The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-06-19
Sketches Of Life on the Am00r
and in Eastern Siberia.
interesting Description Of tho lmosr csun.
try-Is Towns md Rivers character
OF Its PeopIc-Lifo and Travel In
Eastern SlberIa-COunt MOura-
vicH's Opinions Of America,
&e., &c., &c.

DEPARTURE FROM BEAGOvEsTCHENsK - DIFFICULTY
NAvIGATION-THE KAMARA RIvER-THE MANEdus-
THE ZAGAGAN-ARGANsKY---sLOw TRAVELLING
HISTORY OF ALBAZINE--wHAT RUSSIA HAS DOM
IN THE WAY OF ANNEXATION.
We left Beagovestchensk in excellent spirits hoping 10
reach vost Srelka about $50 versts distant fortnight
Our sailors merry grgs and former tsveng
companions Russian civil and military officers with their
families looked upon US the most fortunate OF beings
their chances of getting up the river being indeed much
worse they would DO towed by ragged Cossacks whose
labor Ia not worth half OF that Of sailors. Our
divided into watches OF five each for towing but
many volunteered out Of their turn had often
eight at the rope while obeskept guard board armed
with long poles 10 push the vessel shallow places
keep away from rocks The difficulties in thus ascending
the river became soon apparent. The cutter, though
pulled by strong men, frequently got hard aground and
could not DO got Off sgan without sending the Into
the water to apply their shoulders and poles body
of the weasel itself. placed forward 10 call oat
soundinss did not do away with this difficulty the shall
lows occurred very suddenly; wherever stream too
deep rapid TO be fordcd wed into tho river
soxghs interrupted the channel the had 10
be taken board and had small boat for that
purpose tho cutter had either to ashore or the to
walk through tho water up to their breasts But tho
greatest difficulty occurred ut every island sandy bar
spit, around the lower and shallow part Of which
the water rushed with furious violence, making dan
gerous to pay out much tow rope, and obHgirg all
the get into tho water and work the cutter clear
the shallow point At frst the water being plea
sanity warm, the men jumped overheard without any
hesitation, keeping undressed for the purpoae; but
the cold September nights ses in and walking through the
water FOR hours became hard AID unhealthy task.
They stood it, however, very manuiy; We had seldom
than two the sick list. and RATIOS Of liquor
worked an inalibe cure, except ia the OF
who, having suffered from diarrhGa already board
tue steamer, came 20 near dying that We left him
sioal village to &c taken care Of
The river, skill w1de and With powerful current
closed in the right bank By mountain chains,
times terminating in abrupt cliffs like palisades re:ed
ire in graceful lines with beautiful grassy veles the
foot The left bank ati presented extensive plains live
ok ard birch trees being prominent bat gadul!y sup
planted by spruce and r. We noticed the right bank
spot where Stone coa OF an inferior quality was lying on
the huIacc and took samples OF 1t with us The gravel on
both banks Contained iagc pebbles Of cosnelion agate
and jasper The rocks granite an rose
abruptly fro N tho that compelled to
The other shore IN order to have towplih for
the men. We Always lost verst " by crossing
vide and rapid current and pcefe red climbing
like cats the steepcst overhangpg and dangerous
places banding the rope carefully from one to another
rather than ctoss the river by rowing! We hal also
little SAIL but the wind bcw right IN teeth az thus
con, and but seldom that gained anything by it,
Bre) river, $50 vers,s distant from Zeya, con.
siderable stream flowing into the Amoor on the
vefsts from its mouth, ana important account Of
Us beng The where the nomadc tr pes OF .uegres
Orocbones and Davoes meet in the winter seasou and
military post Of Mantcho0s is stationed for Of
these tribes, who are subject to them.
The population on both banks quite SPARSE the Ma
pegres live in huts COMIC shape contributed Of
poles covered with bark; they great fishermen and
hunters and this part of the coantry rich in sables,
squirrels wild goats and eks They possess few horses
and CATTLE but being altogether nomadic they DO not Gull
vate the ground. They harmless, peacea0le set.
unser the iron rule Of the Manchoos, to whom they pay
rlu thuta in cal
The water in the river falling rapidly our cutter touch
ed constantly and aground more than hail. the tme.
was OF course, impossible to travel after dark, as
the men could neither 10 keep the cutter clear
of tho shadows nor to climb along the steep and
being any room whatever for lhoae board Frequent
y the darkness made necessary to stop In places where
the bank presented wall Of bluff rocks, with
ledge around with sharp pointed stones. Wood being
scarce here, the lay do the stony ground with
out fire to dry their vet garments; aud the cold a.
nights getting more severe, now kept travelling due
morrill, their nArdshps continually the increase.
