CHAPTER IX. 



THE LENA RIVER AND ITS DELTA. 



head waters of the Upper Lena havo their sources 

 -L spread out for 200 miles along- the counter slopes of the 

 hills that form the western bank of Lake Baikal, and the 

 main stream rises within seven miles of that lake, and not 

 far from Irkutsk, the capital of Eastern Siberia. At 

 Kachugskoe, about sixty miles from Lake Baikal, the Lena 

 is as wide as the Thames at London, and in spring time its 

 deep and clear waters have a very rapid current. The next 

 station after Kachugskoe is Vercholensk, a town of 1,000 

 inhabitants. 



After flowing 500 miles further through a hilly country, 

 with high banks always on one and sometimes on both sides, 

 on which are thirty-five post-stations and more villages, the 

 river passes Kirensk, the chief town of the section. Here 

 cultivation of the ground practically ceases, except for vege- 

 tables. At this point, too, the river receives on its right the 

 Kirenga, which has run nearly as long a course as the Lena. 

 The stream thus enlarged now flows on for 300 miles to 

 Vitimck, where it is joined by its second great tributary, the 

 Vitim, from the mountains east of Lake Baikal. Another 

 stretch of 400 miles, through a country still hilly, but with 

 . villages less frequent, brings the traveler to Olekrninsk, a town 

 of 500 inhabitants, where the Lena receives from the south 

 the Olekma, which rises near the Amoor River. It then con- 

 tinues on for 400 miles through a sparsely-populated district 

 till it reaches Yakutsk, where it is four mile* wide in sum- 

 mer, and two and one-half in winter. At this place it is 

 usually frozen over about the first of October, and not free 



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