The universal geography : earth and its inhabitants

330 RUSSIA IN EUROPE.woven stuffs, arc attached to the crosses raised above the graves; the dead areinvited to share the family meal, and the beds of the departed are still got readyin the cabin. "When disputes arise about the boundaries of their lands, an umpirecovers his head with earth and walks ahead ; his footsteps mark the limits, for" our mother, the moist earth," has decided.In Olonetz the social arts are in an extremely backward state. Agriculturalimplements are still of the rudest type in a land where agricultural resources mustalways be of a precarious character, where the "spring frosts" are felt in July,and the " autumn chills " begin in August. Of late years the " Siberian plague,"prevalent in all marshy lands, has carried off a large portion of the live stock, andeven the chase, formerly so productive, now yields but poor returns, the beaverand sable having already disappeared. Of the larger wild animals none remainexcept the bear, which still continues to ravage the cattle and waste the oat-fields.But all this matters little, seeing that the possible gains of the mujik are forestalledby the traders who pay his taxes, and advance at heavy rates the powderfor the chase, his fishing tackle, and his daily bread. " "Where I have set my footthe mujik sings no more," says the contractor.Topopraphy.With the dawn of Russian history the Slavs are found endeavouring toestablish in the Xarova and Neva basins large emporiums of trade with the Balticlands. One of these early marts was Izborsk, which, however, had soon to makeway for Pskov, formerly Pleshov, some 20 miles farther east. Becomingindependent of " Xovgorod the Great " in the fourteenth century, Pskov was atfirst little more than an intermediary between that city and the German seaports.But it succeeded later on in opening direct relations with the western tradingplaces, and had factories on the Baltic for the sale of timber, cereals, flax, tallow,tar, and other Russian produce. The republic of Pskov was at the height of itscommercial prosperity in the fifteenth century, when it is said to have had apopulation of 80,000. But its autonomy was suppressed in 1510, and after fallingunder the sway of JIuscovy it lost its importance, hundreds of its most industriouscitizens were carried off, and in 1803 it had scarcely 6,000 inhabitants. However,its position as capital of a government, and its favourable situation above theTelikaya delta at the southern extremity of Lake Peipus, have somewhat revivedthe prosperity of a place which is the natural outlet of the interior as far as thewater-parting of the Dvina. Here are still to be seen some old houses and theremains of walls that have withstood twenty-six sieges.Below Lake Peipus Narva occupies a corresponding position to Pskov, standingnear the mouth of the Xarova, where in 1702 Charles XII. of Sweden overthrew aRussian army ten times superior in numbers to his own. Its fortifications are ofsecondary importance compared with the formidable works of Sveaborg andKronstadt, but the old exchange and the now abandoned bazaar are evidences ofits former commercial activity. The inhabitants, of whom about half are Germans,