tree, shrub and flower possible in this clime, or in hot-houses originating mantj new ones, adding new discoveries from all the world, testing values, etc., of each. Had fine refreshments as usual at such places. June 27th. Went through many parks in carriage with Mr. Bolle and the Director of all the Berlin parks as guides. One very large on bank of the River Spree is truly fine wild-like and magnificent, the finest, most spacious, unfrittered lawns we have yet seen in Europe. Vast numbers use and enjoy these parks, women with children outnumber the men. Elms, horsechestnut and poplars, the principal trees with walmit, ash, hickory, tulip, magnolia, Taxodium, beech, birch, maple - many of last very large page 4 and fine, many fine oaks, also some near 100 feet high. The largest trees about 5 or 4 feet diameter and 100 high. In PM. Took train for new botanic gardens 12 or 15 miles out. Commenced 3 years ago. Manvj fine buildings being put up. Piles of boulders (J ~°r~r ~r"" afewfeetin T\.J^ii„y:yz\ -f tf^?^'^- height represent principal ~ ~*~/ ■■■'■' "' J' ■ ' """''" mountain ? __ . ^V ranges,with ,/■■-■''■""■ "'""': representative *-" '-<""vi,.,-,,.---/ •uy~-^,l '--•-"•"'*■' plants, a babyish ,/ '/ 7, f j affair. Saw old "■"" / s garden also, now _W„, ' -- - • -: :'A'r'J'.v" / going to the \J .^ ■>"■'■.<>> dogs, has many .'; , / :' '.''" "'■ '■''""' grandtrees :.!":.„; .-,*! "■:'.--'.'.-'-"'5<.,-■;.'.-/ ■ ;-.A .,,-••■•■ which should he saved. * fi""-'1' ''fifi" ";"*"«* ■"**•*• June28tk. Went with ;. '~'.';f-' ,t. / -; Mr.Bollesby . • . rail and steamer '. ( HJ / toPotsaamand ' / SansSouci,a i s■ ,. . -_, ■ ;. - grand city. The * :. / / „,' parks and " ' . ' :' gardens of Sans . /';-. -;. ., , . Souciarethe / . -- , ,:■ finest we have ■ .'«_ - . '. v yet seen, and the >rf palace is most interesting, used only in summer. The old winter palace less so, speaks loudly of war in statuary. Swarms of visitors, weather rather warm, returned ky rail. June29tk. AM. Have been out seeing part of town by carriage - the Emperor, Palace, Humboldts statues, Alex and William; many grand government buildings and churches. The business buildings and newer residences are like those of American cities. Then took car to Charlottenburg - fine park, many ponds full of lilies white and red and yellow. The white like ours indigenous, the red (var.) from Sweden. Now 530 PM. Going to call on Mr. Bolle. Meet then Mr. Booth and 5 other botanists and gardeners who could (Courtesy of the Jolm Muir Papers, Holt-Atherton Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library. Copyright 1984, Muir-Hanna Trust) speak but little English. Had nice refreshments. While bidding good-bxje, Mr. Bolle in kindest way conceivable hade me remember that he was henceforth my friend. Took train at 11 PM. for Petersburg. 2 persons in each small compartment 4 or 5 "*s w. • i feet wide, road not '■\ „ 1 very smooth. i, ■ h^U^t^U' tCA *^ j June 30tll_ .,'"'', LJ;"W,,ir.-.-''■'- t$'■''•''''« .! Atboundary /}2> r* ji nearEydenburg. ,;: :' '"''':Vfe "■"".;'.,"'■ ;3 Changed cars after • ;.,; „ ■■■■■':"■ examination of :" j if'' j Passports and ■■""■ - baggage. Russian .;.< ■.!.,. ,-', •• ,. I train better, road » smoother, soon ran «'„ -.-i■-,,.■'•.■*.-. !- *. into country of natural ■ J>. *'.'■■'%. forests of spruce, birch ■ . .• , . : and pine of Narnay - [illegible], pine -•V'-* i A ) sylvestris, some oak, •£,. - "yut. .,-■-• ■.•;-' *->' i ,.:'■';*:; • patches of each ;.-, nearly pure, others .:,,. mixed. The ground „»;!;,,;,»< v ■,.,',./'',.: :'rV ■'■.' hilhj and bouldery, ,' ,, / , gravelly, adorned ft with glacial lakes, ?„,.>,_;j\,:•"*■•->'' 'fi's. ~.C'(./'y, t, „*.' I bogs and meadows, . A J'^ :'\ many of the lakes of ;_> »<; "~"':f:';A ,;,.:■ "-' A.'-^::- , -/ considerable size and VsV handsome. White pond lillies common. Most of land along the railroad in private hands, not allowed to clear land without government permission. July 1". Drove to American Embassy. Arranged to meet Prince tomorrow at 10:45 AM. Drove around town all day - fine buildings, palaces, parks, etc. Visited the fine palace picture galleries on the island . 