61* 



times by private parties, but they have not proved successful in un- 

 earthing any stores of the precious metal, and at the present time there 

 remain only here and there pits and buildings in which the workmen 

 of a former day were lodged. The traditions of the district give in 

 a thousand different forms pictures of the prosperity enjoyed by the 

 peasants in those times. I had to pay somewhat dearly for the 

 gratification of my curiosity to see the old mine. I had to go on foot 

 35 versts, 22 miles, to the nearest Karrell village, situated on the 

 edge of the forest estate of Padan; and my walk was the more 

 unpleasant because the road, or, speaking more correctly, the path, 

 according to local phraseology, founded on the topographical con- 

 dition of the ground, lay across .the earth, and did not go with the 

 earth. From the northern part of the district of Povonetz on to the 

 shores of the White Sea the ground lies in parallel rows of ridges or 

 linear hillocks, with hollows consisting sometimes of peat bog lying 

 between. The ridges are narrow and long, as are likewise the bogs 

 by which they are separated. They run north and south, conse- 

 quently for the traveller in either of these directions the path lies 

 along the summit of the ridge, and according to local phrase he goes 

 with the earth, and it is more easy to do so ; but if he travels east or 

 west he must walk across the bogs and ridges ; and as the crests are 

 about a verst apart, this has to be done in every verst of his journey. 



" The Padan forest estate lies to the west of Vuigozero, and covers 

 an area of 570,000 desatins* All that has been said of the forests 

 of Vuig might be reaffirmed of these, the only difference being that 

 these show a decided preponderance of pines over the number of 

 firs, especially in the northern parts. In general, the nearer we 

 approach to the sea the more rarely do we meet with fir, and at last 

 this tree disappears entirely. With regard to the quality of the pine 

 I can state as the result of my personal observation, that within 

 certain limits the quality of the wood does not depend on the latitude, 

 but is in direct relation to the quality of the soil. In the Vuig forests 

 they are met with first in the middle and northern parts of the Padan 

 forest estate. 



" With the development of forest operations in this district the 

 Padan forest will acquire much importance in consequence of the 

 number of navigable streams existing in the White Sea basin. In the 

 southern part of this forest estate there is the Segozera, second in size 

 only to the Onega ; further to the north is the Lake Ondazero, through 



* A desatin = 40 x 60 or 2,400 Russian square fathoms of 7 English feet. An 

 English acre is 0'370ll of a desatin, which makes a desatin =. 2 '69972 English acres. 

 A desatin = "27 $9 Prussian moreens. A verst is equal to two-thirds of an English 

 mile. J. C. B. 



