But to return to our own navigation. With the occasional assistance of sails or oars, our boat glided rapidly down the stream, between high and romantic banks. The Lena is one of the largest rivers in the world: from Kotschuga to Rigi, a distance of 400 wersts, the country is mountainous and covered with impenetrable forests, and the banks on either side present a succession of picturesque and varied views of great beauty. On the slopes of the hills we saw cultivated fields, pasture-grounds, and vegetable-gardens surrounding the cottages of the peasants, which sometimes stood singly, and sometimes formed little villages. There are many wooded islands in the bed of the river. The banks became steeper and the mountains more lofty as we approached Rigi, where the river makes a sudden bend to the east; the mountains closing in upon it, and appearing to divert it from its course. Lower down it escapes from the hills, and flows on in a broader stream, between flat banks. Below Rigi there are a few shallows which in some degree impede the navigation when the water is low; but after these are past, the flat vessels in common use meet with no impediment throughout the remainder of their passage. The first permanent winter-habitation of the Russians on the banks of the Lena was built in 1631, at the mouth of the Kuta, a tributary stream from the west. The Lena was first discovered by the Turuchanschi in 1607, and afterward by Cossacks from the Jenissei in 1628.* terprise; partly, also, to the jealous character of the government; but more than all to the numberless annoyances which individuals undertaking anything of the kind experience from the local authorities, in the shape of interference, delays, bribes, &c.-Am. Ed. * The Cossacks were the conquerors of Siberia, and the discovery of this river greatly assisted them in the subjugation of the country.-Am. Ed. PASSAGE DOWN THE LENA. 25 Between Saborje and Kirensk the river winds so much that the distance by water is 105 wersts, while in a straight line it is only thirty-five. It is here seven fathoms deep, and has scarcely any current. At Kirensk the left bank consists of black slate rocks, with some talc. A few wersts below I saw strata of chloride slate, in red clay. About 100 wersts farther down, the right bank consists of common clay and imperfect slate. At Schtscheki, 250 wersts beyond Kirensk, the rocks on the left bank are limestone, interspersed with veins of flint and calcareous spar. The banks become low and flat 350 wersts above Olekma. Here there are a quantity of fragments of green-stone porphyry, common quartz with mica, and much mica-slate. About 150 wersts from Olekma, the left bank, which is high, consists of layers of different coloured slate, the green layers being thick, and the intervening gray layers very thin; and occasionally I saw small veins of gypsum interspersed. At Olekma, the left bank consists entirely of clay, with rather thick layers of gray slate, and a beautiful dazzling white gypsum. About 180 wersts above Jakuzk, the right bank of the river is formed of perpendicular rocks, which from their form are called Stolby, or the pillars; and there are here several kinds of marble. About sixty wersts below Stolby there are many excavations in the bluff limestone rocks, the remains, probably, of former attempts to discover silver ore. Dr. Kyber saw in one of these caves a larch-tree growing from the rocky floor, at the depth of several fathoms, and flourishing in spite of the constant darkness. To these scanty notices concerning the banks of the Lena I may add the mention of two mineral springs on opposite sides, 150 wersts below Stolby. one on the left bank issues from a steep limestone rock, and has a sulphurous smell and a high temperature; the other, on the low bank opposite, is cold, very clear, and has a strong taste of salt. C The The town of Kirensk is a poor little village, chiefly deserving of notice for the success of the inhabitants in cultivating vegetables. They send to Jakuzk cabbages, potatoes, turnips, and sometimes even cucumbers. The gardens are all so placed as to be sheltered from the north and east by hills, rocks, or woods. About 250 wersts below Kirensk, the Lena passes between precipitous rocks nearly 500 feet high: the depth of the river in this part is twelve fathoms. This place is remarkable for an echo, which repeats the report of a pistol-shot at least a hundred times, the sound increasing in intensity so as to resemble a well-sustained running fire of musketry, or even a cannonade. They told us here the story of a hunter, who on his snow-shoes had pursued an elk to the edge of the precipice; and, in the ardour of the chase, both man and beast had been precipitated on the ice of the river, eighty fathoms below. Near this place we passed a steep rock in the bed of the stream, where a bark laden with brandy* had been wrecked some time before it is a little above the mouth of the Witima, which is celebrated for the quantity of talc found on its banks, and still more for its beautiful sables, which are esteemed the finest in all Siberia after those of Olekma. The forests on the right bank of the Lena are rich in fur-animals of all kinds, and the furs are remarkably fine; whereas on the left bank the skins are of an inferior quality, as well as much more scarce. This, indeed, might be expected, as the vast woods which cover the right bank of the river are connected with the forests of the Jablonnoj Stanowoj Chrebet,† into which the most adventurous fur-hunters have not * That is, the common spirituous liquor of the country, distilled from rye, and called by the Russians watka.