New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-05-03
this whole region Is divided. But no hard labor
UNA imposed UPON them. They count Or are IN

being supported by their relatives st home, they
look for means Of gaining additional wealth " the
cuie,. As general rule transportation 70 East
ern Siberia is cousid red sOmewhstmore severe
mimi, hmeet than 10 Western S IBERIA.
Wives and children following tue ekilss, lose
all their sts.u. and privileges enjoyed In Rassis
TIE bulk Of the Russisn poPuisuon Ia Siberia
bv which the rudimenss Of civilization have been
introduced consists of merchants trading teithsr,
whose communities extend from tue ural Noun
tairs to the mouth of the Amo1r. They are es-
tsbli.bed in boroushs and cities, or Ia ss'icui.
tural districts but perform military duties sad
those of internal police. There are also many Coz
sacks with some Mopgolisn tribes, Mancaoos'
who have mmigrated from China, snd who pre-
serve their customs and nsnners--some oecom.
ing Christians, others not. These are csisa
Buryats by the Russians The dissenters anu
descendants of convicts form the rest OF the popu-
lstion. TIE Russians, as We have sad, arc trad
ers. merchants mechanics, operatives, miners
and sgriculturists. Bat If the natives, of which
the Government takes especial care, intend 70
devote themselves to agriculture, they are al
Lowed 10 seiect tn5 ocst iduur, ooihs ~
principle the original owners Of the country.
The distinction of the social organization of
Siberis is that no kind Of serfdom exists, or can
he introduced there. Otherwise, too the inha5-
itsnts enjoy, comparatively, more liberty aad IN
dependence than thote of Russia proper. Tao
requirements of the Government from the pepu-
Iation sre magnificent, aud it's pressure, there
fore, is less heavy. Thus slowly, but un,nser-
rrptedly, cemepted grain by grain, sac 10
prosif G or political aud social foundations wholly
different from the mother codntry-aor onis I'M
stained by serfdom, but even possessing certNn
democratic equality. Alnost she DOLLY distinction
of CLASSES is thai of the Government officials.
Nobility, with its privileges, is there unknown;
and no one t,ils aud sweats for another. The
regulations between private individuals are de-
termined by supply and demand, by capital and
labor, but not by the ty ranny OF q master over
serf. The whole soil of Siberia belongs TO the
Crown; and il is already fixed principle with
the Emperors not so surrender any Crown lands
TO serfdom on any preteDse. As far as Siberia is
concerned, the Cars are free-solers No noble
man can migrate thither with his servants; aud,
saving sone booy-servants of officials serfs are
unknown.
TIE Russians are tie cultivstors Of the soil;
the natives and nomsds breei horses, cattle And
,beep. But the principal wealth OF Siberia lies
in mining and gold-washiDg. The Alsal Noun
tsins, running along its southern frontier, are
undivided into various chsns--as that Of the
Little Altai the Ssyanskoi, Douriskoi the Jsb
lonnoi, and the Great Altai-sll Of them contain
ing in their bowels vsrious ores, considered by
some geologists to be the richest on the globe.
Murchison finds great similarity between the
Alta region and California and Australia. The
spar,eDess ofths population prevents the thorough
working of these hidden treasures. Tnus far the
earth has only been specifically scratched. The
silver, arsenic and lead mines are almost wholly
abandoned, as dangerous to human life, and, as
such, reducing the chances of increase TO the
population. Precious stoHes--even enerslds,
opals, aquamarines, topaz found freely, aid
the last are of very large size. Gold-washing
is the principal, or, rather, the exclusive indus
try. All the principal rivers with most Of their
continents and tributaries, have their sources in
the Aliai, and carry gold. New aud more pro-
ductive gold Tssbings ars established every year.
The business is conducted BY Government pris-
OIL ers, and by private persons, subject 70 tax
which is not excessive, as the existence of mil
lionaires in Siberia shows. Generally the pri-
vate establishments are the most prosperous.
The gol6-product is carried to the City of Bar
naoul situated in the Government Of TOmsk, in
Western Siberia, in the center of the Little Al
tai chain. There are the furnaces, the assays,
and the central mining administration. The
metals, and espe cislly the gold brought By private
individuals, are purchased BY the Government
for cash at equitable and satisfactory prices. and
thence conveyed to 81. Petersburg.
The valleys In the Altai are covered with gor-
geous vegetation in summer, and various nu!ri-
tious grasses, as are tho plains of South
Western Siberia Ia some parts, wheat 10 Guilt
waited; but, as long before the earth is covered
with snow, the fros. comes with exceeding inten-
iiy this important product, as well as fruit trees,
cannot be cultivated on large scale. Rye, oats,
barley and buckwhest thrive, and 10 some spots,
potstoes and other vegetables.
The Capital of Western Siberia is Tobolsk,
situated on the river Irtysh. IL has some twenty
thousand inhabitants, and is the commercial Ne
tropolis Of the whole Of Russian Asia. Is trade,
carried on with the European interior Of the En-
pire, and extending to China, is very brisk and
extensive. Some fifty miles north Of the Lake Of
Bsiksl, the city Of Irkatsk, situated at the con-
fuencs Of three rivers, Of which the Aag.ra
forms the principal, is the Capital Of Eastern ST.
IBERIA. The ate, surrounded By elevated wooded