30 or 40 Rembrandt s, glorious art, one old mother haunts me with her wondrous evjes. Van Dycks also, and Murillos, Rafaels, Titians, Salvator Rosas, Corregios, etc. Velasquez, a wonderful collection. Also endless jewellery - diamond crusted boxes, chains, clocks, weapons, etc., of little interest to me. One of 100 paintings worth all the beautiful barbaric rubbish. page 5 Portraits of the Czars and their wives, brothers, etc., abundant. The house of Peter the Great visited as a holy shrine. The assassinated Alexander has Memorial Church and Monuments, also wax figure life size with clothing he wore when killed. The equestrian statue of Peter the Great is a fine work on huge Finland boulder, the dragging of which to its place I remember reading about with wonder when a hoy. . The great gardeners we have visited both in Britain and on the Continent are an admirable class of plant students, collectors, manufacturers and merchants, masters of their business, sons succeeding fathers for 3 or 4 generations. Waterer and Veich Bros. In London and Spaf f and Mann, others in Holland and Germany whose names I can t recollect, though I enjoyed their kindness and hospitality. July 2nd. Drove to the American Embassy. Thence to Prince Hikoff, head of Railroad Dept. He received us kindly, at once put us at ease, spoke of American Railroads, said he had learned his trace in the United States, etc. I showed him the President s To Whom It Mavj Concern letter. That is very good, he said, and promised us one similar to all Railroad officials along our route. This important business done, we drove with Mr. Riddle of the American Embassy to the grand office of the Department of Agriculture. An immense crowd "waiting, but we were quickly called in and politely received by the grandly-clad and decorated, witty, ruddy old gentleman with profound bows and handshakes. He said we could see specimens of all the Siberian trees here, that the natural woods were very bad and ugly, not much worth seeing etc. Kindhj promised us letters and anvj assistance in his power. Called on us at our hotel, and detailed a young forestry man to go with us on our short trips around the city and adjacent towns, etc. PM. Drove to Zoologic Gardens, saw the animals - bears, lions, tigers, etc., fed. Saw an old elephant turning hand organ with trunk and at same time beating time with one of its front feet on a drum and cymbals, then reach out trunk for pennies and hand them to his keeper, wise, homely, wrinkled, pitiful old friend of man with almost human sagacity, yet hraggingly shot for fun. At these gardens are many cheap beery restaurants, and a playhouse where pretty good music and comic plays are given almost free by the Government. July3'd. Started early, for a botanic garden under Department of Agriculture. Saw find Ahies and Larix siberica. Then visited the Winter Palace, an immense, sumptuous set of rooms and halls, some in fine taste, others barbaric in gold and ivory, precious stones, etc. In the Chapel saw a hand of John Baptist, finger of one of Apostles, and other ghastly relics. Most of the thousands of paintings in this and other palaces hereabouts are portraits and hattles, and most of the portraits are in armor and military decorated garb. The same is tme of those of the National Gallery and the statuary is mostly nvjmphish or warlike. PM. Went to Peterhoff. Magnificent fountains a long avenue of slender jets 1 inch diameter, bordering broad marble stairway down which a thin sheet of water is pouring has a lively and splendid effect. Along the fountains are many marble and gilded statues, lions, classic figures, etc. One of the fountains has a cluster of pipes - 365 - one for each day in the year with fine effect - a geyser about 30 feet high or 40. All together there must be thousands of jets. In front of terrace facing the open Gulf of Bothnia, grand old oaks, elms, poplars, etc., planted some of them by Peter the Great. The whole planned by him. ITis first summer palace very plain, lowly, and curious, especially his many baths. Tricks, etc., seats suddenly enveloped in a film of water, etc. The new little palace is charming, sometimes occupied a few days by the present Emperor. The larger one less account, gaudy but finely colored outside. One room full of portraits - heads and busts of ladies unf ramed, the walls from top to bottom covered with them. Artificial lakes, artificial trees as fountains. All the fountains play 4 hours a day. Pretty fancy garden in front of small palace, a dozen steamers seen at once from terrace. This place was the Sans Souci of Peter. Many of kis tools shown. July4tk. Went to [Raivola]* In Finland, Forest of Lindula, about 2 hours by rail and afoot and carriage, through a seemingly wild country after the immediate suburbs are passed. A perfectly flat sandy, gravelly region like Alaska, bogs in spots, mossy and [illegible word] with Alpine plants, with considerable areas covered with Calluna heather. Where drained cultivated patches of rye and potatoes, vegetables, etc. Mostly forested. Clearing controlled by the Government. Near the Lindula, a stream 40 feet wide of brown water owing to page 6 drainage of sphagnum hogs, is the Forest of Lindula, planted by Queen Anna, 170 years ago. Here the ground is somewhat higher - 50 feet? Above the river. It was formerly a grain farm, the trees mostly Larix Siberia with a few Picea excelsa and good sized