^ 0:S rilE WAY TO BAEXAUL. 393 



extend liis leseai'ches to the Altai, of which bit httle 

 was known since the time of Pallas, Renovantz. and 

 Hermann. This scheme was strongly supported by the 

 Governor-Greneral. The distance from Tobolsk to Bar- 

 naul was one thousand five hundred vei"sls, but by start- 

 ing at once they could traverse it within the time pre- 

 scribed for their undertaking. So providing themselves 

 with cap-nets as a defence against the gnats, they imme- 

 diately commenced the journey. Their road lay across 

 a steppe through Zara and Kainsk to Tomsk. The soil 

 was firm and black, cultivated near the villages, and 

 everywhere covered with tall herbage, interspersed with 

 groups of birch and poplar. Between the AYagai and 

 the Ischen whole tracts were covered Vv^ith red flowers in 

 full blossom : others Avere of a deep azure. The pea- 

 sants of the villages through which the travellers passed 

 appeared to be wealthy, and their houses, for the most 

 part, were strikingly clean and neat. 



As the sky was unclouded the heat was considerable. 

 The waters of the river Ajefif, at noon, on the 21st, were 

 19° 4' Reaumur, the air being 24° 6'. The Irstysch was 

 also warm, being 19° near the convent of Abalak, on 

 the 24th. The water of the wells, however, was ex- 

 tremely cold. At Basckshewa, the first station from 

 Tobolsk, the water of an ordinary well, free from ice, 

 was 2°. 



Ascending the Irstysch to Tatmytakaja they proceeded 

 in a south-easterly direction to the waters of the Om, and 

 thence eastwardly along its banks across the great steppe 

 of Barabinski, which reached from the Irstysch to the 

 Obi. Unlike the majority of steppes which are dry and 

 arid, this terrible waste abounded with marshes^ rivers 



17* 



