38 
THE GREAT SIBERIAN RAILWAY. 
(IntusrratED By Lantern Views.) 
By Mr. A. MONTEFIORE BRICEH, F.G.S.; F.R.G.S. 
October 7th, 1902. 
Mr. James Kay, J.P., President, in opening the Session, reported 
that their Secretary, Mr. T. E. Rodgers, had resigned, and 
Mr. Geo. Gill had kindly undertaken the duties of preparing the 
Syllabus. Mr. T. Crossland had now undertaken to accept the 
office of Hon. Secretary. 
A letter of resignation having been read from Mr. Rodgers, a 
resolution of thanks was accorded to him for his four years’ 
services, on the motion of the President, seconded by Mr. Fred. J. 
Grant, J.P., and a similar compliment was paid to Mr. G. Gill 
for having acted as Secretary during the interregnum. 
On the motion of the President, seconded by Mr. A. Strange, J.P., 
a resolution formally appointing Mr. Crossland as the Secretary 
was cordially carried, and Mr. Crossland, in accepting the office, 
stated that he relied on the willing help of the Committee in 
carrying out the duties of the office. 
Mr. Montefiore Brice then proceeded with his lecture, en- 
livening his remarks by his ready wit and racy language. 
The great Siberian Railway is the longest Railway in the 
world—it is about 5,500 miles in length—and Siberia is one of 
the largest countries in the world, being about one hundred 
times larger than England, and about two hundred times larger 
than the mainland of Scotland. ‘To express it mathematically, 
it embraces 5,000,000 square miles. Everything is on a huge 
scale. Its rivers are not only numerous but very large. There 
are 27,000 miles of navigable waters in the rivers of Siberia. 
After describing the route from Moscow, the Cathedral of 
St. Vassili, the Oriental character of the Russian, with their love 
of colour, and the Siberian express mode of travelling (quite as 
comfortable as any other—and more so than on many rail- 
ways), he illustrated the method adopted in the construction of 
the railway, in which 150,000 men were continually employed, 
and paid only about sixpence per day. They were fed on black 
