M. A. and M. I. ULYANOV. MAY 18, 1897

about the money transfer: now, they are probably traveling from Krasnoyarsk here 37. Then
I already wrote from here that I have enough here for 2 weeks.

As for you coming here just to beg for my transfer - that is completely and utterly not worth it. Firstly, I myself will probably get permission for the transfer, if I start the effort. Secondly, the village of Tesinskoye is hardly better than Shusha.

According to all the preliminary information that we collected earlier, Tes is much worse
than Shusha in terms of terrain, hunting, etc. Thirdly, a trip here is not such a simple
thing - I already wrote about this and today I am writing in more detail to Manyasha, who accuses
(I'm joking) me of "terrible inhospitality." - I don't have a letter from Tes yet 38 and, not
knowing anything about it, of course, I will not undertake anything: maybe they will still be
asking to be transferred somewhere else, if Tes really turns out to be as bad as we
heard about it.

Shu-shu-shu is a pretty good village. True, it lies in a rather bare place, but nearby (11/2-2 versts) there is a forest, although it is heavily cut down. There is no access to the Yenisei,
but the Shush River flows near the village itself, and then a rather large tributary of the Yenisei is not far (1-11/2 versts), and you can swim there. On the horizon - the Sayan Mountains or
spurs of them; some are completely white, and the snow on them hardly ever melts. So,
there is something in terms of artistry too, and I was not in vain composing back in Krasnoyarsk
poems: "In Shusha, at the foot of the Sayan...", but unfortunately I didn’t compose anything beyond the first verse!

I am surprised that you do not write a word about sending me the rest of the books. It's a pity,
if they have not been sent yet (I wrote about this a long time ago from Krasnoyarsk*). Now just
steamers should reach Minusinsk (the water is rising sharply), so that the bale would be
easy to transport here. And then it will be difficult again, because the Yenisei forms a mass of shallows, and the high water will not last long. Maybe, however, the books have already been sent?

* See this volume, p. 28. Ed.