SIB 



In this quarter there are many fmaller lakes, and others to 

 the N. of the Cafpian, fome of which are fait, particularly 

 that of Bogdo. To thefe we may add the Allan Nor, or 

 golden lake, and the lake of Altyn, called by the Ruffians 

 Teletako. The mountains are the Uralinn, the Altaian, 

 Bogdo Alim, or the Almighty mountain, Sinnaia-Sepka, 

 Schlangenberg, which is the richeft in minerals, the Sayanflc 

 mountains, the mountains of Nerfhindc ov Ruffian Daouria, 

 the chain of Stanvooi or mountains of Ochotik, and Cauca- 

 fus. For the fteppes of Ruffia, fee Steppe. 



Siberia has hitherto been found to poffefs fcarcely any 

 genera of plants ; and even all the fpccies of any confiderable 

 importance, are thofe trees which are common to it with the 

 north of Europe. Under the head of the zoology of 

 Afiatic Ruffia, we may enumerate the rein-deer, which per- 

 forms the offices of the horfe, the cow, and the fheep ; the 

 dogs of Kamtfchatka, which are ufed for carriage ; the horfe, 

 which is found wild, a fpecies of afs, the urus or bifon, the 

 argali or wild ffieep, the ibex or rock-goat, large ilags, 

 the mufk or civet, and wild, boar ; wolves, foxes, and bears ; 

 the fable, feveral kinds of hares, the caftor or beaver, the 

 walrus, and the common feal. But it would be fuperfluous 

 to enlarge. Siberia is fo rich in zoology and botany, that, as 

 Mr. Pennant obferves, even the difcovery of America has 

 fcarcely imparted a greater number of objefts to the natu- 

 raliil. The mineralogy of Siberia is equally fertile, and dif- 

 plays many Angular and interetling objefts. The chief gold 

 mines of Siberia are thofe of Catherinburg or Ekatherin- 

 burg, on the E. of the Uralian mountains, about N. lat. 57°: 

 the mines of Nerffiinlk, difcovered in 1704, are principally 

 of lead, mixed with filver and gold ; and thofe of Kolyvan, 

 chiefly in the Schlangenberg, or mountain of ferpents, fo 

 called by the Germans, began to be wrought in 1748. The 

 gold mines of Berefof are the chief in the empire ; thofe of 

 Kolyvan and Nerffiinflv being denominated filver mines. Be- 

 fides the copper mines in the Uralian mountains, there are 

 fome in thofe of Altai. But the iron mines of Ruffia are 

 of the moft folid and lading importance, particularly thofe 

 which iupply the numerous founderies of the Uralian moun- 

 tains. Rock-falt is chiefly found near the Ilek, not far from 

 Orenburg. Coal is fcarcely known ; but fulphur, alum, 

 fal ammoniac, vitriol, nitre and natron, are abundant. Siberia 

 pofleffes a variety of gems, partic\ilarly in the mountain 

 Adunftollo, near the river Argoon, in the province of Ner- 

 ffiinfl< or Daouria. Common topazes are found here, and alfo 

 the jacint. The kind of jade called mother of emerald is a 

 Siberian produft ; and beryl or aqua marinns is found in 

 AdunlloUo, and in greater perfection in the gem mines of 

 Mourfintfl<y, near Catherinburg, along with the chryfolite. 

 Red garnets abound near the fea of "Baikal. The ruby- 

 coloured fchorl has been difcovered in the Uralian mountains. 

 The green felfpar of Siberia is a beautiful Itone, and carved 

 by the RulTians into a variety of ornaments. The Daourian 

 mountains, between the Onon and the Argoon, afford ele- 

 gant onyx. The beautiful itones called the hair of Venus 

 and Thetis, being limpid rock cryitals containing capillary 

 fchori, red or green, are found near Cathermburg. The 

 alliance flone confilts of a greyifh porphyry, united, as if 

 glued together, with tranfparent quartz. Great quantities 

 of malachite have alfo been found in the Uralian mountains ; 

 one piece of which is faid to have weighed 107 poods, or 

 3852 pounds. Siberia afi"ords beautiful red and green jaf- 

 pers ; and lapis kzuli is found near Baikal. The Uralian 

 chain prefents fine white marble ; and in the numerous pri- 

 mitive ranges there are many varieties of granite and por- 

 phyry. The chief mineral waters of Ruffia are thofe of 

 Kamtfchatka. 



