461 
Prof. Milne — Across Europe and Asia. 
wbich. trends across the country like sorae buge embankment. 
Further to tbe nortb tbis ridge forms tbe eastern bank of tbe river; 
but on reacbing tbe point at -wbich Tobolsk is situated, it turns 
suddenly and bears away almost at right angles to its previous direc- 
tion. It is in fact an abrupt termination to a plateau, on the top 
of wbich one portion of Tobolsk is built. wliilst tbe other portion of 
the town is below. Whilst we were still at a distance, many church 
spires, white barracks, and various public buildings could be dis- 
tinctly seen. As we neared these, we left the muddy waters of tbe 
Tobol, and joined tbe clear black waters of the Irtisb. As we bad 
a few hours’ rest at Tobolsk, I bad opportunity for seeing the town. 
One tbing I soon observed -was tbat stone was a substance wbich was 
only known in narue, and wood took its place even on tbe pavement. 
A steeply sloping deep cutting connected tbe lower part of tbe town 
with tbe upper part, wbich is on the summit of the plateau. Tbis, 
like tbe streets, was covered with wood. Excepting at tbis cutting, 
and at another point where stairs have been built, the scarp-like face 
of the plateau is too steep to be ascended. Everywhere in tbe 
vicinity of the town this scarp consists of a whitish-grey sand. In 
tbe upper part of the town, in some public gardens, I saw a monu- 
ment erected to the memory of Yermack, tbe first invader and so- 
called conqueror of Siberia. Another curiosity on tbe top of tbe 
hill was one of tbe monuments of folly wbich John tbe Terrible 
left standing bebind bim. Tbis is a bell wbich, on tbe occasion of 
one of bis human butcberies, was eitber ringing wben it ought not 
to have rung, or eise was not ringing wben it should bave done. 
For this it suffered exilesbip instead of those who bad tbus misused 
it, and after baving a small piece broken from it, was sent to Siberia 
with Orders tbat never so long as it was a bell, was it to ring again. 
After looking at the lower portion of tbe town, where tbe greater 
part of the business is transacted, we rejoined tbe steamer, and were 
again under weigb steaming rapidly down tbe Irtisb towards its 
confluence with the Obi. From this point we now bad upon our right 
band or eastern side the steep slope of wbat I will call the Tobolsk 
plateau. Tbis was, however, not quite so high as it was at Tobolsk, 
and in places perhaps not more tban 100 feet. Near its base bluisb 
clayey beds sometimes cropped up. As we continued nortbwards, 
villages becarne fewer, and it soon became a matter of interest even 
when we saw either a small boat or a man. On our right we bad 
tbe steep earth cliffs capped with a line of fir, whilst on our left 
were banks of willows, and a fringe of tall straight grass. As we 
continued to descend, the river increased in breadtb, wbich, on the 
28th of the month, must bave been at least a quarter of a mile wide. 
On the eastern side, we passed tbe entrances to man}- lagoon-like 
areas, filled with water. These I believe were in many cases openings 
across tbe bends in the river. Now and then we stopped and hauled 
in alongside the bank to obtain firewood. Tbis was generally done 
in tbe vicinity of a small village, tbe dirty iuhabitants of wbich, 
shiveriug in their tattered sheepskins, giving us some assistance. 
At these places I bad opportunity to examine the banks of tbe 
