. FORESTS OF OLONETZ, 47 
“on being crushed and washed yields 7} zolotnicks of gold 
ofor every 150 pounds.* 
‘The working of the mine at Voitzi was discontinued in 
1783. In 1827:gold was:discovered on the banks of the 
river Vuig, and in the course of the present century inves- 
tigations have been made several times by private parties, 
but they have not proved successful in unearthing any 
stores of the precious metal, and at the present time there 
remain only here and there pits and buildings in which the 
workmen of a former day were lodged. The traditions of 
the district give in a thousand different forms pictures of 
the prosperity enjoyed by the peasants in those times. I 
-had to pay somewhat dearly for the gratification of my 
curiosity to see the old mine. I had to go on foot 35 
versts, 22 miles, to the nearest Karrell village, situated on 
. the edge of the forest estate of Padan; and my walk was 
the more unpleasant because the road, or, speaking more 
correctly the path, according to local phraseology, founded 
on the topographical condition of the ground, lay across 
the earth, and did not go with the earth, From the 
northern part of the district of Povonetz, on to the shores 
of the White Sea, the ground lies in parallel rows of ridges 
or linear hillocks, with hollows consisting sometimes of peat 
bog lying between. The ridges are narrow and long, as are 
likewise the bogs by which they are separated. They run 
north and south, consequently for the traveller in either of 
these directions the path lies along the summit of the ridge, 
and according to local phrase he goes with the earth, and it 
is more easy to do so; but if he travels east or west he 
must walk across the bogs and ridges; and as the crests 
are about a verst apart, this has to be done in every verst 
of his journey.’ 
‘The Padan forest estate lies to the west of Vuigozero, 
and covers an area of 570,000 desatins.t All that has been 
* 96 zolotnicks = 1 1b. Russia, 40 lbs. Russ. or 36 lbs. avordupois = 1 pood.—J.C.B. 
+ A desatin = 40 X 60, or 2,400 Russian square fathoms of 7 English feet. An English 
acre is 0°37041 of a desatin, which makes a desatin = 2°69972 English acres. A desatin 
= 4:2789 Prussian morgens, A verst is equal to two-thirds of an English mile—J. C, B. 