SIB 



The iflands belonging to Afiatic Ruffia may be diflri- 

 buted into the Aleutian, Andrenovian, and Kurilian groups, 

 ^vith the Fox ifles, which extend to the promontory of 

 Alafka in North America. See thefe articles refpeftively. 

 For further particulars refpefting Siberia or Afiatic Ruffia, 

 fee Russia. See alfo Coxe's Ruffian Difcoveries ; Tooke'9 

 Rufl'. Emp. ; and Pinkerton's Geog. vol. li. 



SIBERIAN KozAKS, or Cojfacks, a branch of the Don- 

 flvoi Codacks, who, inftigated by a difpofition to roaming 

 and pillage, in the i6th century, abandoned their habitations 

 on the Don, in order to plunder the countries lying eafl- 

 ward. In order to rcKrain tlieir progrefs, Ivan Vaffillie- 

 vitch II., who fat upon the Ruffian throne, affembled, in 

 the year IJ77, a confiderable army, and got together a 

 fleet of (hips to chaflife thefe audacious robbers. Thefe 

 hordes, intimidated by thefe hollile preparations, difperfed 

 and fled into the neighbouring regions. See the preceding 

 article. 



Siberian Barley, in Agriculture, a hardy fort of grain of 

 the barley kind. See Bakley. 



Siberian Oat, an ufeful fort of hardy oat brought from 

 that country. See Oat. 



It has been found by fome as much fuperior to the com- 

 mon black oat as the Poland fort is to others. It has the 

 advantages of beint; capable of being fown with fafety in 

 December, and of being fit to cut as foon or fooner than 

 early peas ; the produce is greater than the ufual forts ; and 

 rain, inllead of injuring, rather improves the colour, which 

 is of the pied kind. The kernel is plump and large, and 

 the flraw is faid to make excellent fodder for live-llock of the 

 neat cattle kind. 



SIBIDOOLOO, in Geography, a town of Africa, in the 

 ftate of Manding, the government of which is a republic, 

 or ratlier an oligarchy ; 40 miles N.E. of Karaalia. 



SIBIL-EL-MULSIH, a town of Arabia, in the pro- 

 vince of Hedsjas ; 120 miles N.N.W. of Mecca. 



SIBILI, a town of Africa, in the kingdom of Bam- 

 bara ; 25 miles N.E. of Sego. 



SIBILIAKOVA, a town of Ruffia, in the government 

 of Tobolfk, on the Irtifch ; 2S miles N. of Tara. 



SIBIRIXOA, a town of New Mexico, in the province 

 ofCinaloa; 45 miles N.N.W. of Cinaloa. 



SIBNIBAS, a town of Hindooflian, in Bengal; 10 

 miles E.N.E. of Kiffienagur. N. lat. 23° 2j'. E. long. 

 88° 50'. 



SIBOCKOO, a town on the E. coaft of the ifland of 

 Borneo. N. lat. 4° 24'. E. long. 117° 12'. 



SIBOURNE, a town of Fr.ince, in the department of 

 the Lower Pyrenees, on a fmall river oppollte to St. Jean 

 de Luz. 



SIBRAIM, or Sabarlm, \x\ ylncient Geography, a place 

 which terminated the land of promife towards the north. 

 Ezekiel fays (xlvii. 16.) that this city was between the con- 

 fines of Hamoth and Damafcus, probably the fame which 

 Abulfeda calls Houverin, a village of the country of Ems, 

 or Hamoth, S.E. of that city. 



SIBSIB, in Zoology, an animal of the empire of Mo- 

 rocco, abounding in the mountains of the province of Sufe ; 

 of an intermediate fpecies between the cat and the fquirrel ; 

 fomewhat fimilar to the ichneumon in form, but not half its 

 fize : it inhabits the Atlas, and hves in holes, among the ttones 

 and caverns of the mountains ; it has brown hair, and a 

 beautiful tail, refembling that of a fquirrel, about the length 

 of its body. The Shelluks and Arabs eat this animal, and 

 confider it a dehcacy. This is the only animal which the 

 Mahometans torment before its death, which they do by 

 taking hold of its hind-legs, and rubbing it on a itone, or 



flat 



