BLAGOVESTCHENSK 51 



its banks were now quite low, and covered with dense 

 scrub. At 2.30 p.m. we were in sight of the town, 

 and a few minutes later alongside the pier, having 

 taken seven days from Stretensk for a distance of 

 800 miles. 



Blagovestchensk is a comparatively large town 

 lying on the junction of the Zeya with the Amur. 

 Owing to its position, and chiefly to the discovery of 

 rich gold mines in the district, the small Cossack 

 post of Oust-Zeysk, founded in 1854, developed with 

 wonderful rapidity, and soon rose to the position of a 

 flourishing centre. In 1858, after the Treaty of Aigun 

 with China, it already ranked as a town. Gold at- 

 tracted people in great numbers, and large fortunes 

 were made in no time. Buildings were erected, traffic 

 spread quickly, facilitated by the two navigable rivers, 

 a parallel case with certain Californian towns, which 

 sprang up like mushrooms in days of old on account 

 of the precious metal in their neighbourhood. At the 

 time of our visit business had somewhat slackened, 

 though the town had retained its main feature of 

 luxury. Champagne was to be obtained, but no 

 beer — local industry had not yet developed, but all 

 European articles were to be found at the two great 

 rival and opposite stores of Kunst and Albers, and 

 Tchurine and Co. 



