Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-04-16
KICHNEss 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 SOC, 900 individuals are en-
ployed about them, in the Lower Woiga and
Northern Caspian. The sea coast fisheries IN
the Black Sea, Sea of Azoff, the Baltic and
White Sea, are great and productive All her
noble rivers everywhere abound with fish, and,
owing to the numerous fasts in the GFe1k
Church, the consumption Of FISH in Russia IS
very great.
There are in the Russian empire of2, Ia ,24S
acres of land in forests. These are OF I'M
mense value, and as communications are open
ed up throughout the country, they Will be-
come still more valuable. There has been i'm
mense 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
7,0OO,O 600 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 800 to ,o00 silver. .rubles
each; and with the exception of the numbers
that roam the eastern provinces, say 4,oo0, 900
"a peculiar and hardy and valuable breed
A. n
| 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 129, ,0O0, 900 effective men. Ia
king them at half the average value (f32 l0S]
of horses in the United Kingdom, or fl6 6s.
each, the total value will be f354, 750, 900.
| The total number of cattle in the Russian
empire exceeds by nearly 100000 the total
number in France, Austria and Prussia ga,
s23 ,SS4,) and their value is also very great
At half the average value of those in the Uni
ted Kingdom, the amount at 81 each will be
f2l7 100000.
| Minerals of the most valuable and useful
kinds abound in Russia. Salt is found in va
rious places but there is 4 district of coun-
| try on her southern frontier, extending nearly
in 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 Wolgas 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, e., 500. 600.
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 are also large mines
| Of platina, copper, lead and zinc.