"a the ts stu We passed The circular white
coiored strata about half their height from the water,
from which issued out OF funnel like holes black
Tue natives believe In an evil spirit dwelling in ;heae
mountains and that The smoke appears whenever
human beiog approaches the epo but Mantchoos
pied here cutting timber aud splitting boards tes.
hfy that the smoke can be seen at ali times Il
supposed that 1t Is by SELF guton Of coa within
the bowels raoonlains, or, whcn is more likely
thai the hills contsn caves ftom which warm atmosphe
rc air Issues in the form Of steam wherever the
temper ature is colder than that Within
ed sInai village called Argaosky, whence had yet
$50 yertts TO Abazn Il became ev!den. that cutter
would not ansScr any longer; for days had
travelled ony versts instead OF forty and our men
began to be greatly f-Nuci We tne etore go four all
tfs. 10 eaSa o. WHICH we're a.ed seven meo and t|o
passengers and the journey continued with hopes
OF Ieacnpg the head waters before the ice should
fere. Heavy rams and cold nights made rather
comfortable On board OF skin eghtesa feet long sad
tiiee vide, upon which WERE besocs three foar
ssiors not towing time cook exercising as
US vita SCOT and ashes, Nsvcr.hales oar nes
method OF navigation was great Improvement; We
bad place. the could keep clear OF it, the
lays were much lees than before We reached Abasia
ackfon) On the 18TH having passed Birnss Called at
present TolbscinsEy On the 18th. Albazn Russian
forrtss, erected about I64O a. which the M.l
gained the sovereignty Of China Several hundred adven
turous Cossacks, under Poyakof (i6I) and Khaoarof
Qe5) chosc this delightful spot, upon high b4nk pro.
tected on all sides against hostile attacks, well
against wind and weather, with beautiful prairie lands,
wood and water One river Abazkha or Emur flows into
tie Amoor little above Albazn) rhey soon into
collision with the Mantcnoo Chinese, wno 1858 des.
toyed the place. which rebuilt in 1864 and 1665 by
the Russians. but seco0d time tasen and des.
troyed by the Chinese, who appeared before it
16,tC0 sirong, ere ted batteries (the remains Of
which we island opposite of the
Emur) and seged the CossaCks aud their families,
hundred sonIs ALL for many months AT last
the latter surrendered, being reduced by starvation, and
tue survivors taken to Pekn, where their descen
dants resie al the eeent day parity amag with
The Chneee, bet partly distinct and retaining the Greek
Catholic religion which accounts for the Russs being
ao~ed TO haze monastery with clerical mission ia
ttat city.
In the year 1859 treay concluded at Nertchiask
between The two nations, which gave the Chinese tae
entire Amoor territory bordered the by the
mountain chan from the ridge Of which sprng the
flowing into the AmOor.
AT present the Russians undisputed possession of
the entire country from the lett bank OF the the
mountains Ia the forth, slice OF land not less 2C0
0o0 square miles, twice large the whole Great
biiiain In addition to this no Sever they possess the
right bank also far the river Ussury 900 versts
from the mouth; all the territory lying between IL and
the rartarc Gulf and main Asatc shore dowa to 43 deg
mo- ~ nd trad tha
mighty rivers Ussury aud Songar fact any other
right aud little they may choose to appropriate
VII.
hEMENToES OF THE 0LDEN TIME-A DIsAGREEABLE
ADVANTAGEOUS FOR THE DysPEPsIA--PoRT
sTHBLkA-THE sHILKA RIvER-THE FIRST SNOW
DRIFT CE-GoRBITZA-RUssIAN HOSPITALITY
srkETZINsK-ARRIyAL AT NERTCHINsK.
Near Abazin the Amoor is again very wide; the
aDs both sides stretch far away from the shore leav