Note 13 — Chapter L · THE USSURI AND SUNGACHA.

A Cossack’s pay ranges from 10s. 6d. to 13s. a year, which is less than that of infantry soldiers, whose monthly pay I learned at Vladivostock was for recruits, 1s. 6d.; soldiers, 4s.; under officers, 10s. 9d.; and field assistants, 30s.; whilst cooks, tailors, bootmakers, and barbers each receive about 1d. a month from every soldier in the company. Every soldier also subscribes 6d. a year for religious purposes. Whether Cossacks, when called up, have the same food as soldiers of the line I know not, but the latter in time of peace have as follows:—Per day 3 lbs (Russian) of rye bread, ¾ lb. meat, vegetables 1½ lb. in summer and 1 lb. in winter; also, per month, 37 lbs. oatmeal, 4 lbs. peas, 2 lbs. butter, ⅓ lb. sugar, ⅙ lb. each of brick tea and salt, and ½ pint of vinegar. These, too, are the rations of Russian sailors on shore. The clothing for soldiers I learned was as follows:—Yearly, 2 caps, 2 pairs of cloth trousers, and 2 of linen, 2 linen shirts for gymnastics, and 3 for ordinary use, 3 pairs linen drawers, 2 pairs high boots, 1 pair shoes, and 2 pairs of cloth gloves. Every other year, a thick cloth coat, long overcoat, hood, and skull-cap. A belt is expected to last 3 and a set of buttons 5 years. What proportion of this clothing is supplied to Cossacks I do not know. It may very well be that they receive less, seeing that they give to the Government less time and less labour than the ordinary soldiers.