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Chinese depression on the south. Elsewhere the high and massive border-ridge on the north-western edge of the plateau can be crossed only by difficult footpaths. The border-ridge just mentioned, gapped by the wide ope,sing of the Selenga, runs from south-west to north-east under different names, being known as Khamar-daban (6900 ft.) south of Lake Baikal, and as the Barguzin Mountains (7000 to 8000 ft.) along the east See also:

BANK

bank of the Barguzin river, while farther north-east it has been described under the names of the South Muya and the Chara Mountains (6000 to 7000 ft.). Resting its south-east See also:

BASE

base on the plateau, it descends steeply on the north-west to the lake and to the broad picturesque valleys of the Barguzin, Muya and Chara. Thick forests of See also:

LARCH (from the Ger. Larche, M.H.G. Lerche, Lat. larix)

larch, See also:

fir and See also:

CEDAR (Lat. cedrus, Gr. iapos)

cedar clothe the ridge, whose See also:

DOME (Lat domus, house; Ital. duomo, cathedral)

dome-shaped rounded summits (gohsy) rise above the limits of See also:

tree vegetation, but do not reach the See also:

SNOW (in O. Eng. sndw; a common Indo-European word; cf. in Teutonic languages, Ger. Schnee, Du. sneeuw; in Slavonic snieg', Lith. snegas; Gr. vi4a, Lat. nix, nivis, whence the Romanic forms, Ital. neve, Fr. neige, &c.; Ir. and Gael. sneachd; the original

snow-See also:

LINE

line (here above 10,000 ft.). The high plateau itself has the aspect of an undulating table-See also:

LAND

land, intersected by ranges, which rise some 1500 or 2000 ft. above its See also:

SURFACE

surface, and are separated by broad, See also:

FLAT (a modification of O. Eng. flet, an obsolete word of Teutonic origin, meaning the ground beneath the feet)

flat, marshy valleys, traversed by sluggish meandering streams. The better drained valleys have See also:

FINE

fine meadow lands, while the hills are clothed with forests (almost exclusively of larch and See also:

birch).

Numberless lakes and ponds occur along the river courses. See also:

TUNGUSES

Tunguses See also:

hunt in the forests and meadows, but permanent agricultural settlements are impossible, See also:

corn seldom ripening on See also:

account of the See also:

early See also:

frost. The lower parts of the broad, flat valley of the Jida have, however, a few Cossack settlements, and Mongolian shepherds inhabit the elevated grassy valleys about Lake Kosso-gol (5300 ft. above the See also:

sea). Quite different is the lower terrace of the plateau, occupied by the eastern Gobi and the See also:

Nerchinsk region, and separated from the upper terrace by the Yablonoi range. This last is the south-eastern border-ridge of the higher terrace. It rises to 8o35 ft. in the Sokhondo See also:

PEAK, THE

peak, but elsewhere its dome-shaped summits do not exceed 5000 or 6000 ft. Numberless lakes, with flat undefined margins, feed streams which join the See also:

GREAT

great north-going See also:

rivers or the Amur and the Pacific. See also:

Low hills rise above the edge of the plateau, but the slope is abrupt towards the south-east, where the See also:

FOOT

foot-hills of the Yablonoi are nearly 1500 and 2000 ft. lower than on the north-west. See also:

CLIMATE

Climate, See also:

FLORA

flora and See also:

FAUNA

fauna See also:

CHANGE (derived through the Fr. from the Late Lat. cambium, cambiare, to barter; the ultimate derivation is probably from the root which appears in the Gr. «a urmu', to bend)

change suddenly as soon as the Yablonoi has been crossed. The Siberian flora gives way to the Daurian flora, and this. is in turn exchanged for the Pacific littoral flora on the Manchurian plains and lowlands. The lower terrace has the See also:

CHARACTER (Gr. xapareri7p, from xap&crew, to scratch)

character of a See also:

STEPPE (from the Russ. stepi, a waste)

steppe, but is intersected by a number of ranges, plications of See also:

SILURIAN

Silurian and Devonian rocks, all See also:

RUNNING

running south-west to north-east, and all containing See also:

SILVER

silver, lead, See also:

COPPER (symbol Cu, atomic weight 63.1, H=1, or 63.6, O = 16)

copper and auriferous sands. See also:

Agriculture can be easily carried on in the broad prairies, the only drawbacks being droughts, and frosts in the higher closed valleys of the Nerchinsk or Gazimur Mountains.

