Prof Milne — Across Europe and Asia. 
561 
of at least thirty-nine years and perhaps more than seventy years. 
The only other explanation for this lapse of time, which is without 
an analogue in the subsequent history of the Irkutsk eartkquakes, is 
that perhaps the records were either not kept or eise have sub- 
sequently been lost. One remarkable statement I heard was that 
small eartkquakes occurring on one side of Lake Baikal are not feit 
upon the opposite side. Such being the case, we might perhaps infer 
that there is some peculiarity in the depth or formation of the lake 
which prevents vibrations which originate on one side passing to the 
other. I shall have more to say about this lake bye-and-bye. 
Since arriving in Japan, at certain seasons I have had almost. a 
weekly experience of earthquakes. The montk after my arrival, 
which was in March, 1876, there were no less than ten shocks re- 
corded, whilst during the year there were fifty-three. Although 
these Japanese earthquakes are in most cases perceptible without the 
aid of instruments, they are by no means so strong as those I have 
been describing. They usually commence as a slight shock, which 
is followed by an easy short horizontal Vibration, producing a Sensa- 
tion as if you were supported on a mass of stiffisk jelly which had 
been slightly agitated. The timbers in your house crack, whilst 
glasses and Windows rattle. This usually lasts for about thirty 
seconds, after which all is quiet. At first the Sensation is curious, 
but bj r repetition it becomes unpleasant. 
As at Irkutsk and other localities, the lower animals are affected. 
This is chiefly noticeable in the pheasants, which I kear screaming 
in my garden at every shock. They sometiines herald its approach 
a few seconds beforehand, and then usually continue tkeir calling 
until the movement ceases. 
When speaking of my journey across the Urals, I made 
reference to the gold-mines which I saw there. Although these 
mines were chiefly represented by alluvial workings, a few open- 
ings, as at Berezovski, had been made upon lodes of quartz. In 
Eastern Siberia this latter dass of work has not yet been developed, 
but the former dass has been very largely carried out. The chief 
workings are upon the Lena, as far north and even fartker than 
Yakutsk, and in the Trans-Baikal and Amoor districts, as at 
Nertchinsk. Gold is also worked, but to a small extent, upon the 
Mongolian frontier. Here, however, but little has been done ; chiefly 
owing to difficulties which arise with the Chinese and Native tribes, 
who, refusing to pay duty, wander backwards and forwards across 
the frontier, opposing or escaping all Government officials. 
From all that I could learn, gold is found in greater or less 
quantities almost everywhere. The gold which comes from the 
northern districts, as the Lena, is generally the poorest, containing 
the greatest per-centage of silver and copper. 
As an average analysis of 96 parts of East Siberian gold, I may 
give the following — total. 
Amoor gold 91§ gold 4 silver i copper = 96 
Amoor gold 92 „ 3f „ ^ „ = 96 
Lena (Yakutsk) ... 86^ „ 9i „ J „ = 96 * 
DECADE II. YOL. IV.— NO. XII. 36 
