Littell's Living Age/Volume 131/Issue 1694/The German Expedition to Siberia
THE GERMAN EXPEDITION TO SIBERIA.[1]
The travellers left Saissan on May 31, and arrived in Maiterek on June 4, in the company of his excellency the governor-general of west Siberia, General Pottaratzki, whom they met two nights previous to their arrival. Three tarantassas drawn by artillery horses conveyed them from Saissan on to the shores of the Black Irtisch. Their way led again through the steppe mostly covered with dschi, a kind of short, thick grass, with here and there patches of white alkaline soil; but after some time their eyes were refreshed by the appearance of a few trees, their number increased until the country became wooded, and therefore they hoped soon to reach the river. In the evening they saw before them the banks of the stream, swelled by the recent rain into a majestic river, its waters of a yellowish-brown color. For two hundred versts into China the stream is navigable for steamers, but up to this time it is not used as a means of communication. Beautiful trees bordered the river, and it was a pleasant change for the travellers, who had seen no trees since the Ala Tau, to find magnificent poplars, asps, and many other trees and bushes. Though the steppe is grand yet it becomes tedious after a while. The travellers continued their journey in a lotka (a sort of boat) belonging to a rich Kirghiz, who is one of the fishers of the Saissan Nor (Saissan Lake). The lotka was propelled by two enormous oars worked in turn by eight Kirghiz or eight Cossacks. The journey down the Irtisch was rendered delightful by the beautiful vegetation near its banks, and the abundance of birds made it a perfect eldorado for the naturalist. They were tempted to stay here, but "heida" (Kirghisian for "on") was the call, which they had to obey. Gradually the strength and width of the river decline as it gets narrowed in by dense masses of reeds. In the evening they reached the settlements of some fishermen, resembling those seen in Norway — here as there frames for drying the fish, here as there the same disagreeable smell, so attractive for the black Milans, of which they shot a specimen of the Indian variety. A quantity of fish was caught, amongst them splendid specimens of a kind of coregonus, carp, barbel, and sturgeon, the roe of which is prepared as caviare. Towards evening they landed amidst dense reeds.
Early on June 2 an excursion to the neighboring lake was made. On the banks were a good many persons fishing, and numbers of birds — amongst them the East-Indian kind of the bald eagle (Haliætus leucoryphus), sitting in pairs on the trunks of dead trees — were animating the shores of the river and the reeds. About half past seven — sunset — they landed; Kirghiz with camels and horses were awaiting them, and they proceeded on their journey over the most desolate steppe imaginable towards the north. This steppe was very stony and sparsely covered with vegetation; only at the outskirts the crippled brushwood of the Saik-Saul, of a myrtle-like appearance, was to be found; further on nothing but bare gravel; eye-witnesses told the travellers that the appearance of this steppe was quite analogous to that of the Desert of Gobi. For seven hours' march there was no water, although in spring this steppe is quite impracticable as the water then flowing down the mountains forms ponds and swamps in the loamy parts. Often they passed the dry beds of such ponds, looking like mosaic by reason of the frequent and regular cracks in the dry mud. Here the spermophilus was met with for the first time, and later on three kulans, the wild solipede of these parts of Asia (more horse than ass), accompanied by a young one. Never were the mirages seen more beautiful than on this steppe, though occurring every day, here were splendid blue lakes with trees on the shores so distinctly that they could fancy them to be real. Several other times Saiga antelopes were seen and kulans, once seven at a time, but none were obtained. At last they came to a depression and found a bad but welcome spring; they rested here for a few hours. On proceeding they had soon to pass through a hilly country covered with slate. This part was interesting for the geologist: granite followed immediately upon slate, then slate and granite, after this quartz, white and grey, and with this a coarse-grained sandstone. On June 4 they reached the outlyers of the Altai; here they saw a numerous fauna and many settlements of the Kirghiz with their cattle. The outlyers consist of granite, crystallized slate, and a hornblend porphyry; they are fantastically shaped but quite bare, yet not without some picturesque beauty. The zigzag road led up-hill. At last they saw in the distance a lovely valley with green trees, and with the joyous cry of "Maiterek" the Kirghisian guide galloped downward, followed as fast as possible by the others, to a yurt camp, situated in a wood of aspen trees near a murmuring rivulet. This was the place where the governor-general was expected, and at last, accompanied by many Kirghiz, his Excellency the governor arrived with a large escort, including ladies. A friendly welcome was exchanged, and after having rested a little while the whole procession moved onward, as fifteen more versts lay still between them and Maiterek.
The travellers proceeded on their journey towards the Altai in the company of the governor-general, his wife, and daughter, on June 6. The weather was most unfavorable from their departure up to their arrival in the Altaian Staniza on June 11, and now they had to undergo all the hardships from which travellers have more or less to suffer. The roads they had to traverse led nearly always along the steep narrow banks of rapid mountain streams, or along the verge of a threatening abyss, or they crossed over vast accumulations of snow filling up the ravines.
On the summit of the pass, about six thousand feet high, covered with grass as yet undeveloped, was a splendid view of the distant Saik Saur mountains behind Saissan; a pale yellow line extended from these up to the horizon like the ocean, — it was the steppe. Beautiful meadows covered with yellow and purple pansies were discernible in the valleys between the plateaus, wooden Kirghisian tombs, somewhat resembling log huts, gave to the whole the appearance of an Alpine landscape. It was strange to see the mole (spalax) burrowing at this height, where trees — even the hardy larch-tree — had disappeared. One night's rest was spent in a yurt camp near the lake Marka Kul. They approached it along the steep shores of the river Kuldschir, the sole outlet of the lake, and one of the tributaries of the black Irtisch. The view here was delightful, the lake of an azure color, surrounded on all sides by mountains rising fifteen hundred feet above its surface, covered with snow, and partly wooded. The banks of the lake are very steep and indented here and there with deep bays. With their nets they secured many fine fishes, which, apart from their scientific interest, were welcomed as a pleasant change to their every-day fare of mutton. There is an abundance of fish in the Marka Kul, but it is caught only by the Chinese Kirghiz and the Russian Altaian peasant, and that in a very primitive way. Generally they divert one or other of the small tributaries from its course, and the fish remaining in the dry bed are caught.
In spite of the dangers of the roads, the governor's wife had availed herself of every possible opportunity to photograph the most beautiful parts of the wild mountain scenery about them: this excellent horsewoman rode without fear or giddiness, never dismounting even at the most dangerous places.
The travellers resumed their journey on June 9, but the bad weather still followed them; they passed through large virgin forests, along the borders of abysses nearly a thousand feet deep; at last they camped on a green meadow facing the Tau Teke Mountains (Steinbock Mountains), so called on account of the numbers of steinbock found there. Early on June 11 a steinbock hunt was attempted, thirty Kirghiz on horseback acting as drivers, but they did not get anything. On going on, in about an hour they reached the top of the pass, the Burchat; here they saw two cairns with poles before them, the Chinese frontier poles, and now they left the Celestial Empire and rode on into Siberian territory, slowly descending from the height of about eight thousand feet, where trees ceased to grow; the descent soon became steeper and steeper, and at last so rapid that even Cossacks and Kirghiz were obliged to dismount. When they reached the plain they were surprised to see the vegetation, trees, bushes, and flowers, so much richer than at the Ala Tau. Also in this camp the governor was welcomed by a deputation of Kirghiz, and after a short rest they rode on to the Altaian Staniza, a military post.
- ↑ Abstract of the third and fourth letters dated from Maiterek, June 5, and a valley in the Tau Teke Mountains, in the Chinese Altai, June 11, respectively.