1078 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



sacred emblems as a petition to them to 

 allay the epidemic. 



Passing through the Tsar's domain, 

 even at the rapid pace we have ma'i- 

 tained, impressed us v^ith the immensity 

 of this colossal nation. Its 155 millions 

 of population possess one-sixth of the 

 land surface of the entire world, or three 

 times the area of the United States, if 

 we except our Alaskan bonanza, which 



Russia practically gave to Uncle Sam in 

 1867. Considering her almost limitless 

 resources, her futre possibilities are in- 

 calculable ; and certainly in her struggle 

 for a higher civilization and the adjust- 

 ment of the peculiar economic and po- 

 litical conditions with which she is con- 

 fronted, her attitude toward America in 

 the past commends her to our warmest 

 friendship and support. 



THE LAND OF PROMISE 



By Major General A. W. Greely, U. S. Army 



OUR journey across Siberia con- 

 firmed the opinion of the author, 

 formed from previous geograph- 

 ical studies, that no other country ap- 

 proaches Russia in the extent of its terri- 

 tory, the diversity of its people, or in 

 variety of climates ; and, further, created 

 the belief in its unsurpassable superiority 

 as to the latent and fast-developing pro- 

 ductivity of its agricultural, forest, and 

 mineral resources. 



VLADIVOSTOK 



After an uncomfortable and somewhat 

 tempestuous voyage across the Sea of 

 Japan, at the end of May, our eyes 

 viewed with refreshing delight the green 

 and graceful hills that fringe the covered 

 waterways on approaching Vladivostok. 

 Soon, however, our thoughts turned from 

 Nature's smiling aspect to matters of 

 human interest as we approached the 

 city, with its wonderful dry-dock, its 

 green-domed churches, its railway termi- 

 nals, and the outlying shipping, all glori- 

 fied by the spring sun and smiling skies. 



Before us was the stir of civil life and 

 the bustle of commercial activity in the 

 city proper, but from our decks we saw 

 the smooth fields and gentle hill-slopes 

 alive with the morning drills and opera- 

 tions of a Russian army corps. Apart 

 from the rhythmic evolutions, novel to 

 all and thrilHng to a soldier's ear, were 

 the melodious and stirring sounds of 

 martial songs — anthems of loyalty to the 



Czar and devotion to country which are 

 chanted by Russian soldiers on the 

 march. 



Although having many business build- 

 ings of the latest modern types, Vladi- 

 vostok is plainly in the transitory stage 

 attendant on its struggles to assume 

 metropolitan importance. With a perma- 

 nent population of about 50,000, its out- 

 lying military forces were estimated to 

 be somewhat more numerous. There 

 were apparent the usual concomitants of 

 camp followers, ambulatory merchants, 

 army contractors, and speculators. 



Despite the inevitable reaction and 

 commercial depression consequent on the 

 end of a great war, Vladivostok will 

 steadily grow in commercial importance, 

 apart from its assured advantages 

 through dry-docks, military depots, and 

 railway facilities. Large areas of north- 

 eastern Manchuria and the whole of the 

 great Amur Valley must always be trib- 

 utary to Vladivostok. On the lower 

 Amur there are already 50 or more vil- 

 lages of Russian pioneers, whc are de- 

 veloping the agricultural possibilities be- 

 sides exploiting the extensive fisheries- 

 The vast timber resources of the Amur 

 and of the maritime province are on the 

 point of development. Their forested 

 areas exceed half a million acres, which 

 are gradually passing under foreign con- 

 trol, with the wise governmental policy of 

 requiring the labor to be done by Russian 

 workmen. 



