HISTORICAL SKETCH. ]3 



In the first half of tlie nineteenth century, as in the eighteenth, much attention was 

 directed by both the Russian Government, and by Russian men of science, to the exploration 

 of Siberia from both a geographical and scientific point of view. In the Arctic Ocean, San- 

 nikov in 1805 discovered in the Xew Siberian group, the Stolbovoi island, and Bielkov, the 

 Bielkov island and New Siberia. In 1809 to 1810 the first scientific expedition was undertaken 

 for the exploration of the New Siberian islands, by order of the Chancellor Count Rumiantsev 

 under the leadership of Hedenstrom. In 1821 to 1824, expeditions for their exploration were 

 ofitted out under the command of the best Russian navigators in two parts of the Arctic 

 •Ocean, situated wide apart from each other. One of them under the command of the energetic 

 sailor Littke, subsequently Count and Vice President of the Russian Geographical Society, 

 attempted during four successive years to reach the Siberian Frozen Ocean, at one time trying 

 to double Nova Zembla, at another striving to force its way into the Kara sea through the 

 Kara gates, but without success. Extremely valuable investigations, on account of their scien- 

 tific results, were carried out at the same time by the expeditions under Captain "Wrangel and 

 Lieutenant Anjou in the eastern part of the Siberian Frozen Ocean, between the mouths of 

 the Lena ami Kolyma. Behring Sea was also circumstantially explored by the two celebrated 

 Russian navigators Kotsebu, 1815 to 1818, and Littke, 1826 to 1829. 



The Russian Government was still more concerned about the exploration of the southern 

 area of colonization. The expedition of Ledebur, Meier and Bnnge in 1826 made an excellent 

 investigation of the peculiar and interesting fl(jra of the Altai and the expedition under Hum- 

 boldt, Rose and Ehrenberg, fitted out by the Emperor Nicholas I, did the same for the geo- 

 logical formation of the Altai tableland. Local .men of science also and observers did much 

 for the sciences ^in Siberia. In the beginning of the thirties. Dr. Gebler in the Altai and 

 Turchaninov in Circumbaikalia made excellent studies, one of the entomology and the other 

 of the flora. The Altai, town of Barnaoul, the centre of the government of the Altai mining 

 district, due to the solid scientific foundation of the mining engineers living there, became 

 one of the three principal centres of culture of Siberia, thanks to which the metalliferous 

 position of the Altai was well explored in geological respects. Between 1842 and 1845 two 

 important scientific journeys were undertaken into Siberia, that of Peter Chikhachov, into the 

 least accessible parts of the Altai, and that (if Mitldeiidoif, to two little known and little 

 exploreil outskirts of Siberia, the Tairair peninsula in the extreme north, and tiie coast of 

 the Okhotsk Sea as far as the Shantar islands. Middendorf reached the latter region by fol- 

 lowing the southern slope of the Stanovoi range, which became a Russian possession only 

 subsequently, namely in the early years of the second half (d' the niueti>enth century, in con- 

 sequence of the annexation to Russia of the whole Amour tract. 



This great achievement in the history of Siberia owed its accnuipllslimeut to the extraor- 

 dinary energy of the then Governor-General of Eastern Siberia, Muraviov, afterwards known 

 as Count Muraviov Amoursky. Immediately on his airival in the region committed to his 

 care, Muraviov clearly perceived that Eastern Siberia willi its vast region of Yakutsk, quite 

 unfitted to permanent settlement, had very small prospect in the futiu'e, without the gigantic 

 and sole river in Siberia, flowing its whole cuuisi' I'mm west to east, which leads to a sea not 

 eternally closed by ice. To seize the whide course of this river was the task which ]\Iuraviov 



