The eldest, who acted as hostess, was in black, and her case in receiving visitors would have done credit to a society dame in St.Petersburg.By way of commencement we had tea and _nalifka_, the latter a kind of currant wine of local manufacture and very well flavored.

They gave us corned beef and bread, each person taking his plate upon his knee as at an American pic-nic, and after two or three courses of edibles we had coffee and cigarettes, the latter from a manufactory at Yakutsk.

According to Russian etiquette each of us thanked the hostess for her courtesy.
Out in the broad street there were many dogs lying idle in the sunshine or biting each other.

A small wagon with a team of nine dogs carried a quantity of tea and sugar from the Variag's boats to a warehouse.

When the work was finished I took a ride on the wagon, and was carried at good speed.