The Hon. Mr. Strangways on the Geology of Russia. 17 



plain of Tver is probably at a higher level than that of Novgorod, there is 

 reason to believe that the level of the Volga, even in this early part of its 

 course, is extremely low. Since the rivers did not contain water enough, the 

 simplest and most obvious remedy was to fill them, at least at stated times, for 

 the passage of vessels towards Petersburg from the countries on the Volga : 

 and it happens fortunately for this object, that this part of the Valday Hills 

 abounds in small lakes ; every one of which, within a district of about 200 versts 

 in circumference, that either communicates naturally or can be made to com- 

 municate with the Tvertza or the Msta, is laid under contribution, and com- 

 pelled to furnish, at certain periods, a known and regulated quantity of its waters 

 for the supply of one or the other river during the seasons of navigation. For 

 tliis purpose, all the water-courses within the district have been dammed up, 

 and at each sluice is stationed a guard, whose duty it is to give daily notice 

 of the increase of the waters at his post, to a superior officer, who is commonly 

 placed in one of the three towns along the line of navigation. This infor- 

 mation being regularly transmitted from every station within the two systems 

 of waters of the Tvertza and the Msta, the officer can easily calculate whether 

 the total bulk of all the waters collected will be sufficient to float the vessels 

 that are ready to pass, and which usually wait for the intelligence at Tver. 

 As soon as he has information that the waters have risen at each station to the 

 necessary height, orders are sent to the vessels that are waiting, to be pre- 

 pared to mount the river, and to each of the guards at their respective posts 

 to open the sluices at a particular hour. The hours specified in the orders 

 sent to each guard at the sluices are so calculated, that the water shall not 

 all be let off at the same moment, but that the more distant ponds being opened 

 \ at an earlier, and those nearer to the navigable river at a later hour, the 

 great body of water shall be brought into the bed of the river at the same mo- 

 ment, if required ; or, that, if more of it than is necessary should be ready, 

 tlie full stream may be continued at a certain height as long as it will last. 



The immense rush of water which on these occasions passes down the 

 Tvertza renders it, of course, very difficult to ascend; but the bottom and sides 

 being free from rocks, the barks pass without much danger. On the other 

 hand, the passage down the Msta is reckoned extremely dangerous, and they 

 never attempt to remount the stream. The impetuosity of the current in so 

 deep and uneven a bed, — sometimes abruptly turning rocky points, or con- 

 fined within narrow gorges, which often suddenly expand it to wide basins, 

 \ and as suddenly contract again, — is yearly the cause of the wreck of a great 

 ^ number of these vessels, although built on a peculiar plan for the passage of 



^ the rapids. They are extremely flexible, and narrow in proportion to their 



pi 



VOL. VI. D 



