46 Statistical Data on the Area of Asiatic Russia. [No. 1, 



ble as compared to the four principal ones, that there is found to 

 be no necessity for calculating their surface, the more so as all of 

 the latter basins are quite without the pale of historic life. The 

 Jaxartes which might be included in the number of great rivers, 

 has no affluents within the limits of Asiatic Russia.* 



With respect to the extent of the basins of the chief rivers, and 

 the lengths of their main torrents within the boundaries of Siberia, 

 they may be thus expressed in figures : — 

 For the Ovi (Trtysh) 1,119,500 square miles, 2,090 linear miles. 

 ,, Yenisei (Seleuza) 958,000 ,, 2,300 ,, 



„ Lena 732,000 „ 2,420 „ 



,, Amoor (Onon) 473,500 ,, 2,530 „ 



Of the best of these basins (that of the Amoor) more than one-third 

 lies outside of the Russian limits. On the other hand the fact of these 

 four main rivers embracing in their aggregate 3,283,000 square 

 miles, or three-fifths of the whole of Asiatic Russia, points 

 to the conclusion that sooner or later cheap water communication 

 will extend throughout the greater portion of Siberia, from Ya- 

 kutsk and the Pacific Ocean to the foot of the Ural mountains, 

 and from Turukhausk to Barnaul, Alinousiusk, Kiakhta, and to 

 the country of the Asouri river. There may occur not more than 

 two land stages in each of these water ways, but these stages may 

 be improved by the construction of railroads. 



4. There are several large lakes in the interior of Asiatic Rus- 

 sia, which afford much scope for local fishing industry and serve to 

 moisten the dry continental atmosphere. There is navigation on 

 some of these, but in Siberia, as generally in the case of lakes every 

 where else, the lakes do not form centres for the settlement of large 

 industrial populations. 



The areas of those lakes whose dimensions exceed 200 square 

 miles inclusive of the Zaisau on which there are Russian fisheries, 

 are as follows : — 





sq. m. 





sq. m. 



sq. m 



Baikal 



12,400. 



Hinkai 



1,420. 



Sumy 410. 



Balkhash 



8,530. 



C hairy 



1,270. 



Kulundinsk 280. 



* The Ai-ys and Chircbik are now die facto Russian since the occupation of 

 Chemkend and Tashkeud. 



