CHAP. II. TO THE EAST OF PERSIA. 35 



Russia have within the last century thrown some 

 light on the mining operations of the ancients in 

 this part of Asia, and deserve attention. We 

 are unacquainted with even the names of the 

 Nomadic tribes by whom the mines in Siberia 

 were worked, but it may be safely inferred from 

 the discoveries that have been made, that their 

 operations were carried on before the conquest 

 of Siberia by the Tartars 1 . We know that the 

 Tartars were acquainted with the use of iron, 

 that they had weapons and implements of that 

 metal ; but the tribes who excavated the mines 

 of Siberia had no iron, and used implements of 

 no other metal than copper or brass. The con- 

 quest of this part of Asia by the Tartars was 

 effected about 150 years before our era, and it 

 seems to be hence inferible that the mines must 

 have been worked prior to that period. It is 

 remarkable that the mines which the late tra- 

 vellers have discovered are in districts abound- 

 ing with iron ore, though none of it appeared 

 to have been worked. 



The remains of the mines have been traced by 

 Gmelin, Lepechin, and Pallas, on the southern 

 and eastern borders of the Ural mountains. 



1 Histoire genealogique des Tartares de Abulgasi, as quoted 

 by Johann Eberhard Fischer, in his work printed at Peters- 

 burgh,, in 1768., entitled " Sibirische Geschichte von der ent- 

 dekkung Sibiriens bis auf die eroberung dieses Landes durcli 

 die Russische waffen " 



D g 



