THE IRRIGATION AGE. 351 



Fahr.) Time: six months. He gained, after diverging half way via 

 Tomck, the central Ural range (Cipoctah, pronounced Cirostan) 18 

 (30) April, 1897 singularly euough, occupying just one year to the 

 day, for the trans-Cibirian railroad inspection from the Pacific ocean 

 to the historic monument in the Urals on one side of which is inscribed 

 Acia (Asia) and on the other side Ebpona (Europa). And, seated at 

 the base thereof, Lodian ate his last "survey breakfast" in Asia. 



This trans- Asiatic inspection was a unique one, effected without a 

 single mishap, or any molestation from the Asiatic tribes passed 

 through, and with every consistent courtesy from the military author- 

 ities perhaps prompted by the official letter from the state depart- 

 ment at Washington, issued to Lodian in the summer of 1894. And 

 more he went through various of the prisons and 6taps without any 

 authorization or arrangement whatever, but as the result of friendly 

 camaraderie with the officials, and was surprised at the scrupulous 

 cleanliness thereof, and the fair lot of the inmates. The labors of 

 George Kennan and the Century have not been in vain! 



A year's surveying and inspecting in Russia followed; the Tolstoi - 

 Lodian meeting occurred 12-15, (24-27) September; the friendly Bilkof- 

 Lodian brief too brief visits occurred in Petersburg at the ministry 

 on the Fontanka kanal in November after which the surveys were 

 continued south through Russia to Warszawa and the extreme western 

 frontier of old Polska, being finally concluded at the town of Poznan, 

 March 1, 1898. 



Thus ended Lodian's travels among the most hospitable people on 

 God's earth the Slav race. 



Between the Pacific ocean and this western frontier of Polska 

 (Poland), over 12,000 verstas (8,000 miles) of surveying had been ac- 

 complished afoot, through two summers and two winters. Total time, 

 676 days. 



After such a task, nature demanded some repose, and Lodian had 

 it in quietly touring about western Europe until his return to America, 

 21st of January last. 



Lodian is now preparing for his fourth journey, which is to sur- 

 pass all previous ones. In the fall, he returns to Europe, and will in- 

 terest a syndicate in the project to connect the trans- Cibirian and 

 trans-Canadian railroad systems (from Ipkytck, or Irkutsk, to Wini- 

 peg) by a trans-arctic midwinter route over the ice-wastes. The 

 drawing out of the necessary firmans and protocols will cover a year, 

 and in the fall of 1900 the surveying commission travels via the Urals, 

 the Lena river, laktyck and the mouths of the Lena on the trans- 

 arctic survey to north Greenland and Hudson bay. 