The lower terrace is in its turn fringed by a border-ridge--the Great See also:

KHINGAN

Khingan—which occupies, with reference to the lower terrace, the same position that the Yablonoi does in relation to the upper, and separates Siberia from northern Manchuria. This important ridge does not run from south to north, as represented- on the old maps, but from south-west to north-east it is pierced by the Amur near Aibazin, and joins the See also:

OKHOTSK, SEA OF

Okhotsk Mountains, which however do not join the Yoblonoi Mountains. The rivers belong to three different systems—the affluents of Lake Baikal, of the See also:

LENA

Lena and of the Amur. Of the first the Selenga (800 m. See also:

long) rises in north-west Mongolia, one of its tributaries (the See also:

EGIN (Armenian Agn, " the spring ")

Egin-gol) being an emissary of Lake Kosso-gol. The Chikoi, Khilok and Uda are its See also:

CHIEF (from Fr. chef, head, Lat. caput)

chief tributaries in Transbaikalia. The Barguzin and the upper Angara enter Lake Baikal from the north-east. Of the tributaries of the Lena, the Vitim with its affluents (Karenga, Tsipa, and Muya)-flows on the high plateau through uninhabited regions, as also does the Olekma. The tributaries of the Amur are much more important. The Argun, which at a quite See also:

RECENT

recent See also:

EPOCH (Gr. E7roxij, holding in suspense, a pause, from E1rxav, to hold up, to stop)

epoch received the See also:

WATERS, TERRITORIAL

waters of the Dalai-nor, and thus had the Kerulen for its source, is no longer in communication with the rapidly desiccating Mongolian lake, but has its sources in the Gan, which flows from the Great Khingan Mountains. It is not navigable, but receives the Gazimur and several other streams from the Nerchinsk See also:

MINING

mining See also:

DISTRICT

district. The Shilka is formed by the See also:

union of the Onon and the See also:

CHITA

Chita rivers, and is navigable from the See also:

TOWN

town of Chita, thus being an important channel to the Amur. Lake Baikal, with an area of 13,200 sq. m.

(nearly equal to that of See also:

SWITZERLAND

Switzerland), extends in a half See also:

CRESCENT (Lat. crescens, growing)

crescent from south-west to north-east, with a length of nearly 400 m. and a width of 20 to 5o m. Its level is 1,500 ft. above the sea.' The wide See also:

DELTA (from the shape of the Gr. letter A, delta, originally used of the mouth of the Nile)

delta of the Selenga narrows it in the See also:

MIDDLE

middle, and renders it shallower in the east than in the west. The other lakes include the Gusinoye and Lake Ba-unt on the Vitim plateau. Many lakes yield See also:

COMMON

common See also:

salt. The high plateau is built up of granites, gneisses and syenitcs, overlain by Laurentian See also:

SCHISTS (Gr. vxq'ecv, to split)

schists. Silurian and Devonian marine deposits occur only on the lower terrace. Since that epoch the region has not been under the sea, and only fresh-water See also:

JURASSIC

Jurassic deposits and See also:

COAL

coal beds are met with in the depressions. During the Glacial See also:

period most of the high terrace and its border ridges were undoubtedly covered with vast glaciers. Volcanic rocks of more recent origin (Mesozoic?) are met with in the north-western border-ridge and on its. slopes, as well as on the Vitim plateau. During the Glacial period the fauna of the lowest parts of Transbaikalia was decidedly 'See also:

ARCTIC (Gr. "ApKroc, the Bear, the northern constellation of Ursa Major)

arctic; while during the Lacustrine or See also:

POST

post-Glacial periods this region was dotted over with numberless lakes, the shores, of, which were. inhabited by See also:

NEOLITHIC, or LATER STONE AGE (Gr. vEOr, new, and XLOos, stone)

Neolithic See also:

man. Only few traces of these survive, and they are rapidly drying up. See also:

Earth-quakes are very frequent on the shores of Lake Baikal, especially at the mouth of the Selenga,' and they extend as far as Irkutsk, Barguzin and Selenginsk; in 1862 an extensive area was submerged by the lake.

