ORENBERG. 403 



confident of finding diamonds in the Ural, and jestingly 

 declared to the 'Empress that he would not return with- 

 out Russian diamonds. When the party returned to St. 

 Petersburg in November, the Emperor alone had seen 

 the Count's diamonds. Humboldt was the first who 

 showed one to the Empress. 



Count Polier made a circumstantial report of his dis- 

 covery to the Minister of Finance, and commenced a 

 letter on the subject to Arago and the " Annals of 

 Chemistry," but died before he could finish it. The boy 

 who discovered the first diamond was more fortunate, for 

 his liberty was given him, and a sum of money besides. 



From Miask Humboldt and his party proceeded south- 

 ward to the head waters of the Uri. They passed a 

 number of villages belonging to the Bashkirs, but not 

 then peopled by them, for this tribe, leading a nomadic 

 life in summer, occupied their houses only in the winter. 

 Following the course of the southern Ural, the travellers 

 came to Orsk, at the junction of the Or. This district 

 was rich in quarries of green jasper, and the river Jaik, 

 in its vicinity, presented some curious geological pheno- 

 mena. The road from Orsk to Orenberg being the most 

 dangerous one on the whole frontier, the authorities fur- 

 nished Humboldt with a guard of Cossacks as a defence 

 against the Khirgises. 



On the 21st the party reached Orenberg. It was the 

 capital of the district, the chief fortress on the line, and 

 the centre of a vast caravan trade to all parts of Central 

 Asia. The Governor-General being absent, the party 

 were entertained by Major-General Gens. General Gens 

 was deeply versed in the geography of Asia, for which 

 he had collected many important materials, partly from 



