Note 1 — Chapter XIX · A VISIT TO A GOLD-MINE.

East of Lake Baikal are many mines on various rivers, such as the Nertcha, the Ingoda, and the Onon. Another famous river is the Olekma; whilst the Amur produces so much of the precious metal that the yield of some of its valleys is fabulous. I heard, near Albazin, concerning the Upper Amur Gold-mining Company, that for the past ten years they had washed 150 poods of gold annually, which, reckoned at £2,000 a pood—its price during the year of my visit—gives a product of £3,000,000. Also on the Vitim, during the summer of 1878, from 300 to 400 poods, I was told, had been extracted, which represent from £600,000 to £800,000 sterling.