94 SlBEKiA. 



reckoned less than 4000 miles, and ils breadUi from north to south va- 

 ries from 1100 to 1900. Its surface is about five millions, ol' square 

 miles, which is larger by two-sevenths than the whole of Europe. 



The climate is the first particular which will engage our attention. — 

 Striking and peculiar features present themselves here, which modify the 

 whole aspect of nature. The southern and the most favored part of Si- 

 beria is blessed with a temperature in mildness not to be compared with 

 that of Norway, whilst the northern and eastern portions are the re- 

 gions of perpetual ice and snows. Here agriculture is unknown. The 

 influence of the sun, during the short period in which he visits with 

 feeble and sickly rays the surrounding desolation, does not penetrate the 

 earth more than a foot, and soon bleak winter returns to resume his tre- 

 mendous dominion. "As early as August, it begins to snow ; and the 

 whole ground is covered, to the depth of two or three feet, before the 

 month of October. Along the shores and bays, the fresh water, poured 

 from the rivulets or drained from the thawing of former collections of 

 snow, becomes quickly converted into solid ice. As the cold augments^ 

 the air deposits its moisture in the form of fog, which freezes into a fine 

 gossamer netting or spicular icicles dispersed through the atmosphere 

 and extremely minute, that might seem to pierce and excoriate the skin. 

 The hoar frost settles profusely in fantastic clusters on every promi- 

 nence. The whole surface of the sea steams like a lime-kiln, caused, as 

 in other instances in the production of vapor, by the waters being yet 

 relatively ■waVmer than the incumbent atmosphere. At length the dis- 

 persion of the mist and the clearness of the atmosphere announce that 

 the upper x^tratum of the sea has cooled to the same temperature, and a 

 sheet of ke spreads quickly over the smooth expanse, and during a sin- 

 gle night oftimes attaining llie thickness of an inch. The darkness of 

 prolonged winder now broods over the desolate scene, except when the 

 moon at stated periods, with sickly light, reveals the surrounding hor- 

 rors. The wretched settlers, covered with a load of bear-skins, remain 

 crowded and inunured in their huts, every chink of which they have 

 carefully closed ag^iinst the piercing external cold ; and cowering around 

 the stove, or the lamp, they seek to doze away the tedious night. Their 

 slender stock of provisions, though kept in the same apartment, is often 

 frozen so hard as to be cut with a hatchet. The whole of the inside 

 ol" the hut becomes lined witli a thick crust of ice, and if they happen 

 for an instant to open a window the moisture of the confined air is im- 

 mediately precipitated in the form of a shower of snow. As the frost 

 continues to penetrate deeper, the rocks are heard at a distance to spilt 

 with loud explosious. The sleep of death becms to wrap up the scene 



