The universal geography : earth and its inhabitants

PENZA. 4091875. The kindred Voguls have nearly all been driven across the Urals intoSiberia.The 128,000 Tepyaks of the "Western Ural slopes are also descended from fugitivesformerly dwelling along the Middle Volga. The name is said to mean " Colonists,"or " Xew Comers." All are Mohammedans, and of mixed blood, whom it will bebest to group with the other Tatarised peoples now settled amongst the dominantBashkirs.Although claiming descent from the Nogai Tatars, and now speaking alanguage allied to that of the Kazan Tatars, the Bashkirs themselves are supposed tohave been originally Ugrian Finns, like the Magyars. Nevertheless the Kirghizcall them Ostyaks, regarding them as the kinsmen of those Siberian tribes, modifiedby Tatar elements. The highland Bashkirs, probably the least mixed, have asmall, but relatively very broad head, and some amongst them are very tall androbust, with regular features, strikingly like the Transylvanian Szekely. Durin°theHungarian war of 1849 the Ural Cossacks, at first sight of the Magyars,unanimously pronounced them to be Bashkirs, and persisted in so designating themthroughout the campaign. Most have flat features, slightly snub nose, small eyes,scant beard, mild and good-natured expression. They are, in fact, extremely kindand hospitable to strangers, and though slow, are careful workers. Like the Tatars,they purchase their wives, and for a whole year the bride is forbidden to addressher father or mother-in-law.*Towss.Below Xijni-Xovgorod the chief affluent of the Volga is the Sura, which inits winding course traverses from north to south the country of the Mordvinians andChuvashes.Penza, the largest town in its basin, and capital of the government oflike name, was founded in the beginning of the seventeenth century for thereduction of the Finnish tribes. But its strategical position at the confluence ofthe Penza and Sura, here navigable, also presented many commercial advantages,thanks to which the place has flourished.The reo-ion stretching north of the Volga, between the rivers Unja and Kama,is mostly under timber, and hence is known as the " Woodlands." The peasantryof many villages pass the winter in these forests, hewing wood and preparing thebark of the linden- tree, which serves to make mats, baskets, and those boots knownas lapti, so generally worn by the peasantry throughout Great Russia. The lindenwooditself is used chiefly to make images and the so-called " Cheremissian "chairs.One of the chief depots of this, as well as of some other industries, is Lishovo,.* Non-Slav races of the Middle Volga and Kama basins, classed according to religions :Christian. Moslem and Pagan.Votyaks 213,678 37,555Permians ....... 68,763 —Mordvinians 687,9S8 1,563Chuvashes 552,045 14,928Cheremissiana 201,585 67,048Kazan Tatars, Meshtcheryaks, Tepvaks 122,538 970,649Bashkirs 827 999,818