FORESTS OF OLONETZ. 47 



on being crushed and washed yields 7J zolotDicks of gold 

 for every 150 pounds.* 



' The working of the mine at Voitzi was discontinued in 

 1783. In 1827 gold was discovered on the banks of the 

 river Vuig, and in the course of the present century inves- 

 tigations have been made several times by private parties, 

 but they have not proved successful in unearthing 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 bhe 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 condition 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, consequently 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 



* 96 zolotnicks = 1 Ib. Russia, 40 Ibs. Russ. or 36 Ibs. avordupois = 1 pood. J.C.B. 



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

 acre is 0-87041 of a desatin, which makes a desatin = 2-69972 English acres. A desatin 

 = 4'278f> Prussian morgens. A verst is equal to two-thirds of an English mile. J. C. B. 



