A Trip Through Siberia 



43 



40 miles west of the lake, at 12 

 midnight. It is a city of 35,000 

 people. It is situated on both 

 sidesof the Angara River, which 

 flows out of Lake Baikal, and 

 apparently is in a flat country. 



Friday, August 2. — Left Ir- 

 kutsk at midnight. 



Saturday, August 3. — We 

 have been riding all day 

 through a splendid prairie 

 country with just grade enough 

 for good drainage. White 

 birch on both sides of the track 

 and dense pine forests a little 

 distance away. Here and there 

 a small farm, now and then a 

 river — the paradise of farmers 

 and cattle-raisers. The forests 

 are clean, no underbrush, but 

 grass and ferns carpeting the 

 ground under the trees. 



Sunday, August 4.. — Country 

 still continues fine. Undulat- 

 ing prairie as far as the eye can 



Bank of the Amur Showing: the Fertile Soil 



Immigrants on the Amur 



reach, with plenty of timber 

 scattered about. I am sur- 

 prised at the extent of cultiva- 

 tion out here and the frequency 

 and size of towns. The soil 

 seems very fertile, and grain 

 looks well. 



Monday, August 5. — Early 

 this morning we came to Omsk, 

 and, crossing a long bridge over 

 the River Ob, we came into a 

 flat prairie country. The soil 

 is rich, the grass good ; few 

 trees, and these small, more like 

 bushes. It is magnificent farm 

 land. Every little while we 

 see a herd of horses, cattle, and 

 sheep grazing, and a Tatar boy 

 sitting on horseback and keep- 

 ing them together. The towns 

 are larger than before, but less 

 frequent. Thisis genuine prai- 

 rie country. 



Wednesday , A ugust 7 . — Same 

 as yesterday, only apparently 



