ASE ie A od Co CHB Ant .N. 
#8’ a vaft’ plain, mixed with certain elevations or platforms, like iflands in the 
midft of an ocean, The eaftern fide defcends gradually to a great diftance into the 
wooded and morafly Sibiria, which forms an immenfe inclined plane to the Icy Sea. 
This is evident from all the great rivers taking their rife on that fide, fome at the 
amazing diftance of lat. 46; and, after a courfe of above twenty-feven degrees, 
falling into the Frozen ocean in lat. 73. 30. The Yazé alone, which rifes near the 
fouthern part of the eaftern fide, takes a fouthern direction, and drops into the: 
Cafpian fea. The Dwina, the Peczora, and a few other rivers in European Ruffia, 
fhew the inclined plane of that part: all of them run to the northern fea; but 
their courfe is comparatively fhort. Another inclination dire&ts the Dnieper and 
the Don into the Euxine, and the vaft Volga into the Ca/pian Sea. 
The Altaic Chain, its fouthern boundary, which begins at the vaft mountain 
Bogdo, pafles above the head of the /rti/ch, and then takes a courfe rugged, precipi- 
tous, cloathed with fnow, and rich in minerals, between the Jrti/ch and Ob; then 
proceeds by the lake Telexfoz, the rife of the Od; after which it retires, in order to 
comprehend the great rivers which form the Fens/ei, and are locked up in thefe 
high mountains ; finally, under the name of the Sainnes, is uninterruptedly con- 
tinued to the lake of Baikal*. A branch infinuates itfelf between the fources of 
the rivers Onon and Ingoda, and thofe of Ichikoi, accompanied with very high moun- 
tains, running without interruption to the north-eaft, and dividing the river of 
Amur, which difcharges itfelf into the eaft, in the Chinefe dominions, from the river 
Lenaand lake Baikal. Another branch ftretchesalong the Olecma, croflesthe Lenabelow 
Fakout/e, and is continued between the two rivers Tongoufka to the Fene/ei, where it 
is loft in wooded and morafly plains. The principal chain, rugged with fharp-point~ 
ed rocks, approaches and keeps near the fhores of the fea of Ockbext, and pafling by 
the fources of the rivers Outh, Aldan, and Maia, is diftributed in fmall branches, 
which range between the eaftern rivers which fall into the Jcy Sea; befides two 
principal branches, one of which, turning fouth, runs through all Kamt/chatka, and 
is broken, from the cape Lopatka, into the numerous Kurile ifles, and to the eaft 
forms another marine chain, in the iflands which range from Kamt/chatka to 
America; moft of them, as well as Kamt/chatka itfelf, diftinguifhed by fierce vul- 
canoes, or the traces-of vuleanic fires. The laft chain forms chiefly the great 
cape T/chut/ei, with its promontories and, rocky broken fhores. I have fo far 
pillaged the labors of my friend +, to trace the boundaries of the vaft region which 
has fo amply furnifhed my Zoologic part.—To that, and the Table of Quadrupeds, 
I refer the feveral peculiarities of their fituations. 
+ Do&er PaLbas, 
At 
® Obfervations fur la Formation des Mcntagnes, par P. §, PALUAS, p. 18. 
xcp 
Attaic CuHalin. 
How pDIsTRre 
BUTED,. 
