﻿Prof. Milne — Across Europe and Asia. 461 



which trends across the country like some huge embankment. 

 Further to the north this ridge forms the eastern bank of the river ; 

 but on reaching the point at which Tobolsk is situated, it turns 

 suddenly and bears away almost at right angles to its previous direc- 

 tion. It is in fact an abrupt termination to a plateau, on the top 

 of which one portion of Tobolsk is built, whilst the other portion of 

 the town is below. Whilst we were still at a distance, many church 

 spires, white barracks, and various public buildings could be dis- 

 tinctly seen. As we neared these, we left the muddy waters of the 

 Tobol, and joined the clear black waters of the Irtish. As we had 

 a few hours' rest at Tobolsk, I had opportunity for seeing the town. 

 One thing I soon observed was that stone was a substance which was 

 only known in name, and wood took its place even on the pavement. 

 A steeply sloping deep cutting connected the lower part of the town 

 with the upper part, which is on the summit of the plateau. This, 

 like the streets, was covei'ed with wood. Excepting at this cutting, 

 and at another point where stairs have been built, the scarp-like face 

 of the plateau is too steep to be ascended. Everywhere in the 

 vicinity of the town this scarp consists of a whitish-grey sand. In 

 the iipper part of the town, in some public gai'dens, I saw a monu- 

 ment erected to the memory of Yermack, the first invader and so- 

 called conqueror of Siberia. Another curiosity on the top of the 

 hill was one of the monuments of folly which John the Terrible 

 left standing behind him. This is a bell which, on the occasion of 

 one of his human butcheries, was either ringing when it ought not 

 to have rung, or else was not ringing when it should have done. 

 For this it suffered exileship instead of those who had thus misused 

 it, and after having a small piece broken from it, was sent to Siberia 

 with orders that never so long as it was a bell, was it to ring again. 

 After looking at the lower portion of the town, where the greater 

 part of the business is transacted, we rejoined the steamer, and were 

 again under weigh steaming rapidly down the Irtish towards its 

 confluence with the Obi. From this point we now had upon our right 

 hand or eastern side the steep slope of v/hat I will call the Tobolsk 

 plateau. This was, however, not quite so high as it Avas at Tobolsk, 

 and in places perhaps not more than 100 feet. Near its base bluish 

 clayey beds sometimes cropped up. As we continued northwards, 

 villages became fewer, and it soon became a matter of interest even 

 when we saw either a small boat or a man. On our right we had 

 the steep earth cliffs capped with a line of fir, whilst on our left 

 were banks of willows, and a fringe of tall straight grass. As we 

 continued to descend, the river increased in breadth, which, on the 

 28th of the month, must have been at least a quarter of a mile wide. 

 On the eastern side, we passed the entrances to manj' lagoon-like 

 areas, filled with water. These I believe were in many cases openings 

 across the bends in the river. Now and then we stopped and hauled 

 in alongside the bank to obtain firewood. This was generally done 

 in the vicinity of a small village, the dirty inhabitants of wliich, 

 shivering in their tattered sheepskins, giving us some assistance. 

 At these places I had opportunity to examine the banks of the 