patch of P. silvestris, or Riga Pine, are from 100 to 140 or 50 feet high and hone to three feet diameter, planted in straight rows about 20 feet apart (?). It is the tallest and most uniform patch of manufactured forest I have seen. The larch is especially fine and wild-like, making rounded head where it has room, fruits profusely, has rough hark, pale feathery brauchlets and leaves. Much paler than pine or spruce, the growth of the trees during the last 50 years has been very slow. An increase in some cases of only 2 inches in the diameter. The P. excelsa is very grand spruce in wealth of boughs sumptuously clothed, top seldom at all sharp; neither are the heads of the sy lvestris poor and rather rounded. Birch along the river and around meads tall and fine, so also alders. Py rola here and there, spiraea, vaccinium and other Alpine plants or far northern. Lovely flowers on drained open banks, Viola potentilla, Eregeron pedicularis, etc., bluebells growing with grass tall enough for the scythe. Fire breaks are carefully cleared through this forest. We were met at the station byj an ofticial of the Government who had droskies ready for us to take into the forest, a distance of 3 or 4 miles over rough country road. Owing to broken bridge had to walk half way. After walking over the forest, -we arrived about noon or later at a log house on the edge of the main forest, and greatly enjoyed the scenery - open pastures and hayfields and clumps of trees along the flowery bosky banks of the Lindula. We also enjoyed the delightful hospitality of the farmer s family on the place, simple, clean, cordial people. At a table beneath a larch near the house, we were feasted on clabbered milk, sweet milk, delicious tea in tumblers with lemon, brown .bread and white, boiled eggs, and wild strawberries and huckleberries with milk. This little visit to a Finland farmhouse is one of the most delightful episodes of all our journey so far. I could live at that home always and I could not help thinking that if ever I was verrj weary and required a long calm rest, I would like best to go to a Finland farm. No pleasure so fine is to he found in all Petersburg palaces. * The editor is grateful to Dr. Barbara Mossberg, Calfomia State University, Monterey Bay, and Professor Mikko Saikku of the University of Helsinki for helping to clear up the ambiguity of Muir's brief visit to Finland. Saikku notes: "On July 4, 1903, Muir and Sargent took the train from St. Petersburg to the forest of Raivola (known today by its Russian name, Roshino). This forest in the village of Lindula is situated in the parish of Kivennapa (Pervomaiskoje in Russian) on the Karelian Isthmus, which at the time was a part of the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland and later (1917-1944) of the Republic of Finland. The reason for visiting this particular location must have been its famous larch forest, planted in the 18"1 century for Russian naval stores production (Peter the Great had conquered the Karelian Isthmus from Sweden in the early 18th century, and the region then became a part of autonomous Finland in 1812). I'd suspect Sargent as a forester knew about the site and wanted to visit it while in the neighborhood. The great forest still survives, . (Personal communication, M. Saikku to B. Mossberg and W. Swagerty, "Muir in Finland," October 23, 2005). July5tk. Stayed at Hotel and rested. July6tk Received letters of introduction and To Whom It May Concern especially to Railroad officials to assist us in every way from Prince Hilkoff. I showed him President Roosevelt s letter at our interview, and he at once promised to give us one like it to those under his command. At 2:00 PM. we went rrp the Neva on a smart passenger steamer to its source in Lake Ladoga, a magnificent sheet of water about 45 miles from Petersburg, with forested shores. At the foot of the lake, a canal down which immense rafts of small logs and firewood, chiefly birch and sy lvestris pine are hauled btj horses starts and connecting with which are lakes and streams and other canals by which the Volga is reached, so that one may sail all the way from here to the Caspian Sea. Here is an old town, full of rough looking rafters and sailors, who drink much vodka, and often get drunk. A dirty, ancient disorderly place, hundreds of years old. Just at the foot of the lake in the middle of the river current there is a small island covered by a fortress built by Peter the Great. It is now used as an immense isolated silent prison for important prisoners who sink out of sight here as if buried at the bottom of the water. Only the highest officials are said to know who are in it and the reasons or suspicions -which caused their incarceration. Buried alive, let him who enters here leave hope