Numerous See also:

MINERAL

mineral springs, some of them of high repute, exist all over Transbaikalia. The most important are the hot alkaline springs (130° F.) at Turka, at the mouth of the Barguzin, those of Pogromna on the Uda (very similar to the Seltzer springs), those of Molokova near Chita and those of Darasun in the Nerchinsk district. The climate is, as a whole, exceedingly dry. The See also:

winter is See also:

COLD (in O. Eng. cald and ceald, a word coming ultimately from a root cognate with the Lat. gelu, gelidus, and common in the Teutonic languages, which usually have two distinct forms for the substantive and the adjective, cf. Ger. Kolte, kalt, Dutch koude

cold and dry, the thermometer dropping' as low as — 58° F. But the snow is so trifling that the horses of the Buryats are able to procure See also:

food throughout the winter on the See also:

STEPPES

steppes, and in the very middle of the winter wheeled vehicles are used all over the west. To the east of the Yablonoi ridge the Nerchinsk district feels the See also:

INFLUENCE (Late Lat. influentia, from influere, to flow in)

influence of the North Pacific monsoons, and snow falls more thickly, especially in the valleys; but the summer is hot and dry. On the high plateau even the summer is cold, owing .to the See also:

ALTITUDE (Lat. altitudo, from altus, high)

altitude and the humidity arising from the marshes, and the See also:

SOIL

soil is frozen to a great See also:

DEPTH

depth. At Chita the daily range in summer and See also:

SPRING (from " to spring," " to leap or jump up," " burst out," O. Eng., springau, a common Teut. word, cf. Ger. springer, possibly allied to Gr. QnrFpxecOac, to move rapidly)

spring is sometimes as much as 33° to 46° In the vicinity of Lake Baikal there is a cooler summer; in winter exceedingly deep snow covers the mountains around the lake .2 The estimated population in 1906 was 742,200. The See also:

RUSSIAN

Russian population is gathered around the mines of the Nerchinsk district, while the steppes are occupied by the Buryats. A See also:

STRING

string of villages has been planted along the Shilka between Chita and See also:

STRYETENSK

Stryetensk. The valleys of the Uda, the lower Selenga, and especially the Chikoi and the Khilok have been occupied since the beginning of the loth See also:

CENTURY (from Lat. centuria, a division of a hundred men)

century by Raskolniks, some of whom, living in a See also:

CONDITION (Lat. condicio, from condicere, to agree upon, arrange; not connected with conditio, from condere, conditum, to put together)

condition of prosperity such as is unknown in ' There is uncertainty as to the See also:

ABSOLUTE (Lat. absolvere, to loose, set free)

absolute altitude (see BAIKAL). ' See Das Klima von Ost-Siberien," by A.

Woyeikow, in Meteorol. Zeitschrift (1884): See also:

Russia proper, See also:

RANK (O.Fr. rant or rent, mod. rang, generally connected with the O.E. and O.H.G. bring, a ring)

rank amongst the finest representatives of the Russian See also:

RACE

race. The See also:

REMAINDER, REVERSION

remainder of the steppe of the Uda is occupied by Buryats, while the forests and marshes of the plateau are the See also:

HUNTING (the verbal substantive from " hunt "; O. Eng. huntian, hunta; apparently connected with O. Eng. hentan, Gothic hinpan, to capture, O.H.G. hunda,booty)

hunting grounds of the See also:

NOMAD (Gr. voµas, voµabes, wandering)

nomad Tunguses. South of the Khamar-daban the only settled region is the lower valley of the Jida. On the Upper Argun the See also:

COSSACKS (Russ. Kazak; plural, Kazaki, from the Turki quzzaq, " adventurer, free-hooter ")

Cossacks are in features, character, See also:

