Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-02-04
The Amnnr River.

The Amoor River.
A California gentleman, Mr.. Esche, who has
recently returned from a voyage to the river
Amoor in Russian America, for the purpose of
establishing trading post, furnishes the San
francisco papers with some interesting particu-
lars concerning the Amoor country and its in
habitants. The Amoor is a river some 1000
miles long. Mr.. Esche acsended it about 300
miles, He found the climate on the coast cold,
stormy and disagreeable; but in the interior
the weather is much milder. The winters
however, are very severe. Some twenty miles
inland, and about two hundred and fifty
miles from the mouth of the Amoor, is shall
low sheet of water called Lake Kisi, which con-
meets by several arms with the Amoor 1t is en-
circled by a hilly but richly wooded country.
Fir, pine, larch, birch, and other trees, are to
be found in abundance, but the growth is rather
stunted on account of the severe cold and north
westerly gales which prevail upon the coast in
the long winters. In the vicinity of the Nicol-
aepski, a few degrees further north, the soil,
even in summer, is frozen three feet deep. AS
the traveller goes along the lake westward and
proceeds towards the interior, the wood becom-
es better and larger, and would afford toerable
good timber.
AT the point of intersection of the lake and
river is military station called Mariensky Post
and near by it the pleasant village of Kisi
The country in this neighborhood and in this
portion of the Amoor valley, generally, is pleas
ant and offers good inducements to the agricul-
turist. 1t is about eighty miles from the ocean
across the land. and exhibits remarkable di-
ference in its climate from that of the coast.
There are inf the ueighborhood of Mariensky,
chcstnateoak ,yhazelnut, linden and other trees,
and in sump6r, a great variety of beautiful
flowers. "a,
The lower portion of the Amoor is interspers-
ed with numerous islands, and the navigation is
difficult; butit is supposed that the best chan
nels have not Yet been discovered Everywhere
it abounds in excellent fish, among which are
several variaties of salmon, There is remark
able fish there called by the Russians beh4ga' and
IbyNsome sea horses. 1t is snow white rises in
the va ter like porpose, and sometimes reach.
T es the length of twenty feet The Guilircks, OIL
ahorigines, take it for the sake of it's oil.
The scenerylbn the Amoor is grand and i'm
posing, anaip some eportions resembles that Of
the Rhine. Thegiyef makes great bend tc
the south about themiddle of its course, in lat
itude about 45 deg. and the country issaid to re
semblea tropical land in appearance and many
of irs productions. There are cork trees, grapes
peaches, apricots and other fruits growing in 9
wild state there Coal has been found at three
different places on the upper river. All along
the river from Mariensky to the month on both
sides, there are Numerous Guillacks or native
villages; and also many small Russian settle
ments. The Guillacks do nothing but catch
fish in the summer time and spend the greater
portion of their time in boats. These boats arr
peculiar and are made out of boards hewed out
of trees by hand. The Russians use sawed
boards but the Guillacks prefer the hewed one
because they make much stronger boat, an(
the Russians themselves admit that the Guillacl
boat is superior for strength. The shape o
them, however, is clumsy.
Within two hundred and fifty miles of tn
mouth of the Amoor, there are probably 4OO(
to 5000 Russians, who devote much attention t,
agriculture There are sable, ermine, foxes
wolves, bears, reindeer, deer, hares and squirrel
further back in the country, but no hunting
about the mouth of the Amoor. There is yer,
little trade as yet. The Russian government i
said to encourage immigration by large grant
of land to settlers on easy terms. The Guillack
belong to the Tartar race and are simple .minde,
lazy and peacable. They dwell in large log cab
ins, which are infested with vermin.