406 THE GOLDEN LAKE. 



by the winner in three minutes. The first prize was a 

 silver ruble, the rest were pieces of cotton cloth, and 

 smaller presents. When the sports were over, the tra- 

 vellers returned to the city, and prepared for their 

 departure the next day. 



From Orenberg they descended the Ural to Uralsk, 

 the chief city of the Uralian Cossacks, where they re- 

 mained a day to witness the autumnal fishing. Then 

 turning to the north-east across the mountain steppe of 

 Obschtschei Syrt, they proceeded to Busuluk, and from 

 thence westwardly to the Volga at Samara. This region 

 abounded with sulphur springs and waters impregnated 

 with salt and asphaltes ; in many places large quantities 

 of sulphur were obtained from the earth. They de- 

 scended the Volga, passing a number of German colonies 

 on its banks, and came to Dubowka. From this place 

 they made an excursion to the great salt lake of Elton, 

 or Altan Vbr, the Golden Lake, as it was called by the 

 Cossacks. It was situated in the steppe, seventy miles 

 to the eastward of the Vol<?a, and was celebrated for its 

 extensive salt manufactories. In this lake the travellers 

 found large quantities of insects and birds, which had 

 fallen into the water, and were preserved. From these 

 salted specimens Ehrenberg made a good collection of 

 the fauna of the region. 



At Sarepta, further down the river, they visited a 

 colony of Moravian brethren, who had established them- 

 selves there in 1765, since which time they had carried on 

 a considerable traffic, chiefly of their own manufactures, 

 with the Cossacks. 



The lower districts of the Volga, were quite thickly 

 settled by the Kalmucks ; the travellers frequently passed 



