373 
Here he describes the various routes to Siberia, 
1. By steamers from Odessa through Suez Canal to Vladivostok. 
2. Through the Arctic Ocean by the Kara Sea and up the 
Yenesei. 
3. Through Orenburg, Orsk alongside the Ural River, and 
then through Omsk. 
4. By Perm and Ekaterinburg, and as described above. 
He gives a description of the various modes of *travelling by- 
government post and by free posting. 
In spring and summer the traffic is principally by water, the 
mail steamer often having in tow a barge full of convicts, but in 
winter in long caravans of sometimes over 100 sledges, with one 
driver to about every 10. 
He shows how by making a few canals it would be possible to 
have water communication all the way from Tjumen to Irkutsk, 
and thence by the Angara and Selenga, and if a short railway was 
made to the Amur right on to the Pacific Ocean. 
There are numerous rapids on the Angara, the most important 
called “‘ Podun.” 
The enormous size of the Siberian rivers may be imagined when 
you think that the largest rivers of Europe, the Rhine, Rhone, 
Danube and Volga would have to join themselves together to 
make a Yenesei, Ob or Lena. The length of the Selenga, Angara, 
Yenesei, is over 5,000 versts, and Reclus reckons that the whole 
of the Yenesei’s water system is about 2,900,000 square versts. 
The Angara is one of the most beautiful rivers in the world. 
Between Irkutsk and Bratskoj Ostrog (a Buriat fortress) there: is 
already steamer communication. 
He describes the scenery wide, stretching, tilled fields and charm- 
ing groves. During the first day’s journey they passed Distil- 
leries, Tanneries, Saltworks, Cloth Factories, Glass Factories, &e., 
and the banks were well populated. Numerous islands were 
* Alterations have since been made in the posting arrangements, 
