128 BIOGEAPHIES OF SCIENTIFIC MEN 



however, he returned to St Petersburg (the present and 

 fifth capital of "Holy Russia"), became Professor of 

 Chemistry in the Technological Institute, and three years 

 later was appointed to the same chair in the University 

 of St Petersburg. 



Mendele'eff is the first name of world- wide eminence 

 that Siberia, 1 one of the largest countries of the globe, 

 has produced. 



In his early career Mendele" eff was a political economist, 

 and no mean authority on kindred subjects, and his views 

 were listened to by the Russian officials with the greatest 

 respect. He was a firm supporter of autocracy and 

 plutocracy. He had nothing of the Nihilist in his nature. 

 Mendele'eff was tall and slim, and like many Russians 

 had a long beard and a fine intellectual head. In his 

 young days he was extremely reserved, and when seen 

 in the streets of the Russian capital, he seemed buried 

 in thought. 



His lectures were fluent, forcible, and animated to 

 such an extent that Mendele'eff was really a great orator. 

 He held his audience spell-bound when discussing on 

 chemistry. 



Mendele'eff was a man of decided opinions of his own. 



1 Siberia covers 4,833,500 square miles nearly forty times as great 

 an area as that of the United Kingdom. Exile to Siberia began soon 

 after the discovery of the country ; and on an average, 20,000 persons 

 are transported every year ! 



