The universal geography : earth and its inhabitants

388 RUSSIA IN EUROPE.beginning to reject the title of " Old Believers," applying it to the members ofthe Orthodox Church, whom they reproach for their cold formalism. New sectsarise, such as the Nemolaki, who disbelieve in the efficacy of prayer, and theNeplatekhtchiki, who denounce all taxation. Yet such is the tenacity of the oldritualistic habits that even amongst the Spiritualists there has been formed a sectof "Sigbers," who sigh and pant incessantly at their gatherings, because the" breath" is "spirit."TOPOGRAPHY OF GREAT RUSSIA.The Upper Volga to Nijni-Novgorod.(Governments of Tver, Yaroslav, and Kostroma.)This region is peopled by Great Russians, and by Finns who have beenlargely Slavonised.numerous isolatedIn the hilly and more inaccessible districts of the "West alonecommunities of Karelians have hitherto kept themselves aloof,retaining their speech and customs intact. But even these are slowly becomingassimilated to the surrounding Slav element. The province of Yaroslav was, athousand years ago, largely occupied by Finns, yet the present population is nowregarded as consisting of pure Great Russians. The Finns never having beenexpelled, the ethnical transformation must have been slowly accomplished, andeven the towns and villages now mostly bear Slav names, generally in honour ofsaints or religious feasts.The towns, nearly all originally mere fishing stations, are somewhat numerouson the main stream and its tributaries.Even in the upland region of forests andmarshes near its source occurs the industrious town of Ostashkov, standing on apeninsula of Lake Seliger, about 750 feet above sea-level.It is peopled by fishersand boatmen, and manufactures scythes, sickles, axes, boots, and sboes. Fartherdown are Rjov, a great hemp and flax mart, Zubtzop, Staritza, and south of theriver the town of Gjatsk, in the government of Smolensk, on a tributary whosehead-streams are intermingled with those of the Dnieper.Tver, formerly the most formidable political rival of Moscow, now the capital ofa government and the chief port on the Upper Volga, lies advantageously at thejunction of the Tvertza, which flows from the northern uplands, and which at alltimes gave access to the Neva basin and Gulf of Finland. Merchandise hadformerly to be conveyed across the country from the Tvertza to the Msta, andalthough a canal has for the last hundred years afforded a navigable route fromTver to St. Petersburg, the city of the " Upper Portage," or Vishni-Volochok,still retains its name. During the fine season many thousands of boats ladenwith corn and other produce call here, as well as at the industrious town ofTorjol; or " The Mart," which lies farther down on the Tvertza, and which evenin the Novgorod period was already a great emporium. As many as 4,000 boatsare yearly moored at the quays of Tver, which is the largest of the three commercialtowns on the St. Petersburg- Moscow railway, and one of the chief