CONTOUR AND GENERAL APPEARANCE. 147 



that is exclusive of Nova Zembla, which depends upon it, 

 and of the islands Kalgoner aud Vaigatch. It has a level 

 surface traversed by the Petchora and Mezen, and contains 

 numerous marshes, and has on some parts good soil and 

 abundant pasturage, but the severity of the climate pre- 

 vents the culture of corn being anywhere successful. The 

 aborigines, who are chiefly Samoides, maintain large herds 

 of reindeer, and find their chief subsistence in the produce 

 of fishing and of the chase. The town was formed in 1784 

 by the junction of the towns of Okladnikovo and Kouznet- 

 zova. It is situated about 162 miles north-east of Arch- 

 angel, on the right bank of the Mezen, which here divides 

 into two branches 18 miles above its entrance into the 

 White Sea. The rivers are frozen from October to May. 

 The only vegetables which are cultivated with any success 

 are hemp and flax, of both of which great quantities are 

 grown. The pastures are good, but neither horses, cattle, 

 nor sheep are numerous. The forests are extensive. The 

 wild animals are bears, wolves, foxes, ermines, and rein- 

 deer, with the birds common to such latitudes. Of the 

 population, estimated in 1829 at 263,000, and in 1838 at 

 253,000, 5000 families of Samoides live between the Ural 

 Mountains and the White Sea, and 2000 families of Lapps 

 between the west coast of the White Sea and the Arctic 

 Ocean. The inhabitants are largely employed in timber 

 felling, and in the manufacture of charcoal, potash, and 

 turpentine. The chief insular dependencies are Solo- 

 vetzk, Waigatz, and Nova Zembla. 



Lapland is divided by Wahlenburg into five zones, 

 characterised by their vegetation. Professor Diiben states 

 that with regard to the extension of vegetation of different 

 kinds, there may be distinguished eight different zones, in 

 proceeding from the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia to the 

 centre of the country, and from the lowlands to the moun- 

 tain tops. The zone of the fir-tree, extending to 950 metres 

 below the snow region, with a medium temperature of + 3 

 centigrade; the zone of the pine, extending to 831 metres 



