The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-29

It was in 1882 two years before the death OF
Ivan w.. commonly called the Terrible. tho
first OF Rurics descendants to assume the
title OF Caesar or Gar and the last to reign in
Russia that IN outlawed peasant began the
conquest Of Siberia II is true that the merchants
OF Novgorod had long before pushed their fur
seeking expeditions to the eastward Of the Ural
Mountains, but they had never attempted TO set
tie on the Asiatic side of the chain. BY the end
OF the fifteenth century. however. the Muscoyite
settlements had been pushed up TO the western foot
hills Of the Ural. and. in la99 an armed force was
sent to conquer lands on the River OBJ Nopract-
cal results followed this expedition and neary
hundred years elapsed before permanent occu-
patton OF the Trans Ural district Eegan The
name inseparably associated with the first stage
In the conquest Of Siberia is that Of Nassl Alenin,
nicknamcd Yermak. which means milestone His
first occupation was that Of traCker on the Kama
and Volga. up which rivers vessels had 10 be
towed with ropes by gangs Of men who did the
work which, on our canals is performed by mules
horses Presently, he joined the Cossacks
OF the Don, who, ultimately made him the chief
Of one Of their small settlements. Leading his
Cossacks TO the Nolga. he engaged in river piracy
on so extensive a scale that complaints reached
Moscow and an army was sent by Ivan ". to ap.
prehend him The pirates thereupon assembled the
Volga, and then, by one Of its aitucnts reached
the mining district Immediately west Of The Ural
then controlled by the Siroganons who had been
authorized by the Car 10 subiugate the tract
known as tgra, which lay 10 the east of the noun
tains Yernnk employed to lead thither n
force OF about 800 men. and he started Sept
l. 1881 After several successful battles with the
Tartars descendants of the tribes which had
kept Russia under their yoke for 24O years Yer
max occupied on Oct 26, 1881. the abandoned
capital of a Tartar chief the town of Sibr This
name which had been applied also 10 the sur
rounding country adopted by the Russians
N denote their possessions beyond the tral. and.
a. these gradually grew until they reached the
Pacific, 30, by common extension Of geograph,
icai terms. the same word used 10 indicate
thedomnions Of the Car in northern Asia. The
career OF Yermak a short one. for he killed
in night attack on his camp by Tarars on Aug
5. 1854. but he had lived long enough TO be the
real founder OF that Greater Russia which prom
Uses TO be in the future 10 the Great Russia of
Moscow what the latter was 10 the Little Russia
OF Kicf After many centuries OF subsection
to the Tarars. and of the prudent shutting policy
OF the Grand Dukes u Moscow. he was the first
TO reveal to the Russian race what daring deeds
could accomplish and to restore the feeling
OF self confidence which is the primary element
Of national greatness
Tho work done by Ycrmak had been so thor.
oughly carried out that it could not be efaced
even by his untimey death The Moscow Gov
eminent tried 10 develop the territory il had
Unexpectedly acquired As early as 1885 peas
ants were despatched with horses cows and ploughs
To cOllniZe and cultivate the land Most Of the
settlers however. were either soldiers occupied
In sub lung the natives and collecting tribute
or else merchants traiicSinS In furs In truth,
tn scHnty numbers Of the Russians were en-
urely inadequate to guard the immense Siberian
plains which had been quickly overrun. At Tara
for instance, a detachment OF sixty CoSsacks
supposed 10 defend the Barabinski Steppe
situated between the upper courses Of the IrtySll
and OBJ, which has a breadth varying from 200
To 400 miles
The numerical weakness Of the Russians caused
their conquest in Siberia to take a northeastern
rather than n strictly eastern, trend The fierce
aggressive Of the south prevented an early
expansion in that direction Of the few and scat.
tered Russian adventures, who were therefore
obliged To undertake the subjugation of less war
like tribes in more inhospitable regions The
outcome of these circumstances was that the
Russians settled first in the cold. northern plains
and only advanced slowly, and much later, to-
ward warmer regions The choice Of the higher
ATTITUDES was also due in some measure to the
hydrographical conditions Of the country. The
course of the oh and Irtysh is from south to north
and the Cossncks. who used ratls or decked YES
sells eighty four feet long. preferred to drift down
III" rivers from their headquarters at Tobolsk
avoiding the lAburinUs work uf rowing and track
ing against the stream
As, in time, furs became relatively scarce II
the region watered by the oh and it's continents
and as expansion was checked on the south tn,
Cossacks had 10 move eastward Again It Shout,