-Am. Ed. This is the name of the chain of mountains which extends southward on the east side of the Lena, and connects itself with the Baikal chain. PASSAGE DOWN THE LENA. 27 yet penetrated; while the left bank is more lightly wooded and better inhabited. On the 9th of June we found ourselves opposite the town of Olekma.* Here we had heavy rain, and so violent a wind setting against the stream as completely to stop our progress. We had recourse, therefore, to an expedient commonly resorted to here in such cases, and which succeeded perfectly well. We bound four larch-trees together in a row, and, by attaching stones to them, suspended them about a fathom under water, their tops being downward, and their roots attached by cords to the forepart of our vessel. As the wind had no effect on the water at that depth, the under current, acting on this kind of subaqueous sail, impelled us forward, in spite of the opposition encountered at the surface. As we continued our voyage, we saw large tracts of forest burning, notwithstanding the heavy rain. The bushes and dry underwood were for the most part already consumed. The giant pines and larches still stood enveloped in flames, offering a magnificent spectacle, especially at night, when the red flames were reflected by the waves of the Lena, and nothing was heard but the loud crackling of the huge resinous trees. The forest-conflagrations often des * The sables of Olekma are the best in Siberia: from 50 to 100 roubles* a piece, and even more, are sometimes given here for skins of remarkable beauty. Those which have a bluish cast are the most prized. The squirrel skins of this district, which are distinguished for their very long, thick, dark-grey hair, are also much sought after, and fetch a high price. Olekma is therefore a place of importance on account of its fur-trade. It may moreover be regarded as the limit of grain-cultivation in Siberia: none grows to the north of Olekma, and the winter rye, which is the only grain cultivated at this place, not unfrequently fails. The paper rouble is here meant, the value of which is about 20 cents: the Russian silver rouble is worth about 77 cents. The currency of the country consists, for the most part, of paper, and it is this currency which is referred to throughout the volume.-Am. Ed. olate hundreds of wersts, and almost always originate in the carelessness of hunters or travellers, who neglect to extinguish the fires which they have lighted to dress their food, or to drive away the clouds of moschetoes which darken the air, and are an almost insupportable torment. Besides the destruction of the trees, these fires have the farther bad effect of driving the fur-animals and game of all kinds to more remote and undisturbed districts. Still the hunters, who are the greatest losers, are not cured of this ruinous carelessness. The farther north we proceeded, the more desolate the shores of the river became in every respect. We had seen at Olekma the last traces of either field or garden cultivation: beyond it the natives subsist entirely on the produce of their cattle, and by hunting and fishing. There are scarcely any settlements except the post-stations, and the few inhabitants appear to be miserably off. Those who came to us were in rags, and bowed down by want and sickness. This is especially the case with the Russian settlers, who are found as far north as within fifty wersts of Jakuzk. Beyond this the population consists entirely of Jakuti, who, as the true aborigines, know how to encounter the climate better, and suffer less from its severity and privations. After sticking fast one whole night on a sandbank, we landed at Jakuzk on the 25th of July, having been twenty-five days in making the passage from Kotschuga, a distance of 2500 wersts. In the spring, when the current is more rapid, and contrary winds are rare, this voyage does not occupy more than thirteen or fourteen days. At Jakuzk we were most kindly received by the commandant, M. Minizkoj, in whose house M. Anjou and myself remained during our stay. We were indebted to him for much valuable information and advice relative to our journeying in Siberia, which he has thoroughly studied during a residence there |