Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-04-16
RICHNESS OF RUSSIA.


Few persons in this country have any just or
definite idea of the immense wealth and re-
sources of Russia. Even the extent and value
of her fisheries are not properly estimated-
1t is stated that 100000 individuals are en-
ployed about them, in the Lower Wolga and
Northern Caspian. The sea coast fisheries IN
the Black Sea, Sea of Azoff, the Baltic and
White Sea, arc great and productive. All her
noble rivers everywhere abound with fish, and,
owing to the numerous fasts in the Greek
Church, the consumption of fish in Russia is
very great.
There are in the Russian empire 542, III ,24S
acres Of land in forests. These are OF IN
mense value, and as communications are open
cd up throughout the country, they will be-
come still more valuable. There has been i'm
mensc wastage in times past, but Of late years
the government has appointed special officers
to look after them, to preserve them from un-
necessary destruction. Russia is one OF the
best wooded countries in the world. The
quantity of timber yearly consumed must be
immense, when we recollect that nearly all the
houses throughout the Russian Empire are
built of wood.
The number of horses in Russia exceeds by
10000 the total numbers in France, Aus
tria, Prussia, the United States and the United
Kingdom together; about 100000. The
value of the whole must be very great. Sad
die horses sell from 500 to a 600 silver rubles
| each and with the exception of the numbers
that roam the eastern provinces, say 200, 900
"a peculiar and hardy and valuable breed
the Russian horses are of an excellent quail
| ty. Their cavalry horses are equal to the Eng
lish, and superior to any other in Europe
| The number in Russia present to our view a
force equal to l29 100000 effective men. Ia
king them at half the average value (E32 10s)
of horses in the United Kingdom, or f16 6s.
each, the total value will be f35f, $50 600.
The total number of cattle in the Russian
empire exceeds by nearly 100000 the total
number in France, Austria and Prussia Ca
! S23 ,3s4,) and their value is also very great
At half the average value of those in the Uni
| ted Kingdom, the amount OF 81 each will be
fa17 900, 900.
Minerals of the most valuable and useful
| kinds abound in Russia. e-l. :. ra.,na in va
rious places but there is district of coun-
| try on her southern frontier, extending nearly
in a like parallel with the northern coast of the
Sea of Aral and the Caspian. and to the north
of the line mentioned, between both, where
salt is found of the finest quality in such abun-
dance that it is sufficient to supply the whole
world for millions of years. Immense beds
of sulphur have lately been discovered about
| Saccamara, on the banks of the Wolga; and
vast gold fields, richer than those in California
| or Australia, have lately been discovered a
round the sources of the Lena. Silver is most
abundant at Nartshinsk, on the Chinese boun-
dairy. There is good reason to believe that all
Siberia abounds with the precious metals
| Very large fields of gold have been found in
| various parts of Russia, especially in the iron
| districts. To the westward of the Ural noun
tains and the Don, in the government of Eka-
| terinosly, vast field Of the very finest Of an
thracite coal has been found, and is now work
ing to a great extent. The gold produced in
the Ural mountains was, in 1851, f3, 500: 900.
| Sometimes it is much more and nearly double.
| Beside gold and silver, Russia has vast ex-
tent OF iron mines, yielding that metal of the
very finest quality. There also large mines
of platina, copper, lead and zinc.