FORESTS. 97 



of the mines, and as fuel for the production of steam as a 

 motive power in the works and in the transport of 

 products. 



In the various works which were established the most 

 was made, or I should rather say an endeavour was made 

 to make the most, of what motive power could be obtained 

 from running water ; but it was found impossible even thus 

 to meet all the requirements of the case. Steam had to 

 be employed, and besides the consumption of wood to 

 produce this motive power, which could only be thus 

 applied at the expense of fuel, fuel was required to pro- 

 duce heat, both for smelting ore and for working metal. 



When making enquiry in Russia some years ago in 

 regard to the effects upon the forests of this phase of 

 forest economy, and the working of the system, my atten- 

 tion was directed by an English engineer, who was one of 

 my correspondents, to the following statement on the 

 subject which had appeared shortly before in The Journal 

 of Science, Metals, and Manufactures : — 



' Animated by the ■ desire of developing every possible 

 resource of the Empire which he saw might achieve such 

 enormous power and dimensions, Peter the Great, in the 

 year 1700, commissioned two men — Botachoff and Demi- 

 doff — to inspect and report upon the facilities which were 

 offered in the country for the establishment of centres for 

 the manufacture of iron. 



' These men went their ways, and filled with the 

 spirit of their master, devoted their faculdes to the task, 

 with results that, considering the disadvantages under 

 which they laboured, were really marvellous. Perhaps 

 the grandest monument of the energy and genius of these 

 two men are to be found in the gigantic dams which they 

 constructed to keep the water up. To this day these 

 constructions strike the beholder with admiration and 

 amazement at the indomitableness and perseverance which 

 they displayed. These may fairly be considered the most 

 wonderful dams that were ever built. 



H 



