erson convicted of converting a Christian to Islamism
is sentenced, according to the criminal code (Sec.184), to the
loss of all civil rights, and to imprisonment with hard
labour for a term varying from eight to ten years.

Whether the barrier that separates Christians and Mussulmans in Russia,
as elsewhere, will ever be broken down by education, I do not know; but
I may remark that hitherto the spread of education among the Tartars
has tended rather to imbue them with fanaticism. If we remember that
theological education always produces intolerance, and that Tartar
education is almost exclusively theological, we shall not be surprised
to find that a Tartar's religious fanaticism is generally in direct
proportion to the amount of his intellectual culture. The unlettered
Tartar, unspoiled by learning falsely so called, and knowing merely
enough of his religion to perform the customary ordinances prescribed by
the Prophet, is peaceable, kindly, and hospitable towards all men; but
the learned Tartar, who has been taught that the Christian is a kiafir
(infidel) and a mushrik (polytheist), odious in the sight of Allah, and
already condemned to eternal punishment, is as intolerant and fanatical
as the most bigoted Roman Catholic or Calvinist. Such fanatics are
occasionally to be met with in the eastern provinces, but they are
few in number, and have little influence on the masses. From my own
experience I can testify that during the whole course of my wanderings
I have nowhere received more kindness and hospitality than among the
uneducated Mussulman Bashkirs. Even here, however, Islam opposes a
strong barrier to Russification.

Though no such barrier existed among the pagan Finnish tribes, the work
of Russification among them is still, as I have already indicated, far
from complete. Not only whole villages, but even many entire districts,
are still very little affected by Russian influence. This is to be
explained partly by geographical conditions. In regions which have a
poor soil, and are intersected by no navigable river, there are few or
no Russian settlers, and consequently the Finns have there preserved
intact their language and customs; whilst in those districts which
present more inducements to colonisation, the Russian population is more
numerous, and the Finns less conservative. It must, however, be admitted
that geographical conditions do not completely explain the facts. The
various tribes, even