Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1858-11-24
The Amoor River Exploration.

/ 4 ~,
Offering great inducements for the extern
sion OF the commerce of the United States,
and he determined to explore it. His
Irst object was to obtain the authority of
MS own government as means by which
10 induce the Russian authorities to grant
the necessary permission for exploration
and travel When Mr.. Collins made ap-
lphcation to Gov. Marcy, the secretary of
state, ior an appointment as consul at
Amoor river he was gravely asked
Where Is the Amoor River?,' After eX.
planning why he wanted the appointment,
and showing the supposed advantages of
his proposed explorations 20 the COM
merce of the United States, Governor
Marcy and President Pierce entered with
zeal into his views, and the commission as
consul to the Amoor river was granted. 49,
Armed with this, Mr.. Collins immediate
ly left for st. Petersburg, where he had to
remain for six months before he could OBJ .
tain permission from the Russian govern
ment to enter upon his travels. When he
at last received the authority he depart
ed on ms journey in company with Rus
san government officers, for Irkoutsk, the
capital OF Eastern Siberia. AZ this place,
which has population of $4,000, he re-
manned three months, exploring the adias
cent country. Forty miles east of Ir.
koutsk is Lake Baikal, n fine sheet of wa
ter, five hundred miles long, and fifty or
sixty miles wide.
This lake is directly north of Siam. and
the extreme eastern noint of the travels of
Mr.. Atkins, whose work on Oriental and
| Western Siberia" has lately been publish
ed. After exploring the country in the
vicinity Of Baikal and visiting the celebla.
ted Russian and Chinese fair at Maim-
attschin and yachta-the stockade towns
between China and the Russian posses
slons through which the whole Russian
and Chinese trade in tea, silk, wool, furs.
d., a., is transacted-he left by way of the
Stanvoy mountains for China. The Stan
vOy mountains divide the waters which
! flow into the Frozen Ocean from those
which empty into the Pacific. Mr.. Collins
was now in a country never before travel
ed by European or American, at point
eight hundred miles north OF Pekin, Dor.
/ derlng upon Mongolia. He made explo-
ratloms IN the country during period of
three months, visiting the extensive gold
and silver mines which are largely work
ed, and travelled from town to town noting
the customs, habits and religion of tn,
inhabitants. This country of the trans
| Baikal contains a population of BAG, 900 IN
habltants-Ihe people are largely engaged
in mining, agriculture and commerce,
with China, and aresiid to have more than
two millions IF sheep and cattle From
China, Mr.. Collins embarked in a boat in
company with the Governor of Ayrah and
five Cossack soldiers, and proceeded down
the lngOdah and Schnella rivers to the
Amoor, and down the Am0or to the Pa
citic Ocean, distance of twenty-six hun
dred and sXty-seven miles by water. He
stopped at various points on the route, and
explored the adjacent country which is
inhabited by wild Tartar tribes, Mant-
chous and Chinese He found the people
ready to trade and barter their products,
consisting of wheat, rye, barley, India
corn, buckwheat, cattle, sheep, horses ard
camels, for cotton and wooden clothing,
iron, tobacco liquors, looking glasses,
cheap clothing, sugar, rice, glass, trim.
kets &C., &c
The various tribes were at peace with
each other at the time he passed, and al
though he had numerous and interesting
adventures among them, he had no seri-
ous difficulties. At the Mantchou city of
lngoon, on the Amoor, he was entertained
by the Governor in a pavilion of blue cot
ton cloth. constructed for the purpose
Ingoon is under the control of the Chinese
government, and has a population of Is,
600. He was treated with kindness at this
place but an duplication to 90 further in
TO China was refused. He was questioned
ltr h., 4 10, la ,tl
journey. and the Interpretation of his an, |
swers were carefully rendered The Gov
einor and people exhibited a desire for
trade but even an application to explore
the city was refused. Mr.. Collins states !
that the whole surface of this river, for
distance of two thousand six hundred !
miles, is susceptible of steam navigation,
and the country drained by the Amoor
has population of about five Millions -
There are already four vessels trading from
San Francisco to the Amoor, two from
Boston. and two from Hong Kong-the /
latter being owned by American houses
The Russian government is rapidly ex-
tending its dominions in the Amoor coun-
try, and last year two iron steamers, built
in Philadelphia, for the Russians, were
shipped around Cape Horn and put up az
the mouth of the Amoor for the purpose of
trade and exploration.
Mr. Collins states that the Russian gov
ernment desire that the Americans should
have all the advantages Of the great trade
of this new country, and hold out every in
ducement for that purpose. After reach-
ing the mouth of the Amoor the theatre
of his consulship, he thought he had dis
covered so mary facts of great Importance
to the commerce of the United States that
be determined to return Immediately and
report to his government. The report
which he has made to the Secretary of
State occupies some two hundred and fifty
pages of close!y>written manuscript and
is condemned account of the country in
the vicinity OF the navigable waters Of the
Amor it, population, trade, products, &c,
as we'll as suggestions as to the proper ar