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Chap. m. 39 CHAPTER III. Resume our Journey—Beautiful Flowers—The Banks of the Ob—A stormy Night—Whistling for a Wind—Arrive at Barnaoul—Domestic Life in Barnaoul—Dinner with the Director of Mines—Pleasant Society—Picnics—Tale of a Head-dress—Opposition to any further Progress. Barnaoul, June 19th, 1848. It is long since I took up my pen to address you. The fact is, I have been ill; this rendered me incapable of occupying myself in any way. I am glad to say my indisposition—which was, no doubt, a severe cold—has been frightened away by physic and leeches, or perhaps by the sight of the veiled Tatar lady, who came to apply the latter; none but Tatars keep leeches here. I should have preferred one of the good-natured Eussian peasants, with her rosy, chubby cheeks, to have acted the part of doctoress, rather than the ugly tawny-faced Tatar; but I had no choice in the matter. I am not sorry we have quitted Tomsk: it is decidedly not a pretty town, though there are things of interest in it, and also some very kind, good people, who endeavoured to render our stay as agreeable as possible. We left Tomsk on June 3rd, and a splendid morning it was for our journey. The water in the Tom was stillhigh, but we crossed without difficulty, and then what a lovely ride we had! The valley which we crossed was one sheet of deep orange colour, from the vast quantities of globe anemone growing there; and in some parts we came upon large patches of pale blue forget-me-nots, contrasting beautifully with the orange, and then the numerous shrubs, the blossoms of which gave forth perfumes which quite scented the air; it was a scene ofloveliness such as I had never beheld. On reaching the woods, we came upon deep blue iris, and many other flowers; I frequently delayed our progress by gett...
