﻿344 Frof. Milne — Across Europe and Asia. 



stuck together to represent grottoes, cottages, and other devices, 

 which I think, from what I afterwards saw, must probably have been 

 made in Ekaterinburg or its neighbourhood. All were very dear, 

 and there were none of any great value. 



After many difficulties, I found, amongst the dense black mass of 

 barges and steamers which line the banks of the river, a boat which, 

 on the following morning, was to start for Perm. As it was lying 

 upon the south side of the river, I had opportunity to look at some 

 high steep banks which rose high above us. Kunning horizontally 

 along the face of this slope, which I have mentioned as having 

 seen from the railway, there are many well-marked horizontal 

 terraces. Two of these were very broad and flat. In several places 

 the scarp or slope was cut through with small gulleys. These were 

 utilized as roadways between the upper plane and the river. Where 

 cuttings had been made, reddish-looking earthy sections, traversed 

 with a few whitish bands, which looked like chalk, could be seen. 

 The height of this scarp above the level of the river is about 240 

 feet, and the slope at the steepest part about 29°. At the top of 

 this the country is flat. The red and white bands, both of which 

 are apparently marly and without stones, are clearly visible up to 

 about 180 feet. When dry, these materials break like a dried clay. 



About 10 A.M. next morning, the whistle sounded three times, the 

 captain gave his orders, and we pushed out into mid-stream. After 

 doffing of hats, and crossing (I suppose for a favourable voyage), we 

 started off in a driving rain against a head wind down the Volga. 



All that I could now see of the river was by looking through the 

 cabin window. Everywhere there are shoals of sand. On the north 

 side of the river, where the banks were sufficiently cut into to show 

 the stratification, long straight lines and sweeping curves could be 

 distinctly traced. After a few miles, the scarp upon the south side, 

 instead of looking as if it were only the sudden termination of a 

 plain, merged gradually into a hill-like character. Both the hills 

 and the scarp which now formed their face were of a red colour, 

 and the white beds, which before had been at higher levels, 

 were now only to be seen near the base. As we pushed on down 

 the river, a long sandy shore crept in between us and the scarp. 

 Towards the afternoon, as we travelled eastwards, the hills became 

 less precipitous and scarp-like, until at last they had a rounded 

 outline, and stripes of corn-fields diversified their sides. The islands 

 in the river show sections of stratified earth or mud. Some of them 

 are, however, sandy, and their light-coloured shores contrasted 

 favourably with their dark-green cap of birch and alder. As night 

 came on, the cold and drizzle, instead of ceasing, came on also. The 

 hills upon the south side drew nearer to the river's edge, along 

 which they continued pretty constantly. Those courses of the river 

 which had the more northerly direction were, I think, bounded upon 

 their southern side with the steepest banks. These still kept their 

 red colour, and, where they had a few trees clinging to their sides, 

 looked picturesque. 



At 5'30 P.M. we stopped upon the south side of the river at a 



