208 Geographical Collections. 
are disseminated in the other provinces of the Russian Empire. Those who 
have equipped the Cossacks sent to service, exercise the sole right of fishing, as 
long as that service lasts. The fishery is carried on entirely upon a military 
system; there are annually three principal, and two accessory fisheries. The 
principal fisheries are, first, that of the spring, which lasts a month and a half, 
the quantity of fish, principally sturgeons, taken at that period, is valued at 4000 
cart loads, of 36 puds each. Secondly, the autumnal fishery, which lasts all the 
month of October, and is also very productive. Thirdly, the fishery called 
Braganse, which lasts from the 30th of December to the 30th of January. The 
accessory fisheries are those of the river Kurchai, the northern bank of the Caspian 
sea, and the fishery with great nets, called Achani, which are cast into the sea, 
under the ice. 
The annual consumption of salt is 200,000 puds. The salt lake of Inder fur- 
nishes, alone, 100,000 puds ; the remainder is obtained from other salt lakes, 
amongst which, lake Jakrysk, between the two Useens, is the most remarkable. 
It furnishes near a thousand cart loads. 
On the importation of the fish of the Oural into the Empire, a considerable tax 
is levied upon the salt ; the amount of which is nearly 8,480,000 roubles. The 
military chancellor of the Oural, formerly received this tax ; but for these few 
years back, a private person has taken it into his hands, by paying an annual 
sum of 120,000 roubles. 
It would be difficult to find, in the whole extent of the Russian Empire, a 
people furnishing so large a revenue to the country, as this little nation of the 
Cossacks of the Oural. 
At Glinenor, I traversed the Useen, and gained the territory of the horde of 
Bucaic—Kirghise Tartars. 
Farther on, while descending, we walked among vast salt lands; and after 
havingtravelled 16 versts, we reached the great road of the caravans of Astrachan, 
which is now little frequented. Not far from the road, to the left hand side, is a 
well, which, at a certain depth, is pure; near this we passed the night. We per- 
ceived in the neighbourhood, the tombs of the Tchoudes, ancient inhabitants of 
the country ; they are met with in all the steps, but particularly in the vicinity of 
Naryn ; they are most numerous where the-country is fertile and habitable. 
We had not made more than 18 versts, when the horses, exhausted with fatigue, 
could not go further; and, as I had no hopes that they would quickly recover I 
sent a Cossack, who had accompanied us from Glinenor, to the Khan with a 
letter, in which I expssed our sorrowful situation, and’ asked for immediate as- 
sistance. 
Like all the Kirghises, the Khan has no fixed residence, in consequence of 
which, his actual place of abode is only imperfectly known, at any distance. It 
is requisite to go from tent to tent making enquiries, and the answer becomes 
the more precise, as one approaches his habitation. Shortly after his departure, 
our Cossack arrived at the tent of a certain Sultan, whe, as soon as he learnt our 
position, told the Cossack to announce to us, that he would see that we were es- 
corted to the camp of the Khan. He soon arrived himself; but the Kirghises, 
whom he ordered to furnish us with horses, would not obey him, and he retired 
abashed and confused. I learnt on this occasion, that, generally speaking, the 
Sultans are not loved by the people ; and that, whenever there are law suits, it is 
to the patriarchs (starthena) that they address, themselves, and not to the Sultan. 
The patriarchs are instituted by the Khan and by the people. The sultans, on 
the contrary, are what we call the aristocracy. In the language of the country 
they are called akfiujak, that is to say, men having white bones. As my Cos- 
sack had already travelled 18 versts in a sandy soil, I ordered a kirghise to bear 
my letter to the khan. The kirghise mounted his horse, and we pitched our 
tents. 
The salt lands present a picture of the greatest sterility ; no traces of vegetation 
are to be seen; but their borders are covered by an innumerable quantity of saline 
plants, and their soil is a mud composed of bitter salt, which dries during the 
