RUSSIA. 



RUSSIA. 



370 



to its most northern bend, where it ia joined by its large affluent the 

 Chagoda or Chagodocha : it then follows the last-mentioned river to 

 iU junction with the Somino, which rises in the lakes of Somino and 

 Eglino. The Lake of Eglino is united by the Tikhwina Canal with 

 the imall Lake of Lebidini, which is the source of the river Tikh- 

 winka. The Tikhwinka runs westward into the Sias, which falls into 

 the Lake of Ladoga a few miles east of the embouchure of the 

 Volchow. The canal itself is only 5 miles long and 36 feet wide at its 

 upper level. A few cuts hare been made in the Somino and Tikh- 

 winka, bat their length does not exceed 4 miles. 



The third line of water communication traverses the two lakes of 

 Onega and Bjeloe' Ozero. The Kowsha, a navigable river which rises 

 in Lake Kowshoe Ozero, falls into the Lake Bjeloe Ozero from the 

 north-west Some miles weit of the Lake Kowahoe are the sources 

 of the river Vytegra, a feeder of Lake Onega. Between these two 

 riven is the Lake of Matko, whose waters, with those of the Kow- 

 shoe, are used to feed the locks of three short canals, whosa length, 

 taken together, does not exceed 8 miles. These canals are named the 

 Mary Canal*, hi honour of the empress Mary (wife of Paul), who paid 

 the expense of the undertaking. The river Cbeksna, which issues 

 from the Bjeloe Ozero and falls into the Volga above Rybinsk, con- 

 tains some rapids, which are avoided by a cut 12 miles long near the 

 town of Tcberepooetz. The Tikhwina and Mary Canals can only be 

 navigated from the end of April to the middle of October. 



As these three systems of inland navigation traverse the lakes of 



*n originally obliged to past 

 y incurred by the bi 



Ladoga and Onega, and the barge 



them, heavy losses of property were frequently incurred by the barges 

 being swmnped during the gales to which the lakes are subject. To avoid 

 this dangerous navigation, canals have been made along the southern 

 shores of the lakes. The most western canal, called the Ladoga Canal, 

 unites the river Volchow with the Neva ; it is nearly 70 mile* long, 

 from 10 to 14 fathoms wide, from 4 to 7 (set deep in summer, and 

 from 7 to 10 feet in spring. Steam-engines an used in some of the 

 locks in this canal, which was finished in 1733. When the Tikhwina 

 Canal was made, this line of navigation was extended farther east by 

 the Sias Canal, which runs along the southern banks of Lake Ladoga 

 to the mouth of the river Sias, and is nearly 7 miles long, 8 fathoms 

 wide, and 5 feet deep. To obviate the danger which the barges rsssing 

 through the Mary Canals 



nals might MMoater in navigating Lake Onega, 

 the Onega Canal was undertaken, which begins in the river Vytegn, 

 about 10 mile* from it* month, and runs westward to the lake. It U 

 about 14 miles long, 19 fathoms wide, sad in general 7 feat deep. 

 From the embouchure of the Swir to that of the Sias, when the Sias 

 Canal begins, a canal was completed in 1810, which is about 28 mile* 

 Ion*; and from 13 to 12 fathoms wide; its lowest level is 7 feet below 

 the surface of the Ladoga. It is called the Swir Canal, and has no 

 locks. Thus a lio of canals surrounds the southern extremity of the 

 Lake of Ladoga, from toe mouth of the Swir to the place where to* 

 Neva issues from the lake. The whole line is somewhat more than 

 100 mils* long. 



The Lake of Bjeloe and its outlet the river Chekana have recently 

 afforded the means of uniting by on* intern of canals (Alexander 

 Canal) toe riwr I>wina and Archangel with the river Volga and with 

 UM city of St. Petersburg. This line of canals begins in the Chekana, 

 about 20 miles below ito efflux from the lake, new the town of 

 Kirilow, whence it runs eastward through several small lakes to the 

 river Porosowiza, which falls into the Lake of Knbinskoe. The last- 

 mentioned lake is the source of the river Sukhona, the principal 

 branch of the Dwina, which is navigable for large barges from the 

 place where it leaves the lake. The whole line between Kirilow and 

 the Lake of Kubinakoe doe* not much sxessd 40 miles. This navi- 

 gation, which was completed in 1828, is of gnat importance for the 

 transport of timber, the produce of the extensive pine-forests on both 

 sides of the Snkhooa. 



In the year 1825 was commenced the Moakwa and Volga Canal, 

 which begins on the Volga, at the mouth of the river Dubna, about 

 40 miles below Twer, ascends the Dubna to its confluence with the 

 Sestria, and then the latter river to the vicinity of the town of Klin. 

 At Klin the canal begins which leads to the Lake of Oulxino, which 

 constitutes the summit level, and when a reservoir is formed which 

 covers about four square miles. From this lake the vrssels pass by 

 another canal to the river Istra, which passes near Voskrescnsk, and 

 falU into the river Moakwa about 2 miles above the city of Moscow. 

