are complek'ly l);urcn. lisc ahruplly liom llio riviT, tlii' steppe scenery slill prcdoiniiia- 

 liiit^ till al some dislaiire l)el(i\v Keinehik. wliere the laiga again begins lo appear. In 

 tlie usual way the hiicli is the jjioneei tree, gradually followed l)y the pine, cedar, and 

 spruce, till, al some dislanee al)ove the river Uss, the genuine i)huk laiga becomes predo- 

 minanl. The breadth of the Sayansk mountains is here about KM) or .')(»{) wersls, over 

 which distance the altitude of the river decreases from .570 lo 300 m. i'roin Kenuiiik- 

 hoiii. forming tlie jjouiulaiy l)elweeu .M()iii;oiia and Silx lia. tlie river flows under llie 

 name of the Yenisei tliroui^li the laiga in a rather narrow valley, with many rapids. I'liis 

 mountain ridge, which the river hursts through here, is accompanied by IIh' tommoii 

 Sayansk taiga vegetation. 



Below Mainski porog, the mountains i)ccome lower; Ihe river widens lo many times 

 its former breadth, assuming the imposing appearance which it keeps northwards 

 throughout the lowland. The transition between the taiga and Ihe slepjje is also here 

 very sudden. About Mainski porog, the forest rather suddenly disappears, and the tra- 

 veller presently sails oul of the mountains into open, level plains, affording a wide 

 view in all directions. The air is also felt to become milder. Small villages surrounded 

 by cultivated fields are met with at shorter intervals; the traveller is back again on the 

 historic steppes about Minusinsk. 



101 



