ROUTES ACROSS THE URAL. 
343 
rapid rate of Russian travelling, might almost doubt the existence of a chain, for 
the road is there carried over the watershed at the point of its greatest depression, 
and where the outline is round-backed and featureless. The same may he said 
of the central crest between Blagodat and Serebriansk, and also of the pass near 
Katchkanar in the parallel of Verkhoturie, by both of which we travelled, except 
that upon these lines the “ divortia aquarum ” is enlivened, at intervals, by bold 
and serrated crags. From certain localities, however, on the Siberian side the 
traveller can form a more adequate conception of these mountains. In travelling 
by the ordinary route, from Europe, he gradually approaches them from undula- 
tions, amid which the central ridge is often nearly lost ; whilst to many parts of the 
lower plateau of Siberia they present themselves as a serrated, mural and naked 
ridge, which peering through the forests, has the aspect of a mountain escarp- 
ment. Of the nature of this central crest, composed of quartzose and metamorphic 
rocks, the view at the head of this chapter affords a characteristic idea, and in the 
sequel other sketches will be given of the appearance of the chain, whether exa- 
mined in its most elevated portion or on its Siberian flank. 
The width of the mountain region may be variously computed, according to the 
definition of the geographer. Humboldt places the average at twelve to fifteen 
French leagues, or at about the width of the Pyrenees. The true ridge, however, 
or Ural-tau, whatever local names may be given to it by the natives in different 
parallels, must simply be considered as the dividing crest which parts the waters of 
Europe from those of Asia. But as throughout a considerable space the flanking 
ridges are, as before said, insignificant, though in other parts they rival the water- 
shed itself in height, it is not easy to define the breadth of ground which should be 
included in the term Ural Mountains. This remark specially relates to what, for 
our present purpose, we shall call the North Ural ; viz. from Petropaulosk and the 
most northern Russian mines — from the point, in fact, where colonization ceases 
northwards, to the cluster of summits before alluded to, and which radiating from 
Jurma or Yurma, pass to the south-west and south by Zlatahst and Miask. 
In the northernmost part of this tract, dense forests and impassable marshes 
very frequently obscure the watershed, which is diversified solely by occasional 
stony peaks, lifting their heads through monotonous and silent woodlands, which 
would to this day have been peopled by a few wild Voguls only, had not the precious 
ores led the Russians to colonize and clear them. Yet with all the progress which 
has been made, the only good carriage road completely across the North Ural 
2 y 2 
