THE TAGANAI MOUNTAIN. — ZLATAUST. 
427 
were already in the knot of mountains from whence the South Ural, properly so 
called, begins, and where the striking contrasts with the North Ural, alluded to at 
the head of this Chapter, may be said to commence. It is here that separate 
ridges of marked and mountainous characters set on, such as the Urenga and the 
Taganai on the west, the Ural-tau in the centre, and the Ilmen hills upon the east. 
Here it is also that the rivers Miass and Ai, gliding in depressions through the 
central portion of the chain, escape into the adjacent lower countries, the former 
by the Zavod of Miask to Asia, the latter by Zlataust to Europe 1 . Availing them- 
selves of the water of the Ai, just where that stream issues from the higher mountains, 
the Russians judiciously fixed their chief establishment of Zlataust upon its hanks. 
This very flourishing place is thus situated in a romantic valley on the western 
side of the watershed of the Ural, at the foot of the Urenga, and a little to the 
south-west of the Taganai. The latter, the most striking mountain of the tract, 
rises boldly from the well-watered vale into three summits, which have acquired 
for it in the Bashkir language the name of “tripod of the moon.” The highest 
of these summits has been estimated by M. Kupffer at 3521 English feet, and by 
Colonel Helmersen at 3592 English feet above the sea. 
1 Zlataust is the Birmingham and Sheffield of the Ural, and exhibiting high progress in the arts and a 
well-organized community, is one of the brightest spots in the Russian empire. We very much regret that 
the nature of our work does not permit us to speak at length of the superior manufacture of steel which 
has so distinguished Zlataiist since the Zavod has been directed by that skilful metallurgist and excellent 
administrator General Anosoff, whose damasked scimitars and ornamental steel works excel everything of 
like nature with which we are acquainted. On this point, indeed, we willingly refer to Captain James 
Abbot of the Honourable East India Company’s Artillery, a traveller well-versed in the processes ot pre- 
paring steel in the East. *‘ The general fault of European blades (says he) is, that being forge o s lear- 
,teel for the sake of elasticity, they are scarcely susceptible of the keen edge which cast-stce wi assume. 
The genius of Anosoff has triumphed over this objection, not in hardening the soft steel, but m giving 
elasticity to the hard ; and it may be doubted whether any fabric in the world 
of Zlataust in the production of weapons combining in an equal degree e ge an e - eX nui*itely 
of a j our „ ev from Heraut to Khivah, Moscow and Peter slurgh, vol. n. Appendix, p. 8 . J '' 7 
.... « >wd Which we received „» .he spot d. 0-J* “ 
of thi- eulogy, and a pl.te.u of burni.hed Meel, richly ornamented and d.v.mfcd w.th gold reta . .mce 
forwarded to Mr. Murchison by .be imperial Adminis.t.tion of Mine.. 1- «m ed much , ( h,„.„o„ .» 
England We found in General Anb.off and hi. amiable f.m.ly, us well aa ,n the various o8.ee, « o the 
Imperial Mines (who are all ...ached to him in hem. a. well a. by duty) .he .rue., and most servtceable 
friend, and we took leave of him with ...vow. Attended by Major Lwenko, who had p.epa.ed a m.uertd 
map of the rogion. General Anbsoff accompanied u. in two excursions, and m.r.ted on ttavellmg With 
Mr Murchison across the Ural to Mtok and the gold mine, son.h of that place, ascending i by the way 
the Ural-tau, We have spelt Zla.ai.st a» it is pronounced i .lie German orthoepy of it is Zlatoust (see 
Map of the Environs, Rose, vol. ii. pi. 5.). 
