cvi 
PLANTS, 
BRC eh ato) ae as 
" The Ruffians, on the death of their ally, retired out of Sibiria ; but they foon 
returned, recovered the conquefts made by Yermac, and, before the middle of the 
following century, added to their antient poffeffions a territory fourteen hundred 
and feventy leagues in length, and near feven hundred in breadth (without in- 
cluding the Ruffian colonies on the ifland of Oonala/bka, on the coaft of America*) 
yet is fo thinly peopled, and with fuch barbarians, as to add no ftrength to the 
empire by any fupplies to the army or navy. They are almoft torpid with inaction; 
lazy to the higheft degree, from their neceflary confinement to their ftoves during 
the long winter of the country. In that feafon, the ground is clad with deep fnow, 
and the froft moft tremendoufly fevere. The fpring, if fo it may be called, is dif- 
tinguifhed by the muddied torrents of melting fnows, which rufh from the moun- 
tains, and give a fea-like appearance to the plains. Mifts, and rain, and fnow, 
are the variations of that feafon, and they continue even to the fourth of June. 
The fhort fummer is hot, and favorable to vegetation. Corn may be feen a 
foot high by the 22d of Fue; and the grafs is moft luxuriant. Culinary plants 
will fcarcely grow about Yodol/Ri. Fruits of every kind, except a currant, are un- 
known. A fingle crab-like apple, raifed in a hot-houfe, was once produced there, 
fliced in a large difh, at a great entertainment, and ferved up with as much 
oftentation as we would in England a pine-apple. 
The animals of Siliria, the furs of which were the original object of its 
conqueft, are now fo reduced, that the Rw/fians are obliged to have recourfe to 
England for a fupply from North America, which they add to their own ftock of 
furs exported into China. Metals feem the ftaple trade of the country. Thofe 
of iron and copper are abundant and excellent. Gold and filver are found in 
feveral places, and in fuch abundance, as to form a moft important article in the 
revenues of Ruffia. The copper mines of Kolyvan, from which thofe pretious 
metals are extracted, employ above forty thoufand people, moftly colonifts. The 
filver mines of Nert/chinfk, beyond lake Baikal, above fourteen thoufand. ‘The 
whole revenue arifing from the mines of different metals, is not lefs than 
£- 679,182. 1356+ 
Next to the difcovery of the new world, no place has added more to the en- 
tertainment of naturdlifts than Sibiria. As has been before obferved, nature 
there aflumes a new appearance in the animal world: it does the fame in the 
vegetable; at left, very few trees are found common to Europe and Afia. Let 
me juft mention the nobler kinds: the Oak, frequent as it isin Raffa and in 
Céfan, is not to be feen in this vaft region nearer than the banks of the Argun 
* D’Auteroche, Voy. en Siberie, i. 83. T Coxe’s Travels. 
and 
