Among the Celestials : vol.1 / Page 72 (Color Image)

0072	Among the Celestials : vol.1

48 AMONG THE CELESTIALS. [CHAP. II.

troops over the way at Hunchun, but they

were evidently of a temporary description.

The rations of the Cossacks consisted princi-

pally of black bread, and they received also an

allowance of soup-like stew or stew-like soup ;

but the whole ration was decidedly inferior to

what the British soldier gets. Their pay is

twenty roubles— about fifty shillings—a month,

which would be very liberal if they had not out

of it to pay for the whole of their equipment.

The amount which actually reaches their

pocket was, according to the colonel, about a

halfpenny a day ! It must indeed require

conscription to induce men to go through all

a Cossack does for this ludicrous remunera-

tion.

In the evening the colonel had a small

dinner-party, when three of the officers of the

post and a Chinaman, who spoke Russian, and

acted as interpreter between the Russian and

Chinese officials, came in. After eating some

small dishes, such as sardines and salmon

chips, at a side table, and washing them down

with a glass or two of vodka, which the colonel

informed us was a quite necessary proceeding,

to clear our throats for the dinner that was

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