The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-05-11
SIBERIA.
Interesting Facts About IL Country Littl
Known.

Mr.. O. II. Eden, member of the
Royal Geographical society of England,
has recently published book on Sibe-
ria entitled "FroGen Asia" From it we
gather the following facts:
The area of Siberia is about five mil.
lion square miles, and in this vast terri
tory there are less than three and half
millions of inhabitants. 1t is divided
politically into Western and Eastern
Siberia, each presided over by COVER
or-general, and each further divided
into districts whose officials receive all
orders from their encouragement, and
can only apply to the court of st. Pc
tersburg through him.
The religion of the people is of
mixed kind, partly that of the Greek
church alternating with form of
Christianity called Shamanism, and
partly that of Buddhists.
The native races ave variously desig-
mated as Voguls, Ostiaks, Buriates,
Tungoases, Gilaks, etc., nearly twenty
in all. Many of them present interest
ing points of study TO the ethnologist.
They are small in stature, with the
round, broad face and prominent cheek
bones Of the Mongols. They rarely
build houses, but content themselves
with yurts, or huts, constructed of a few
poles stuck in the ground or the snow,
and covered with reindeer skins or
birch bark. The men and women dress
nearly alike and their garments are
adapted to the rigorous climate in which
they live.
Many odd superstitions exist among
the various tribes. When q Gilak dies
and is buried o small wooden house is
erected over his ashes by his sorrowing
relatives and as they believe that the
soul after death takes up its abode in
the body of favorite dog, that unhappy
animal is sacrificed at the glave of his
late master after having been fattened
for the occasion. Again, Gilak will
feel himself dreadfully aggrieved if you
ask permission to light your pipe at his
fire, fully believing that simple spark
taken from his habitation will occasion
some great disaster, such as the death
of near friend, or total failure in fish
ing and hunting. The reindeer holds
a deservedly prominent place in the
esteem and affection OF the Siberians
Some tribes, although they have large
herds of reindeer, betray the great
est aversion to killing them for
food. The members of q family,
unless rich, never think OF slaught.
ering a reindeer until they have
been eight days without food. Tho
Kariaks and Tschuktschis will, neither
for love, money or brandy, part with a
deer SO long as life remains in his body,
but will sell traveller as many dead
animals as he likes to buy. A live
| reindeer will not be given for five
hundred pounds of tobacco, but they
will cell carcass FOR 4 string OF glass
Deaus.
This same tribe have the conviction
that all men are equal, and they refuse
to show personal respect TO any indi-
vidual on the ground of superior rank,
But these races with their curious Gus.
toms are a decaying people. Broad"
says the author, " "though that inhos-
pitable area of steepe and tundra may
be, it is too circumscribed for the
conquerors and the conquered to dwell
side by side. Years may eIapse before
it comes to pass, but the aboriginal
races are doomed ultimately to perish. y
The chief minerals of Siberia are
malachite, porphyry, jasper and agate.
Tho labor required to cut a solid
column is enormous, and the workmer
have recourse to very clever expedient
which lightens their toll. Having
selected the portion of jasper that they
wish to separate, they proceed to drll
holes few inches apart along the
whole length of the block to the
depth required When this operation
is completed, they drive into tht
holes thoroughly dried birch woot
re enails, on which they then pour {
quantity of water. This tine thirst,
wood soaks up, which causes it to swell
and the lateral strength thus exertei
throughout the whole end of the lint
simultaneously, rises the stubborn TO cl
from its bed to be lowered down in tri
umph by its ingenious Gssailants. Tht
jasper thus obtained is of dark greer
color, and the enormous vases some
times seen of this material are made al
Kalyyan." The quarries of Siberii
also produce mica and plumbago
Trade in fossil ivory is conducted a
Yakutsk.
Since 1874 it has been known tina
steamers in summer may pass from
London to the mouths of the Obi, Yen
isei and Lena rivers which empty int
the Arctic ocean from Siberia. Thi
fact has as yet caused but very little in
crease of trade because of the scarcity G
population. AS the northern part c
Siberia is frozen to great depths an
only thaws out in summer to the dept
of foot or less, the country is not yer
inviting to new settlers, and it must b
many years before it will lie densely il
habited. In the meantime it will cor
tinue to be used rs the penal colony {
the political offenders of the Russia
empire.
In tho Crahln OF fhn Rncn