keep awake for three stations after passing the Irtisch, ne may sleep the remainder of the journey, and on his arrival may describe the whole country. Where the soil is sandy, the pine-tree is spread over the land, and where it is swampy, there grows the birch. Having reached Atchinsk I left the post-road, and turned directly south toward the Saian Mountains, through which runs the Yenissey. This river is one of the largest in Siberia, and has its source in a high valley lying between the Tangnou and Saian Mountains. I have followed its course in a small boat for about

thirteen hundred versts, sketching many fine scenes. Tas-kill Mountains, through which it rolls its mighty waters, and have seen it in the volcanic region near its source. In one part

I visited the

500

MARBLE CLIFFS.-BED OF LAVA.

it runs through a limestone chain, with many singular masses of rock standing in the river: some are peculiar, and show curious formations in the strata.

I came upon cliffs of white marble, as fine as any obtained at Carrara, and the quantity is enormous. Here it rests untouched, near a large river whose waters are lost in the Arctic Ocean: thus it can not reach Europe. From this place I crossed the Tas-kill Mountains, and visited the higher region of the Saian, of which several of the summits rise far above the line of perpetual snow. Having ascended one of the high peaks, I had a peep at old friends, the snowy crests of the Tangnou Mountains, that were seen far to the south. I retraced my steps by another route, and ascended the Abakan River nearly to its source, which led me into regions to the east of the Altin-kool, and through some of those miserable convict colonies that are there scattered about. One day we were greatly surprised by meeting forty Cossacks all armed with rifles: they had been chasing four men who had committed several daring robberies. The den of these rascals was in the higher part of the Saian chain; but up to this time they had evaded their pursuers, which greatly annoyed the Cossacks, who would have shot them all had they got them within range of their rifles.

After a long ride I commenced my ramble in the valley of the Oka, a most romantic spot, in which I spent several days sketching. On one occasion I came upon the opposite scene, where the small river Djem-a-louk falls over a bed of lava eighty-six feet deep. The view was peculiarly striking at the back of the fall, a large cavern having been formed by the action of the falling water. It is dark, almost black; indeed, the eye can not penetrate its shade and depth, while in front huge masses of lava are piled up. The scene had a dreary aspect, but the coloring was exquisitely beautiful. From this dark-looking basin the water escapes into the River Oka, that has cut a passage through this immense bed of lava, which here covers the whole valley. Having finished my sketch, I crossed to the foot of the mountains, where our horses were waiting, and then we continued our ride toward the north. After going about ten versts I found that the lava terminated abruptly, and that I had reached the farthest point to which it had flowed. My companions were three Cossacks and three Bouriats; the latter, though natives of the valley some twenty versts distant,

I desired to cross the Oka,

had never visited this place before. and trace this bed of lava toward a great ravine in the mountains which I saw to the south; but, having reached the bank of the river, we found it a broad and deep stream, over which it was impossible to swim our horses.

A few versts farther down the river we saw a Bouriat aoul, that the men said belonged to a lama, who had a canoe, with which we could cross the flood. On reaching the habitation we were informed that the lama was absent; but his son, a youth of eighteen, instantly consented to aid us with the canoe, if we could cross with safety, though he seemed to fear that the river had swollen. so much by rain in the mountains as to render our passage impracticable. There was only one spot where it was possible to paddle over, and he ordered some men to take the canoe and accompany us. The river at this point was about a hundred yards broad, with a rapid rushing over the bed of laya above us, and another large one about one hundred and fifty yards below. It was over this small space that we must cross; and as it was by no means in smooth water, not one of the lama's men would consent to take us. Another Bouriat was sent for. He soon arrived, and, after looking at the rushing waters a few minutes, said he would do it, but on no account would undertake to swim the horses across. The lama assured me that this was of no conseyoung quence, as we could obtain horses at an aoul on the other side.

This being settled, the man proposed to take me over first, and instantly began to strip off his clothing, insisting that I should do the same, which having been done, and a part only of my dress, shirt and trowsers, secured in the canoe, he extorted from me a promise that I would not move when seated in the little craft; then he stepped into the canoe, and I sat down in the bottom. The Bouriats hauled us near to the foot of the rapid, when my Charon called out to let go, and in an instant we were in the rushing water, which carried us fast toward the falls. The man handled his paddles well, and managed his little craft beautifully, landing us only a few yards above the place where the water passed the brink. It was with no slight relief I stood on the granite rocks and put on part of my dress; for, had a paddle broken, destruction was inevitable. After resting a few minutes, the man dragged his canoe up to the falls, recrossed the river, and brought