OBSERVATIONS ON MUSK. 
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rod. The Asiatics bring to Irbit the musk bags enveloped 
in the original grayish-white skin, as cut from the musk 
deer, and sell them either to the Russians, who carry them to 
St. Petersburg and Moscow, or they dispose of them to Rus- 
sian traders, who carry on a commerce with China by 
Kjachta. 
The Russian merchants, who bring the musk from Irbit 
to St. Petersburg and Moscow, trade only between these 
towns and Irbit; but those who carry it to Kjachta trade 
between the said town of Kjachta and Irbit. 
In case the price of musk is remunerating at St. Peters- 
burg and Moscow, then the Russians who trade there pur- 
chase the musk bags, and pay good prices; on the other 
hand, when it is low in these places, the Asiatic finds his 
customer in the trader to Kjachta. Sometimes it is brought 
to St. Petersburg in large and sometimes in small parcels, 
occasionally paeked in chests, whilst at others it is loosely 
carried in bags of leather or felt, and sold generally to drug- 
gists. 
The price of Musk at St. Petersburg is regulated by the 
quantity of stock in hand. The Russian trader procures 
European wares with the product of his sale, which wares 
are destined to procure at Irbit a further supply of the drug. 
At St. Petersburg it is packed in tin caddies, hermetically 
soldered, and when exported these are packed in small 
wooden cases. 
The Irbit musk is invariably enveloped in the grayish- 
white belly skin, and the bags are separated when it is sent 
to St. Petersburg, this being done only after it has been sold 
to the St. Petersburg trader ; for a bag accompanied with 
the skin rarely arrives at St. Petersburg. If, however, the 
musk is sold to those traders who proceed with their wares 
for the Chinese market via Kjachta, this appendage is indis- 
pensable, because the Chinese, who exchange tea for it, 
would not purchase it except in its original state. From 
