THE CONQUEST OF SIBERIA. 283 



going on its long career the natural tendency of the 

 Slav race towards the East, and by force of char- 

 acter and his own extraordinary personality to start 

 the rapidly awakening power of Russia ^ on the thorny 

 road to empire. 



Vassil, the son of Timothy Povolski, known to the 

 world by his curious nickname, Yermak (millstone), 

 given him by his fellow -boatmen, pervaded by the 

 same spirit of unrest which was stirring the pulses of 

 "Western Europe, early developed from boatman into 

 Cossack chief, a synonym in those days for pirate 

 king. A career of successful piracy on the Volga was 

 brought to an abrupt termination when news of the 

 doings of the chief and his desperadoes was brought 

 to the ears of Ivan the Terrible, who, incensed at such 

 flagrant defiance of law and order, despatched an army 

 to put an end to the freebooters. Thus does the fate 

 of men and nations hang ever on the trend of small 

 events. Driven from his former haunts, compelled to 

 seek safety on the confines of the country, the pirate 

 chief came under the eye of the merchants Stroganoff, 

 already grown rich and powerful on possessions on the 

 Kama : and entering- their service, volunteered to lead 



'CD ' 



an expedition for them across the Urals in quest of the 

 rich furs of the coveted land of Yugra. On New 

 Year's Day 1581 (then September 1st), he started at 

 the head of 800 men for the unknown land beyond 

 the mountains : in less than two years he had won an 

 empire for his sovereign and a pardon for himself. 

 Such was the beginning of the movement which has 

 given five million square miles to a Russian Tsar, and 

 won for a nation still young — fit compensation for the 

 stormy days of childhood passed under the galling yoke 



1 The first man to assume the title of autocrat of all Russia was Ivan III., 

 son of Vassil II., Grand Duke of Vladimir, a century before (1462). 



