WATEK AND OVERLAND COMMUNICATION. 233 



between Vladivostok and Han-Kow, touching at Shankhai, Nagasaki, the gulf of St. Olga, 

 the Korsakovsk post, the Imperial harbour, post Done and the gulf of De Castri ; besides 

 freights according to a fixed tariff, the contractor receives from the Government a mileage 

 of 3 roubles during the first 10 years, with 10 per cent reduction per annum, for the 

 next 5 years. 



The voyages abroad were instituted in the Interests of commerce to maintain inter- 

 course Avith the countries lying to the south of the Russian dominions. Iq consequence how- 

 ever of the evident urgent necessity of increasing the communication between the Russian 

 ports, Mr. Shevelev's steamer <'Baikal;> was in 188G exclusively employed in cruising about 

 the gulf of Tartary, accomplishing six journeys to Nicolaevsk to the detriment of the foreign 

 trade. Besides this steamer, two other vessels of the Siberian flotilla and one steamer 

 belonging to the Naval Department were employed in carrying goods and passengers through 

 the Straits of Tartary. Some of the above mentioned Pacific ports, such as Doue, the 

 Korsakovsk post, and others, are also visited by the vessels of the Volunteer Fleet; nevertheless 

 the means of transport available, about 1885, did not suffice for the increasing wants of the 

 Siberian Pacific region and it was necessary to have recourse to the foreign vessels which 

 brought goods from Western Europe and the United States to the Siberian ports. 



It was naturally undesirable that foreign vessels should take part in the coasting trade 

 in Russian waters along the shores of Eastern Siberia, and therefore the question arose of 

 increasing the steamboat service in the Far East. Upon due consideration it was deemed most 

 advisable to allow Mr. Shevelev to institute some supplementary communication between the 

 ports of the Pacific, and a contract was concluded with him for 15 years from September 

 17, 1888. Mr. Shevelev bound himself to keep up three lines of regular steamers: 1. through 

 the Straits of Tartary between Vladivostok and Nicolaevsk; 2. between Vladivostok and 

 Shankhai; 3. in the gulf of Peter the Great, touching at certain points along the line. The 

 passenger and goods freights were charged in accordance with a fixed tariff, and besides this, 

 in order to encourage the enterprise, the contractor receives from the Government a mileage 

 at the rate of three roubles paper for every mile during the first 10 years with a gradual 

 yearly reduction of 10 per cent per annum for the remaining 5 years. This mileage during 

 the first two years was not to exceed the sum due for a distance of 37,000 mile;, and for 

 50,000 miles for the following years. According to the terms of this contract Shevelev is at 

 present running steamers between the above mentioned port* of the maritime district and also 

 to Han-Kow, Nagasaki and Shankhai. 



There is no regular service of steamers to the other ports of the Arctic and Pacilic. 

 But even the establishment of a casual steam service between the European ports and the 

 ports of Siberia on the Northern and Ea^^tern Oceans has a most important influence upon the 

 industrial development of the country. 



The determination of a northern rout(> from Europe through the AVliite Sea and the 

 Kara Straits with the mouths of the Obi, Yenisei and Lena has been briefly described at the 

 commencement of this article and it now only remains to add some supplementary information 

 on this subject. Thanks to the autority of Count Litke, the academecian Bere and other 

 northern explorers, who did not admit of tlic^ possiliility of penetrating from Europe into Asia 



