When we entered the stations for any purpose the sleighs and their contents remained unguarded in the streets, but we never lost anything by theft.  With recollections of my experience at stage stations in America, I never felt quite at ease at leaving our property to care for itself.  My companions assured me that thefts from posting vehicles seldom occur although the country numbers many convicts among its inhabitants.  The native Siberians have a reputation for honesty, and the majority of the exiles for minor offences lead correct lives.  I presume that wickedly inclined persons in villages are deterred from stealing on account of the probability of detection and punishment.  So far as my experience goes the inhabitants of Siberia are more honest that those of European Russia.  In Siberia our sleighs required no watching when we left them.  After passing the Ural mountains it was necessary to hire a man to look after our property when we breakfasted and dined.

The horses being the property of the station we paid for them at every change.  On no account was the navodku or drink-money to the driver forgotten, and it varied according to the service rendered.  If the driver did well but made no special exertion we gave him eight or ten copecks, and increased the amount as we thought he deserved.  On the other hand if he was obstinate and unaccommodating he obtained nothing.  If he argued that the regulations required only a certain speed we retorted that the regulations said nothing about drink-money.  In general we found the yemshicks obliging and fully entitled to their gratuities.  We went at breakneck pace where the roads permitted, and frequently where they did not.  A travelers’ speed depends considerably on the drink-money he is reported to have given on the previous stage.  If illiberal to a good driver or liberal to a bad one he cannot expect rapid progress.

The regulations require a speed of ten versts (6-2/3 miles) per hour for vehicles not on government service.  If the roads are bad the driver can lessen his pace, but he must make all proper exertion to keep up to the schedule.  When they are good and the driver is thirsty (as he generally is), the regulations are not heeded.  We arranged for my sleigh to lead, and that of the servants to bring up the rear.  Whatever speed we went the others were morally certain to follow, and our progress was frequently exciting.  Money was potent, and we employed it.  Fifteen copecks was a liberal gratuity, and twenty bordered on the munificent.  When we increased our offer to twenty-five or thirty it was pretty certain to awaken enthusiasm.  Sometimes the pecuniary argument failed, and obliged us to proceed at the legal rate.  In such cases we generally turned aside and placed the ladies in advance.

We made twelve, fourteen, or sixteen versts per hour, and on one occasion I held my watch, and found that we traveled a trifle less than twenty-two versts or about fourteen and a half miles in sixty minutes.  I do not think I ever rode in America at such a pace (without steam) except once when a horse ran away with me.  Ordinarily we traveled faster than the rate prescribed by regulation, and only when the roads were bad did we fall below it.  We studied the matter of drink-money till it became an exact science.