 Near 61* X. lat a canal (Catherine Canal) unites the Vychegda, one 

 of the principal branches of the Dwina, with the Kama, which is the 

 largest affluent of the Volga, by forming a water communication 

 between two rivers called the Northern and Southern Keltma. The 

 river Duna U united to the Dnieper by the Beresinskoi Canal, which 

 joins the Oola, an affluent of the Duna, to the Berezina, a tributary of 

 the Dnieper. The river Niemen is united to the river Dnieper by the 

 Oginsky Canal, which forms a communication between the river 

 Szczara, a tributary of the Niemen, and the YauoUla, an fflnent of 

 the Pripeec, or Pripete: the last-mentioned river traverses the swamps 

 k and Ratoor, and falls into tbe Dnieper. A communication 

 between the Vistula and the Dnieper exist* by means of the Pina 

 Canal, which unites the river Mookhavice (which joins the Vistula at 

 Brzeec Litewski) and the I'ripecz, 



ClimaU. The fact that the intensity of cold in Europe increases 



0100. DIV. VOI. IV. 



from west to east, ia illustrated by the climate of Russia. While the 

 mean annual temperature of the western coast of Norway as far north 

 as North Cape is always above 32 Fahr., or the freezing-point, in a 

 considerable portion of the moat northern part of Russia tbe mean 

 annual temperature ia below 32. This is the case with the whole of 

 Russian Laplaud as far south as 66 N. lat, and also the whole country 

 drained by the rivers Pechora and Mezen. But this severity of climate 

 does not prevent the growth of trees; along the upper courses of 

 both riven forests of considerable extent occur. But where the mean 

 annual temperature does not exceed 25 or 26, which is the case near 

 the months of both rivers, a shrub a few inches high is rarely met 

 with. Tet on the peninsula of Kola, where the mean annual tempe- 

 rature is certainly below 32, barley is cultivated, and generally comes 

 to maturity. This part of Russia may be called the Arctic Region. 



South of this lies the Cold Region, in which the mean annual 

 temperature varies between 32 and 40. The southern limit of this 

 region begins on the shores of the Baltic, on the Gulf of Riga, about 

 58 N. lat., and runs hence east-south-east to the confluence of tbe 

 Moakwa and Oka, near 55 N. lat., whence it continues in the same 

 direction towards the southern extremity of the Ural Mountains, 

 terminating south of Uralsk on the river Ural, near 51 N. lat The 

 winter in the northern districts lasts from seven to eight mouths, and 

 in the southern districts from five to six months. The Neva is 

 generally covered with ice from the 27th of November to the 19th of 

 April. The quicksilver sometimes freezes at Ploatow, in the interior. 

 Both spring and autumn an short, and the passage from cold to heat, 

 and vice versa, is rather rapid. But in summer the heat is for two or 

 three weeks very great The thermometer then rises to 86, and even 

 90*. In the interior both tbe heat and the cold are greater than on 

 the coast At Casan the thermometer in winter generally descends 

 to 28 below zero, and in summer it rises to 95 and 96. The aurora 

 borealis is frequently seen, especially in March, June, July, and 

 September. 



The Temperate Region extends over the southern provinces as far 

 north as the line above mentioned. Its mean annual temperature 

 varies between 40* and 50, but in the Crimea and in tbe country 

 between the Dniester and Danube it rises to 54 and 56. This region 

 is distinguished by severe though short winters, and by long and very 

 hot summers. Night-frosts an frequent in October and November, 

 but continual frost does not set in before the middle of December, 

 and it lasts to the middle or end of February. West of the Don the 

 frost U often interrupted by a few days' thaw. Tbe frost is intense 

 while it lasts, the thermometer generally sinking in the western dis- 

 tricts to 12* below aero, and in the eastern district* to -20. From the 

 end of February the cold becomes more moderate, but tbe weather 

 continues to be raw ; and then an night-frosts during the north-east 

 winds, which at that season are the most frequent In the middle of 

 May however a sudden change takes place. In a few days the heat 

 increases to such a degree as to become oppressive. In June and July 

 it still continues increasing until the thermometer rises to between 

 90* and 100*. From the middle of August however the heat rapidly 

 decrease*, and in September night-frosts sometimes occur. In the 

 hot season south-east and east winds an prevalent The countries 

 which border on the Baltic and on the White Sea have a wet climate, 

 and rain is frequent all the year round : in winter a vast quantity 

 of snow falls. 



Production*. Russia produces a considerable surplus of grain for 

 exportation. Rye is the gnat corn crop, which, except in the steppes 

 and tbe Arctic Region, may be grown iu all parts of the empire. The 

 greatest quantity is produced between the cataracts of tbe Dnieper 

 on the south and the river Volga on the north, but the cultivation 

 extends to the mouth of the Dwina, 65 N. lat It does not always 

 ripen north of the Volga, owing to the shortness of the summer and 

 the moisture of the atmosphere ; and it is generally necessary to dry 

 the grain in buildings constructed for that purpose. The cultivation 

 of barley extends to 67 N. lat. Oate do not succeed north of 62* 

 N. lat In some province! which have a poor soil, and in the districts 

 through which the great roads and lines of inland water-communication 

 run, the cultivation of oats U very extensive. Wheat is the principal 

 object of agriculture in the fertile tracts along the riven in the southern 

 districts, but especially in the Ukraine; farther north it is less grown, 

 though it succeeds as far north as 58* or 59 N. lat Millet is exten- 

 sively grown in the elevated country which surrounds the upper course 

 of the Oka, Don, and Desna, and in some other district* south of 55 

 N. lat In Southern Russia maize is cultivated south of 48* N. lat 



Flax and hemp are more extensively grown than in any other 

 country in Europe. Along the river Don, and even on the steppes 

 of the Volga near Sarapta, flax and hemp are found in a wild state. 

 They succeed as far north as 65" N. lat, and both, together with hemp- 

 seed and flax-seed, constitute important articles of export from Arch- 

 angel, St Petersburg, Riga, and the Sea of Azof. Tobacco ia much 

 cultivated in the Ukraine. 



The climate of Russia is not favourable to the cultivation of fruit- 

 trees. With the exception of wild cherries and some bad apples, no 

 fruit* grow north of 56 N. lat Other fruits are imported from 

 foreign countries. Pears and plums are only grown to any extent 

 south of 53 N. lat In the most southern districts there are peaches, 

 apricots, quiuce, mu' berries, and walnuts; and in the extensive 



