Letters of Anton Chekhov (Tchekhov) - Penn State University

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Letters of Anton Chekhov to His Family and Friends with biographical sketchTO A. S. SUVORIN.BLAGOVESHTCHENSK, June 27, 1890.The Amur is a very fine river; I have gained more from it than Icould have expected, and I have been wishing for a long time toshare my transports with you, but the rascally steamer has beenrocking all the seven days I have been on it, and prevents me writingproperly. Moreover, I am quite incapable of describing anythingso beautiful as the shores of the Amur; I am at a complete loss beforethem, and recognise my bankruptcy. How is one to describethem? … Rocks, crags, forests, thousands of ducks, herons and allsorts of beaked gentry, and absolute wilderness. On the left theRussian shore, on the right the Chinese. I can look at Russia orChina as I please. China is as deserted and wild as Russia: villagesand sentinels’ huts are rare. Everything in my head is muddled; andno wonder, your Excellency! I have come more than a thousandversts down the Amur and seen a million landscapes, and you knowbefore the Amur there was Lake Baikal, Transbaikalia …. Truly Ihave seen such riches and had so much enjoyment that death wouldhave no terrors now. The people on the Amur are original, their lifeis interesting, unlike ours. They talk of gold, gold, gold, and nothingelse. I am in a stupid state, I feel no inclination to write, and Iwrite shortly, piggishly; to-day I sent you four papers about Yenisseyand the Taiga, later on I will send you something about Lake Baikal,Transbaikalia, and the Amur. Don’t throw away these sheets; I willcollect them, and they will serve as notes from which I can tell youwhat I don’t know how to put on paper.To-day I changed into the steamer Muravyov, which they say doesnot rock; maybe I shall write.I am in love with the Amur; I should be glad to spend a couple ofyears on it. There is beauty, space, freedom and warmth. Switzerlandand France have never known such freedom. The lowest convictbreathes more freely on the Amur than the highest general inRussia. If you lived here, you would write a great deal of good stuffand delight the public, but I am not equal to it.One begins to meet Chinamen at Irkutsk, and here they are com-196
Anton Chekhovmon as flies. They are the most good-natured people. If Nastya andBorya made the acquaintance of the Chinese, they would leave donkeysalone, and transfer their affection to the Chinese. They arecharming tame animals.… When I invited a Chinaman to the refreshment bar to treat himto vodka, before drinking it he held out the glass to me, the barkeeper,the waiters, and said: “Taste.” That’s the Chinese ceremonial.He did not drink it off as we do, but drank it in sips, eating somethingbetween each sip, and then, to express his gratitude, gave meseveral Chinese coins. An awfully polite people. They are dressedpoorly, but beautifully; they eat daintily, with ceremony ….197
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