WEST SIBERIA 11 



thrown up by the rivers and is thus constantly inter- 

 sected by innumerable marshy pastures, reedy moors, 

 and peat-bogs. The vegetation is a mosaic of forests, 

 meadows, and swamps. 



These conditions of climate and soil are only suitable 

 for conifers and a few hardy representatives of the broad- 

 ieaved trees, such as aspens and birches, willows, and 

 alders. Siberian larches and spruces are the main con- 

 stituents of these forests, the latter predominating on 

 wet soils, and making dark, dense forests with little 

 undergrowth. The lighter kinds of forest afford a 

 shelter for northern types of plants, such as andromeda, 

 several species of small rhododendrons, &c., a few herbs 

 chiefly of the marsh-dwelling types, mosses, and ferns. 



This vast extent of wooded marshes offers serious 

 obstacles to travelling, and can best be crossed in winter, 

 when it is all frozen and under snow. The dampness of 

 the climate makes it unpleasant, more especially on 

 account of the swarms of mosquitoes, which are an 

 unmixed nuisance. The freezing of the waterways and 

 seas to the north renders the marketing of the timber 

 costly and difficult. It is only, therefore, during winter 

 that a few tribes of Ostiaks frequent this locality to find 

 in it a shelter against the terrible icy gales which sweep 

 across the tundra, and to trap the fur-bearing animals 

 when their coat is at its best. The timber as yet remains 

 untouched, except on the southern margin. 



The human population, therefore, remains confined 

 to a few settlements along the main rivers, living largely 

 on fish, getting the timber from the forests on the banks 

 and resorting to a local kind of agriculture, which is. 

 however, necessarily hampered by late frosts and icy 

 mists. The backwoods and swamps are hardly ever 

 visited by man. 



