The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-07-01
Siberia.

MIR G. H. Etlc1. a member of the Hoy
Al Geographical Society of England, has re
Gently published book on Siberia entitled
aFrozsn Asia From il We gather the
following facts:
The area Of Siberia is abous Eve million
square miles. and in this vast territory
tkero are less than Shrcs, and half millions
of inhabitants. II Il divided politically
into Western and Eastern Siberia, each
presided over by Goveruor-tieneral and
each further divided into districts whose
officials receive at ordcrs from their Gov
,eYnor.t General. and can only apply 20 the
couri of ST Petersburg thnlugh him,
The religion Of the people Is og mixed
Kind. rs.rtly sha; af the Greek Church al
sarnating with a bastard form Of Christian
ity calls.l Shauanism. and partly that Of
BiddhiSgs
The native rssee- are vayionsly DESIGNATED
a. VoeuIs. Osiiaks, Buriaiss, Tunguases,
Giiaks. ETC., nearly twenty in all Many
af them prescnt interesting points &c study
10 the ethnologiss They arr small in
stature. with the ronud brad face aud
prominent cheek bones uf ,he Mungals.
They rarely build houses but content them
seiye. with yarfN, oF butts, constructed q a
few poles stuck in the gsoand er snow and
eoyeTcd with reindeer skias ~ birch bark.
The u,sn and wouen dress nearly alike sud
their garments arc adapted % she rigorous
eIlase in which they live.
Many odd saporSsitious exist asnong the
various tribes. When Gilak dies and Is
buried. snall weoden house Is erected
over his ashes by his seFTowing relatives,
and a. they believe that the soul after death
takes ap its al,o.le in the body Of iavorile
dog. that unhappy aniual Is sacrificed At
the grave of his late master after having
been fattcned for the occasion. Again, a
tsiiak will feei himself dneadfllly argrieyed
il yoa ask permission to light your pipe at
his fire. fully believing that a simple spark
taken from his habitaiion win occasion
some great disaster. such as the death of a
near friend. or a total failgre in fishing and
hunting. The reindeer holds a deSeryedly
promi.aenl place in the esteem and atiec-
tions of the Siberians Some tribes, al
though they have large herds Of reindeer,
besray the greatest aversion 20 killing them
for food. The members Of family, unless
rich, never think of slaughtesing reindeer
until they have been eight DAYS without
food. The kariaks and Tschuktsehis VIII,
neither for love, money, nor brandy, part
with deer as long 81 life remains IN hls
body. bur viii sell a traveller as many dead
animals a. he likes 20 buy. A live rein
reindeer viii not be given for ise hundred
pounds Of tobacco, but they viii sell car
easS for a string Of glass beads.
This same tribe have the conviction that
al men are equal, and they refuse to show
personal respect to any individual on the
ground Of superior rank. But these races
with their curious customs are a decaying
people. Broad, SAYS the author, though
that inhospitable area of steppc and tundra
may be, ii is too circumscrihed for the
conquerors and the conquered to dwell side
by side. Years may elapsc before 1t comes
To pass, bat the aboriginal races are doomed
ultimately to perish.
The chief minerals of Siberia are mala-
ehite, pOrphyry, jasper and agate. The
labor required to cut solid column Is enor,
nous. and the workmen have recourse to a
very clever expedient which lightens their
toll Having selected the portion of jasper
that they wish to separate, they proceed to
drill holes few inches apart along the
whole length of the block to the depth re
quired. When this operation Is completed,
they drive into the holes thoroughly dried
birch wood treenails. on which they then
pour quantity of water. This the thirsty
wood soaks up, which causes it to swell;
and the lateral strength thus exerted
throughout ;he whole length of the line
simultaneously, rives the stubborn rock
from its bed, to be lowered down in tri-
umph by its ingenious assailants. The jas
per thus obtained is of dark green color,
and the enormous vases sometimes seen of
this material are made at Kalyvan." The
quarries of Siberia also produce mica and
plumbago Trade in fossil ivory is con-
Quoted at Yakutsk.
Since 1874 it has been known that
steamers in summer may pass from London,
to the mouths of the Obi, Yenisei and Lena
rivers which empty into the Arctic Ocean
from Siberia This fact has as yet caused
but very little increase of trade because of
the sparcity of population. As the north
ern part of Siberia is frozen to great depths
and only thaws out in summer to the depth
Of foot or less, the country is not very in
viting to new settlers, and it must be many
years before it will be densely inhabited.
In the meantime it will continue to be used
as the penal colony of the political often
ders of the Russian empire.
Why is an interesting book like a topers
nose because it is read to the very end.