, 1858-01-01

tributaries, as recently explored, reach to
about four thousand versts, the whole OF
which is susceptible Of steam navigation
boats Of proper construction can, by its
most considerable southern branch, reach
10 within six hundred versts of Pekin, from
which point Pekin could be united by
railroad, bringing it within ten days of the
mouth Of the Amoor from whence to San
Francisco could be accomplished with
steamers touching at JAPAN in fifteen
days more, while Shanghae and Hongkong
would be reached in five or seven days (;
Hakodadi (Japan) in three days.
From Chetah at the head of steam nav
igation on the waters Of the Amoor, rail
road will connect with Kyachta and Mia;
mat-tschin to Irkoutsk, the capital of East
ern Siberia at which point the overland
trade to Nijni-Novogorod, Moscow and St.
Petersburg will be concentrated opening
up country the wealth aud natural resonr-
ces of which have been heretofore unknown
to American enterprisers. This extensive
country, if united under the government Of
Russia, with liberal commercial system,
and open to emigration on proper and
judicious basis, would soon become one OF
the most interesting in Asia, and of great
and rapidly increasing importance to the
commercial world, and open to Russia
field an epoch in her history, worthy the
present century. Let her forget Sebasto-
pol, and by this greatest stroke Of policy
if she ll-checkmate her late foe in In
dian annexation.
The Amoor, or Sack-hah-lin, as it is uni
versally called by the natives inhabiting its
shores, as well as by the Mandschurs and
Chinese, is river Of great beauty, though
probably not unequalsd, because oil rivers,
to some extent, have certain sameness Of
beauty, if they traverse mountainous dis
tricts but the Amoor proper, in a distance
of two thousand miles, combines many, if
not all, Of the varieties of the picturesque,
the beautiful and the grand of such streams
as the Hudson Of New York, the Connect
icut, the Ohio and the Mississippi, with
San Joaquin and Sacramento Of California.
As to its size and navigabe qualities, it
may be compared with the Mississippi
(leaVing out the Missouri Red, and Ark
ausas rivers, with their waters. The Amoor
is formed by the union of the Argoon and
the Schilkah, in about ffty-three deg thir-
ty min. north latitude, and longitude east
from Greenwich one hundred and twenty
one deg. forty min. The Argoon flows
from the snnth and west. and forms the
boundary for some six or seven hundred
versts between Russia (Siberia) and China
Mongolia, while the Schilkah and lingo.
dab pass more directly to the west, through
the great silver region Of Ner-schinsk,
draining that portion of the province of
Traus-Baikal east Of the mountains.
The main course of the Amoor is nearly
east, but in its middle or central section it
makes an immense sweep to the south
where the comparative mildness of the eli
mate is evidenced by the production Of In
dian corn and the indigenous growth Of the
grape. From the Ham-ga-rse to its en-.
trance into the straits Of Tartary in about
N. L. SO deg. and E. L. l4O deg. its course
is nearly north all the generally received
maps Of the Amoor are incorrect. The
current of the river will average in its whole
course about three and a-half miles per
hour in many parts it is extremely sinu-
GUS, and contains hundreds of Islands, with
many lakes, bays. aud Island-clusters. The
reaGhers are often grand and extensive,
while snow-capped mountains, ragged ser-
ras and smoking volcanos give beauty and
grandeur to the scenery.