. This completed the general survey of the whole Siberian
seaboard.

The scientific exploration of the interior began in the Eighteenth
Century with Messerschmidt, followed by Gmelin, Mueller, and Delisle
de la Croyere, who determined many important physical points between
the years 1733 and 1742. The region stretching beyond Lake Baikal was
explored by Pallas and his associates in 1770-3. The expeditions,
interrupted by the great wars following on the French Revolution,
were resumed in 1828 by the Norwegian Hansteen, whose memorable
expedition in company with Erman had such important results for
the study of terrestrial magnetism. While Hansteen and Erman were
still prosecuting their labours in every branch of natural science,
Alexander von Humboldt, Ehrenberg, and Gustav Rose made a short
visit to Siberia, which, however, remained one of the most important
in the history of science. Middendorff's journeys to North and
East Siberia had also some very valuable results, and were soon
followed, in 1854, by the "expedition to Siberia" undertaken by
Schwartz, Schmidt, Glehn, Usoltzev, and associates, extending over
the whole region of the Trans-baikal to the Lena and northern
tributaries of the Amur. Thus began the uninterrupted series of
modern journeys, which are now being systematically continued in
every part of Siberia, and which promise soon to leave no blanks
on the chart of that region.

The work of geographical discovery, properly so called, may be said
to have been brought to a close by Nordenskjoeld's recent determination
of the north-east passage, vainly attempted by Willoughby, Barents,
and so many other illustrious navigators.

Such a vast region as Siberia, affected in the west by Atlantic,
in the east by Pacific influences, and stretching north and south
across 29 deg. of latitude, must obviously present great diversities
of climate. Even this bleak land has its temperate zones, which the
Slav colonists are fond of calling their "Italies." Nevertheless
as compared with Europe, Siberia may, on the whole, be regarded as
a country of extreme temperatures--relatively great heats, and,
above all, intense colds. The very term "Siberian" has justly become
synonymous with a land of winds, frosts, and snows. The mean annual
temperature in this region comprised between the rivers Anabara
and Indigirka is 20 deg. Fahr. below freezing point. The pole of cold,
oscillating diversely with the force of the lateral press