122 Journey to the Frozen- Sea, and 



But what astonished me still more, was the pictu- 

 resque view of the opposite side of the Lena. This ri- 

 ver, which is one of the largest in Siberia, majestically 

 rolls its waters through the mountainous chain of Vers- 

 chejansk : it is here, near its mouth, entirely devoid of 

 islands, and much narrower, deeper, and more rapid 

 than in any place of its course. The mountains here 

 appear in a great variety of forms ; they are of a brilliant 

 whiteness, and of a savage and horrid aspect; sometimes 

 they represent immense columns which rise into the 

 clouds, sometimes they resemble the ruins of ancient 

 forts, and as if they were parts detached from the muti- 

 lated remains of grotesque and gigantic figures. 



Further off, the horizon is terminated by a chain of 

 high mountains, where eternal snow and ice dart back 

 the rays of the sun. 



These landscapes are of exquisite beauty ; an expert 

 draughtsman would look in vain for similar views in any 

 other place of Siberia ; and I am not astonished that the 

 picturesque situation of Kumak-Surka should become 

 the object of a national song, known solely on the shores 

 of the Frozen- Sea. I reserve the communication of 

 this curious article until I publish the detailed account 

 of my journey. 



The course of the winds having at last changed, I 

 thought of pursuing my route, and I had my rein-deer 

 brought across the river. Next day, at day-break, I set 

 out, accompanied by a Toungouse chief, Ossip Shou- 



