56 SIHKKIA, 



tin; (Jiioii uiul llio Argun, tin; siDiitliorii coiistiliKMit of the Amour, Is more or less mouulaiuous. 

 'J'lie |)iivailiiig trend (jf the mountain ridges of the Transbaika! country is from the south- 

 west to tlir imiili-easl. Tills (Jinjction is not only ftjllowed by the Yablonovoi range itself, but 

 also by the lidgi; wliifh is detached from the Khamar-Daban in the south-western corm-r of 

 the territory and Ixjumls the longitudinal valley occupied by Jiake I'jaikal on tiie south-ea.st, 

 as also by the rlilg(! above mentioned separating the longitudinal valleys of tin; Uiion and 

 Ingoda, and by the Nerchinsk range which serves as the watershed between tiie Shilka ami 

 the Argun as far as their conlluence, and finally by the ridge accompanying the Shilka on 

 its left bank. None of these mountains attain any great absolute altitude; the height of 

 the passes of tin- Vaiiloiiov(d range between A'crkhneudinsk and Chita does not exceed 3,4t/J 

 feet, and the loftiest points, 4,000 feet. The Jvhamar-Daban ofllset contains mountains which 

 reach G,000 and even (i,700 feet. There is no lack of outcrops of rocky strata in this region; 

 the majority of the mountain riilges exhibit <'rystalline rocks, granite, gneiss and mica schLsts. 

 Iferc and tliere diorilc is met with, as also true volcanic rocks such as trachyte and basalt. 

 The stratified rocks, in their upheaved crystalline layers, disclose the presence of paleozoic 

 formations, especially the silurian and carboniferous, and also secondary such as Jurassic, and 

 tertiary. Such a variety in the geological constitution of the Transbaikal country ensures mineral 

 wealth of the first order. Here there are to be found not only gold bearing sands, argentiferous 

 lead and copper ores, but also deposits of tin and mercury. There is no want of iron ores. 



The 'i'ransbaikal is oxticnu'ly rirh in mineral springs. The country is well watered in spite 

 of its continental situation. The Selenga and its tributaries, the Chikoi, Jvhilok, and Uda, as also 

 the head streams of the Amour, the Ingoda, Onon, Sliilka, and Argun, water beautiful valleys 

 and plains, excellently adapted to cultivation and settled life. Not less well irrigated, but less 

 fertile on account of the greater severity of the climate, are the valleys of Barguzinsk the 

 most northern distiict in the Transbaikal territory, namely those of the Vitim, its tributary 

 the Tsypa, of the Jiarguzin antl the Upper Angara. In the Transbaikal country there are 

 also plains although of not any great extent, as for example the tableland along the Uda known 

 under the name of the Khoriusk and Bratsk steppes, and in the southern part of the territory 

 near to the Chinese frontier, the Tareisk, Kydara and Argun steppes. At a rough estimate, more 

 than a third of the area of the Transbaikal, or 4,000 square geographical miles may be re- 

 ferred to lands suitable for cultivation and permanent settlement. 



The climatic conditions of the Transbaikal country differ widely from those of the 

 other constituent parts of the region under consideration. The climate of Transbaikalia is 

 purely continental. The moan annual tomperatui'e ( — 2^/i° Celsius), approaches the average 

 temperature not of the cultivated or agricultural, but of the forest zone of Eastern Siberia. 

 From its winter temperature (—25°) and that of the coldest month (—28°) the climate has 

 a severer character than even in the said forest zone, but from the temperature in summer 

 (17°) and during the hottest month (19°) Transbaikalia shews better conditions than the agri- 

 cultural zone of Eastern Siberia. Thus, the difference between the winter and summer tem- 

 peratures (42°) and between the hottest and coldest months (47") indicates the highly conti- 

 nental character of the climate compared with that of Eastern Siberia. As for the mean tem- 

 perature of the vegetative period, although it is '/2° below that of the cultivated zone of East- 