behind. The majestic flood of dark water noiselesshj dividing against and sweeping past this gloomy stronghold of horrors I shall never forget. Nor shall I page 7 forget the vast peaceful expanse of the lake 150 miles [illegible word] with its dark forested shores fading in the distance beneath a gray rainy sky. We hired two boatmen and rowed up a little way into the lake from the steamer landing and around the walls of the prison dungeon. Then walked up the side of the canal, or rather the canals, for there are two now running side by side. The old one with massive granite locks not heing capable of carrying the traffic. Then we went to a queer old hotel or restaurant full of rough customers drinking hard and eating hard, and in a side room had a good supper of delicious tea, bread, butter, eggs, etc., thanks to our interpreter. Just as we had finished supper, a woman of the Greek Church came in carrying a sort of image on a black velvet sort of tray, and requested a contribution for something ox other. Our interpreter told her we were Americans and did not understand her, and she at once turned to leave. But she seemed so pure and sweet and good we told the interpreter to give her something when she thanked us and said she would pravj for us. She has one of the most charming faces I ever saw. I wish I had given her more. What would any church be without women! On the steamer I noticed many of the passengers, men and women of every rank devoutly bowing and crossing themselves as we sailed past churches and shrines at a distance. Some prostrate themselves in front of shrines in the midst of the busiest parts of the city. The Neva all the way from the lake source to the sea flows through a flat drift deposit of roughly stratified sand and fine gravel and clay. Some of it blue. The hanks are only a few feet high, seldom more than 20 feet. After Petersburg is left in going up this river, 3 or 4 miles from the center, factories with tall chimneys line the banks. These are passed mostly at a distance of about 10 miles. Beyond the factory region all the way to the lake are many squalid or straggling old villages and handsome residences between them in comfortable looking seclusion. The little villages, little farms and residences. There are stretches of considerable extent that are forested to the bank edge or places down to the water s edge, with pine chiefly and birch, poplar and willow. More than lfe the distance from City to Lake seemed wild and young in general views and reminded me of Alaska fiords. We made perhaps 30 or more landings at mills, factories of villages, letting passengers off and on. A good many of the young women of the upper class are good looking, though women in general are apt to he too stout. There was much kissing and handkerchief shaking in meeting and parting on these journerjs as if intended for round-the-world voyages. So demonstrative they are. July7ik. Ran through the School of Art or Academy. Few good paintings, hut some fine statuary. Then through the Palace of Count [blank] all very fine inside, gloomy out. The Picture Gallery contains some great paintings - Rembrandt, Murillo, Van Dy ck, Poussin, Angelo, etc. Thence we went to still another palace and art school. Thence to a Government building containing the gilded and jewelled and painted carriages of the Coronations, etc. Marvellous in shape as well as ornament. Sleighs also and carriages of other aays. The broken one in which Alexander was riding when killed. Then in another long hall viewed the harness and saddles. Then 50 or so of the horses in their stalls, beautiful animals, especially the white ones which drew the Empress carriage. Thence to the Government Library, one of the greatest in the world. Returned to hotel tired out and glad we leave tomorrow morning for Sebastopol. July8tk. Left Petersburg this AM. at 930 in pouring rain. Glad to escape from huge semi-dismal old town of huge ijellow public buildings, war monuments, barbaric colored church and cathedrals, and palaces full or armor, jewelry and some fine paintings. We have pleasant compartment, road very smooth and direct as far as Moscow, the famous direct road of Nicholas built by the Winans. Natural woods all the way to 12 miles. An interesting little white pondlily in pools and ditches along line N. py gmea (?) Pods 3 or 4 inches diameter, flowers fe inch to inch. Beginning to fair up. The mountains dividing the Volga waters from the streams which flow to Baltic are: [blank] Arrived at Moscow at 930, made a stop of an hour or more. The ground is drier as Moscow is approached, and more grain raised. The patches of forest are nowhere a https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/jmn/1080/thumbnail.jpg |
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