306 



I R K U T Z K. 





Mir. it (logy, 



11 t.r }. 



NVive 

 tribes. 



Altaian chain proceed to the east and south. Many of 

 the mountains nre lofty and covered by snows; some 

 have both active and extinct volcanoes. But almost 

 all are imperfectly known, as Europeans have approach, 

 cd the base- of very IV w. 



The views hitherto obtained of ^he mineralogy ot 

 Irkutzk are very general. Gold, silver, and lead, are 

 procured in considerable abundance near Argunskoi, 

 in the province of Nertscbinsk ; iron is got in different 

 places, as also copper. The mountain Tshebedal, m 

 the plains of Yakutsk, consists of iron-stone, free-stone, 

 and strata of coal ; six miles south-east of Argunskoi, 

 there is a hill of beautiful green jasper ; and on a hill 

 1>\- the side of the river Aldan, petrifactions of marine 

 plants and shells are found at the distance of 333 miles 

 from the nearest sea.. 



Most of the plants seen in'northern.and alpine coun- 

 tries grow here ; but the climate {^unfavourable for ve- 

 getation. At certain seasons those of an edible kind 

 are carried 1 100 miles up the river Lena to Yakutzk ; 

 mid at Okhotzk the scarcity is such, that cattle are fed 

 entirely on the offals of fish, and cows have been seen 

 to prefer dried salmon to hay. Plants are low and 

 stunted ; but there are mountains covered with wood, 

 and timber fit for ship building is plentiful, whence the 

 Russians have travelled thousands of miles from their 

 European posessions to reach some point of this go- 

 vernment, where they could construct vessels for their 

 voyages of discovery. Birch, poplar, ash, willow, and 

 numerous plants producing berries are produced here, 

 and also the larch, which ceases to vegetate in 68 30' 

 north latitude. 



Probably the climate has been milder anciently, and 

 thence more favourable to vegetable and animal life. The 

 fossil remains of large quadrupeds, which are now total- 

 ly extinct, and seem to have belonged to warmer regions, 

 are now found on the shores of the Icy Sea, and in the 

 steep banks of the rivers falling into it. Numerous liv- 

 ing animals affording the finest furs, as the sable, er- 

 mine, sea otter, and squirrel, are dispersed in different 

 parts. There are also the elk, rein deer, wild sheep, 

 bear, lynx, wolf, and various kinds of foxes, besides the 

 marmot and glutton. The most useful animals are 

 horses and rein deer; herdsof the latterquit the woods at 

 "particular seasons, and, descending into the plains, swim 

 across broad rivers, having always a leader at their head. 



The principal native tribes inhabiting the govern- 

 ment of Irkutzk are the Tungoose, Yakutes, Koriacs, 

 Kamtschadales, Tchutski, and Yukagirians. The Tun- 

 goose wander over an immense extent of country from 

 the mouth of the river Amur to the lake Baikal, and 

 from the Sea of Okhotzk to the Frozen Ocean. They 

 are constantly in pursuit of wild animals, and seldom 

 remain more than 20 clays in the same spot, though 

 their tents should be removed only a few yards. Moun- 

 tainous regions are preferred by them, and they rarely 

 visit such places as are frequented by the Yakutes. 

 The latter, who call themselves Socha, are supposed 

 to amount to 50,000 males. But in the year 1787 

 about (JOOO of them migrated, with all their possessions, 

 to the Chinese frontier. Formerly they possessed con- 

 siderable wealth in horses and horned cattle ; some are 

 known to have had 20,000 ; no one, however, is now 

 the owner of above 2000. The Tchutski occupy the most 

 eastern parts of Asia; they are divided into two tribes, 

 the Stationary and Nomadic, though neither their num- 

 bers nor territory be great. The Yukagirians are redu- 

 ced to an inconsiderable tribe, frequenting the sources of 

 the Kovima and Yasasknoi in pursuit of wild animals ; 



the Koriacs and Kamtsclidales arc also partly diminished, IrVutzh. 

 together with the islanders jn the Northern Pacific S """Y'~ > 

 Ocean. The islands in the Icy Sea, are all uninhabit- 

 ed east of Nova Zembla, which, if it is to be included 

 in this government, only receives temporary visits from 

 the neighbouring shores. All these tribes are idolatrous, 

 they worship demons, and practice some singular cere- 

 monies, which would deserve further detail. Attempts 

 have been made to introduce Christianity among them, 

 with very partial success. The whole, except the 

 Tchutski, are tributary to the Russians, but although 

 these have entered into alliance with them, they have 

 hitherto denied their supremacy ; and they opposed the 

 only obstacle to the imperial dominions extending to 

 that extremity of Asia. In a late work published at 

 Moscow, the male inhabitants paying tribute, are stated 

 to be 58,097 Buriates, 14,480 Tungoose, 50,008 Ya- 

 kutes, 505 Yukagirians, 46 Olatorians, 1221 Koriacs, 

 1782 Kamtschadales, 100 Kuriles, 545 Karagassians, a 

 family of Samoeids. The total population is computed 

 to amount to 407,758 souls. 



This government is divided into four provinces Ir- Divisions. 



kutzk, Yakutzk, Okhotzk, and Nertschinsk. It con- 



tains one city, seventeen towns, a number of villages, 



and several fortresses. We believe, however, that the 



chief town of each of the provinces is called a city; 



and that the Russians, for the purpose of facilitating 



the administration of surrounding territories, are ac- 



customed to confer that title on places which would be 



described as villages in the more populous and fertile 



states of Europe. Irkutzk, the capital, is situated on the 



right bank of the clear and rapid river Angara, which 



flows from the Lake Baikal, having the stream Oo- 



shakofka on the north and north-east. The streets are 



broad and in general uniform, but not paved, and the 



houses are for the most part built of wood. But their 



irregularity is great, and many miserable huts are seen 



amidst the finest edifices. There are, a cathedral, 



twelve churches, and two monasteries, all built of 



stone. A late traveller asserts that the churches amount 



to 30- There are various structures for the use of go- 



vernment; as an arsenal or dockyard, with the neces- 



sary buildings, called the admiralty, and a spacious 



custom-house. An infirmary was lately erected, and 



a workhouse for criminals. A gymnasium contains a 



library of several thousand volumes, and a collection of 



mineralogy, together with other subjects of natural his- 



tory. The Japanese language was taught in it by 



command of the late empress of Russia. Irkutzk has 



a small theatre, wherein dramatic pieces are very toler- 



ably represented by performers of both sexes, who are 



natives- of the place. In the centre of the "tity there 



is an elegant square pile built of brick, with shops un- 



der piazzas, which support warehouses ; the markets for 



provisions stand in a different quarter- and the slaugh- 



ter houses are built over the Ooshakof ka. Provis'ions 



are plentiful and cheap; and as this city is the Seat 



of considerable trade, an European may purchase here 



almost every article to which he has been accustomed 



in his native country, though Irkutzk is 4295 miles 



from the Russian metropolis, St. Petersburgh. Even 



the best foreign wines can be obtained at a very rea- 



sonable price. The merchants are numerous and af- 



fluent. Irkutzk is the general depot of all the furs 



which are brought from America and the eastern parts 



of Asia ; and through it also is transported, all the mer- 



chandise sent from Russia to the empire of China, as 



well as to America by Okhotzk and Kamtschatka. Here 



the furs are assorted, the best being sent to Moscow, 



' he 



