FORESTS OF OLONETZ. 43. 
this country. This: part of the Government of Olonetz is - 
passing through that period of its history at which any : 
measures taken for the formation of roads, the opening up 
or clearing of forests, or the introduction of regular system-. 
atic agriculture, possess very great interest. 
‘Unhappily the execution of this enterprise has not 
proceeded further than the felling of a strip of trees 
through the forest along which it was proposed that. the: 
road should be made. And the general impression is that 
soon the whole matter will end, for money is not forth-. 
coming, and the kind of road is not satisfactory. Coming 
upon. it at. various points, it seemed to me that the pro- 
jector or surveyor had of design made it to pass ata 
distance from the most important centres, and carried it. 
over uninhabited districts and unsuitable land. 
‘For forest operations this road to the: White Sea would 
not have been unimportant, and, having referred to the - 
subject, I am led to mention also a proposal which has, 
been made to open up. water communication between the 
White Sea and the Onega Lake. Having no accurate .: 
data, but only partial information, I cannot give details or. 
discuss fully the importance of this gigantic subject. . 
‘Of this proposal it is stated in the Pramiatnais Knjka - 
or official Notes of the Government of Olonetz for the year 
1867, “ The execution of this project, opening up communi-. 
cation between the White Sea and the Gulf of Finland, . 
and vice versa, proposed solely with a view to commercial. 
enterprise, would. for strategical purposes affecting the. 
whole ofthe north of Russia have immense importance ;” 
and. Mr Seederoff [a gentleman well known throughout 
this region, a merchant who has carried on great commer- . 
cial transactions in Archangel and Nova Zembla, and made; 
valued contributions. to the. different International Exhi- . 
bitions in the capitals of Europe] says in a communication ; 
to the Imperial Free Economical Society, “Steam war 
vessels could proceed from Cronstadt and make their 
appearance for the protection of the inhabitants of: the. 
shores: of ‘the White Sea, or, if necessary, of: Archangel, . 
