TOBOLSK, the name of one of the two great governments into which Asiatic Russia is divided, being the western division of that immense territory. Irkoutsk is the eastern division. Tobolsk is bounded on the west by the Oural chain of mountains, which separates it from European Russia; on the north by the Northern Ocean, the coast, broken by many deep bays, extending from the mouth of the Obi to that of the Olenek. It is separated from Chinese and Independent Tartary by an extensive frontier, partly of mountains and partly of desert plains; and from the contiguous territory of the Irkoutsk by no very definite boundary. Within the Bounds of this government are included three extensive districts, which are watered by the great rivers, the Obi, the Irtysch, and the Yenisei, which include the most cultivated parts of Siberia. But the country, on the whole, is far from productive. From the northern shore of the Frozen Ocean, as far as latitude 58° north, it presents one uniform aspect of the most dismal sterility, with only a few pines and stunted shrubs, or bare moss; and a great portion of the southern parts consists of steppes or plains, covered with saline lakes or marshes. Some of these however, as the steppe of Barabinski towards the east, are covered with the most luxuriant pasturage, and would be susceptible of high cultivation, if the inhabitants had skill and industry. The agricultural districts are those on the west, on the Tobol and its tributaries, which in the lower part of their course yield most luxuriant crops; also in the east, the middle parts of the Yenisei and Obi. The rivers in those parts of Siberia abound in fish, which, notwithstanding the indolence of the inhabitants, has become a considerable article of traffic. The mountains on its western and southern frontier abound in mineral wealth. The wastes and forests are filled with innumerable wild animals, many of which are rendered valuable by their furs. But the country still labours under natural disadvantages, which render its communications difficult, and the transmission of its surplus produce to the proper market expensive. Its northern shores are inaccessible to traffic; and its vast rivers, taking their course to that ocean, lead only to the seats of poverty and barbarism. By the census of 1801, its inhabitants amounted to 622,422. These are composed of Mongols, Ostiaks, Tschuwashes, Bucharians, Tungouses, Yakoutes, Samoiedes, besides 20,000 Cossacs, and several other tribes of wandering Tartars.

TobolsK, the capital of the above government, and of all Asiatic Russia, is a large city, and is situated at the confluence of the river Irtysch with the Tobol. It was originally, in 1587, a wooden fort, which was burned to the ground in 1643, and in its stead was erected the present city, which is composed of two parts, the high and the low town; the former built on an elevated ridge running parallel to the Irtysch at a little distance, while the latter fills the level space between it and the river. The high town contains the residence of the governor, the tribunals, public offices, and the magazine of foreign merchandise. These, along with two churches and a convent, are built of stone; the remainder are of wood. The elevated situation of the town, the whiteness of the buildings, and the gilded cupolas, give it a fine appearance from a distance. There was formerly the Kremlin, built of stone, and flanked with towers, now gone to ruin; while to the south of it is the great market-square, enclosed by atone buildings, forming two stories of merchants’ shops. This part of the town, from its elevation, is secured from the risk of inundations; but seldom a year passes without the low town being overflowed. This may be considered a sort of suburb, and is built entirely of wood; and it is connected with another large suburb, formerly inhabited by Tartars, who have been removed to another and a separate quarter. The crowded manner in which they built their houses renders them extremely liable to fire. These Tartars consist of the original inhabitants, mixed with some Bucharians. The other residents are descended from exiles sent thither by the Russian government. The largest colony ever transported thither consisted of Swedish prisoners taken at the battle of Pultawa, who, being much better informed and more polished than the European Russians, greatly improved the Siberian society of Tobolsk, by opening seminaries of education, in which were taught ancient and modern languages, geography, mathematics, and drawing. Provisions are extremely cheap in this city; and the neighbouring woods and rivers afford the finest hunting and fishing in the world. Society and manners are also greatly improved, so as, according to Dr Clarke, to equal these in any other Russian city. Tobolsk is the commercial emporium of Siberia, in which centres all the trade that is carried on in this quarter. The most important brandi of it is that which traverses an immense [7:21:321]extent of land and river carriage between European Russia and China. The merchants from Europe arrive in spring, and return with the produce of the east at the end of summer to Moscow and St Petersburg; and those from Tartary and Bucharia arrive in the beginning of winter, which they spend at Tobolsk, and return in spring. All the furs collected as tribute from the tribes who wander over the immense desert of Siberia are brought to Tobolsk, in which are large magazines for depositing these various goods. Population 16,269. Long. 68. 15. E. Lat. 58. 12. N. (f.)