LANGUAGE (adapted from the Fr. langage, from langue, tongue, Lat. lingua)

language and See also:

MANNERS, CHARLES (1857– )

manners largely Mongolian. . The Russians along the Chinese frontier constitute a See also:

SEPARATE

separate voisko or See also:

DIVISION (from Lat. dividere, to break up into parts, separate)

division of the Transbaikal Cossacks. The Buryats number about x8o,000, the Tunguses over 3o,000. The province is divided into five districts, the chief towns of which are Chita, the See also:

capital, Barguzin, Nerchinsk, Selenginsk and Verkhneudinsk. Although a See also:

GOOD, JOHN MASON (1764-1827)

good See also:

DEAL

deal of land has been cleared by the settlers, nearly one-half of the entire area is still covered with forests. The See also:

PRINCIPAL

principal varieties are fir, larch, See also:

ASPEN

aspen, See also:

poplar and birch, with . Abies pectinata in. the north and the cedar in the south. Only about one-third of the surface is adaptable for cultivation, and of that only about one-tenth is actually under tillage.

Agriculture is carried on to a limited extent by the Buryats and in all the Russian settlements; but it prospers only in the valleys of West Transbaikalia, and partly in the Nerchinsk region, while in the steppes of the Argun and Onon even the Russians resort to See also:

PASTORAL (from Lat. pastor, a shepherd)

pastoral pursuits and See also:

trade, or to hunting. Livestock rearing is extensively carried on, especially by the Buryats, but their herds and flocks are often destroyed in great See also:

numbers by the snowstorms of spring. Hunting is an important occupation, even with the Russians, many of whom leave their homes in See also:

OCTOBER

October to spend six See also:

WEEKS, EDWIN LORD (1849-1903)

weeks in the taiga (See also:

FOREST

forest region). The See also:

FISHERIES

fisheries of Lake Baikal and the lower parts of its affluents are important. Enormous quantities of Salmo omul are taken every See also:

YEAR

year; and S. thymalus, S. oxyrhynchus and S. fluviatilis are also taken. Mining, and especially See also:

gold mining, is important, but the See also:

PRODUCTION (Lat. productionem, from producere, to pro-duce)

production of gold has fallen off. Silver mines have only a very small output. See also:

IRON [symbol Fe, atomic weight 55.85 (0=16)]

Iron mining is gradually developing, and good coal mines are now being worked. Salt is raised from several lakes, and the extraction of See also:

EPSOM

Epsom salts has considerably See also:

DEVELOPED

developed. Manufactures, though insignificant, have increased. The trade is chiefly concentrated at Kiakhta. The Cossacks on the frontier See also:

TRAFFIC

traffic in See also:

BRICK (derived according to some etymologists from the Teutonic bricke, a disk or plate; but more authoritatively, through the French brique, originally a " broken piece," applied especially to bread, and so to clay, from the Teutonic brikan, to break)

brick-See also:

TEA (Chinese cha, Amoy dialect t€)

tea, See also:

CATTLE (Norman Fr. catel, from Late Lat. capitale, wealth or property, a word applied in the feudal system to movable property and particularly to live stock, and surviving in its wider meaning as " chattel " or " chattle ")

cattle and hides with Mongolia.

The export of furs is of considerable value. Transbaikalia is crossed by the Trans-siberian railway from Mysovaya on Lake Baikal, via Chita, to Stryetensk, and from Kaidalovo, near Chita, to the Mongolian frontier; the latter See also:

section is continued across Manchuria to See also:

VLADIVOSTOK

Vladivostok and See also:

PORT

Port See also:

Arthur. See also:

REGULAR

Regular steamer communication has been established along Lake Baikal, not only for the transport of passengers and goods between the two railway stations of Listvinichnoye and Mysovaya, but also with the See also:

OBJECT

object of developing the fishing See also:

INDUSTRY (Lat. industria, from indu-, a form of the pre, position in, and either stare, to stand, or struere, to pile up)

industry, which is of great importance. Steamers ply up the Selenga river as far as Selenginsk, considerable cargoes of tea being transported along this line.

End of Article: TRANSBAIKALIA (sometimes also known as Muria)

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