Cwhrune's Journey to the frozen Sea and Kamtchalha. (S\7 



couulry, much cultivation, and some 

 forest spots. Many bold and picturcsqu« 

 blufls run into tlic river, riisliing as it 

 Mere through the valleys, and I'orminj? 

 strong eddies as they pass the islands 

 with which the river is ii)ters|)ersed. I 

 reached Uslkamenogorsk in the early 

 part of the second evening, having 

 crossed a sort of broken chain of hills. 

 The scenery in general was, however, 

 very beautiful and wild; to the right 

 one of the peaks lifts its snow-clad head, 

 and is visible at the distance of one 

 hundred miles. Uslkamenogorsk is 

 placed in a vast level valley, bounded 

 east and west by lofty distant mountains, 

 and the whole forms a rich and striking 

 panorama. The fortress is like others 

 hereabouts, — a bare mud wall, yet keeps 

 a commandant and three hundred 

 soldiers in snug but useless quarters, 

 occupied in cutting hay and plundering 

 tiie poor peasantry. 



BOUKHTARMA. 



Boukhtarma stands on the right bank 

 of the Irtish, in one of the most ro- 

 mantic spots in the universe. It is en- 

 vironed by the noblest mountains, which 

 yet appear to have no other connexion 

 with each other than that of standing 

 logelhcr on the same globe: they are, 

 111 fact, so many beautiful hills placed 

 un a perfectly level plane, so that a tra- 

 veller may go round them without an 

 ascent or descent of ten perpendicular 

 feet. From this may be imagined the 

 romantic beauty of the valleys which 

 intervene: not a tree, nor a shrub, nor 

 u habitation, is to be seen, save only in 

 the fortress ; — nothing but grass. The 

 valley is one continued carpelof herbage, 

 forming, in contrast with the sterile 

 mountains, a picturesque solitude, un- 

 disturbed, except during the night, by 

 the barking of the wolves and other 

 wild animals. * 



The fortress, though it maintains a 

 commandant, with a garrison of three 

 hundred men, is a miserable place, the 

 Horst along the whole frontier line; nor 

 is the village belter. The Kirgeese 

 commit great havoc among the cattle, 

 stealing great numbers, of which not 

 more than one half are, in any circum- 

 Htanccs, restored. A considerable trade 

 might be established at this point bc- 

 tvveen the Russian and Chinese empires, 

 but for the obstinacy, ignorance, and 

 policy of the latter nation, who will not 

 change the route by which their fore- 

 fathers travelled. The advantage of the 

 alteration would be sufticienlly u|)parcnt 

 from the meru fact of the Icbscr distance 



from Pekin to Boukhtarma, than from 

 that city to Kiatka and Tobolsk. 



CHINESE FRONTIERS. 



Having procured a guide, I left 

 Boukhtarma for the line of demarcation 

 on the Chinese and Russian frontiers; 

 I first crossed the stream which gives 

 name to the fortress, and then over a 

 good path, entered upon a most romantic 

 country, near the village of Voronia. 

 It is impossible, without a poetical ima- 

 gination, to conceive the beauties of 

 such a country ; the magnificent and 

 bold sterile precipices which are seen 

 rising from the great level pasture base, 

 are, I should think, quite unparalleled; 

 and the noble Irtish forcing its way 

 amongst the numerous islands near this 

 part of the river, adds to the majesty of 

 the scene. At the village, among other 

 similar luxuries, I was treated with 

 wild currants, melons, cassia, "milk 

 and honey." Surely this is the natural 

 place for the habitation of man. 



The night was so beautiful, the moon 

 just ascending above the hills, that, in 

 spite of a good supper, which was ready 

 and inviting my attack, I resumed my 

 journey on horsebiick, in company with 

 the landlord, to Malaya-Nary raka, the 

 last Russian spot on the frontier. An 

 oHicer and a few men placed here are all 

 that are left to mark the boundaries of 

 two such mighty empires as Russia and 

 China. I forded the little stream which 

 forms the actual limit, and sealing my- 

 self on a stone on the left bank, was 

 soon lost in a reverie. It was about 

 midnight; the moon, apparently full, 

 was near her meridian, and seemed to 

 encourage a pensive inclination. What 

 can surpass that scene I know not. 

 Some of the loftiest granite mountains 

 spreading in various directions, enclos- 

 ing some of the most luxuriant valleys 

 in the world ; yet all deserted! — all this 

 fair and fertile tract abandoned to wild 

 beasts, merely to constitute a neutral 

 territory ! 



THE IRTISH. 



Of the value of the Irtish I need say 

 nothing, it speaks for itself. Holding 

 an almost uninterrupted commimication 

 from tjic frontiers of China to the Frozen 

 Sea, a steam-boat might go from Boukh- 

 tarma to Tobolsk in a few days, and re- 

 turn in twice the time. Wood for fire 

 is plentiful, and many establishments 

 might be formed for the preparing and 

 felling of it; while i^ water communi- 

 cation is ready formed with the Caspian 

 Baltic, and White Seas, and tlience 

 duwncTcn to Tobolsk. The soil, which 



