In enumerating the wonders of these regions, we must not forget a curious fuses nat-era', which is to he seen un the Shamane promontory. Three rocks, adjacent to one another, tower more than two hun dred feet above the level of the lake ; and their tops bear such a striking resemblance to human heads, that the 'funguses revere them as the sea-god Dian da, with his two subordinate deities. The nose of this Dianda, who stands between the other two, and overtops them considerably, is seven feet long ; his eyebrows seem two projecting cliffs overshadowing his face; flocks of sea-fowl find harbour in his mouth; but he is altogether unprovided with ears. Not withstanding this defect, however, his votaries believe that he hears acutely, and in all their fishing expedi tionsprefer to him their prayers that he may save them from being drowned, and grant them a plenti ful draught of fishes.
The plants most frequent in the sandy coast of the Baikal, and the neighbouring forest, are such as ge nerally grow on very cold mountains. Those enume rated by Pallas, are the pi ins cenalra, the empetrum nigrum, the campanula, with round leaves and large flowers, the lizmaria impatiens, the polygonem di. varicatum, the polygon um sericeum, a superb species of knctgrass, quite indigenous to the shores of this lake, the scrophzdaria scorodonia, the dracoccplia lem melees, the lycopsis vcsicaria, and the triticztm. littoralc, which grows upon the shores in as great abundance as if it were sown, and is so like the gross kind of barley, th?t the peasants call it DIKAIA 'Com, or wild barley. Besides these, M. Pallas ob served in the forest the loniccra ccerulea et pyrenaica, the liunca, the rebus articus, the pediczdaris panice.: late, the &duns palustre, the andromeda polifolin, and various kinds of pyrolce, and among others the pyrola uniflora, called by the Siberians KILLEREKA. The growth of these plants is occasioned by the cold and hazy air which prevails during summer on the lake,' the high mountains which stretch along the southern part of the country, and the snow-clad sum mits which border the western side of the Baikal. In the lake itself there grows a kind of sponge, which is very sweet and thick, and has never been discovered in any other part of the world. In the language of the country it is called MORSKALA Sou CA, or sea sponge ; and Pallas has given it the name of Spongia Baikalensis. It is employed by the goldsmiths of Irkutsk to give the first polish to their silver-plate, and to vessels of copper and of brass.
The animal productions of the Baikal are still more curious and unaccountable than the wonders of its coasts. Of these, the most remarkable is a fish
entirely peculiar to this lake, called by the Russians in that neighbourhood, SOLONITTANKA, and known to naturalists by the name of Callyonymes Baikalen sis. It exactly resembles a clue of blubber, and when exposed on a gridiron to the most gentle heat, melts so completely away, that nothing remains of it but a slender bone. It is impossible to catch these fish in nets, nor indeed are they ever seen alive. They seem to confine themselves to the deep gulfs in the centre of the lake, and are generally thrown up to the surface in Ammer, during the violent hur ricanes which burst from the mountains. When the lake has been strongly agitated, they are forced up in such quantities as to form a kind of parapet upon the shore. They are so rank and oily, that neither sea-fowl nor ravens will touch their carcase, and af ter remaining near two hours on shore, are dissolved by a slight pressure in the hand. The oil made of their blubber is sold to the Chinese, who value it highly.
Seals, likewise, abound in the Baikal ;—a very re markable phenomenon, as these animals are never seen elsewhere at any distance from the ocean, nor do they frequent rivers or lakes of fresh water. It appears probable, therefore, that they have been in troduced into this inland sea by some extraordinary revolution, which has produced a considerable change in the level of the globe. Their skin is of a silver grey, and their number is so great, that no fewer than two thousand are taken annually. The hunt ing of these animals commences in April. They as semble in great flocks, where the rapid currents, or warm springs, make chasms in the ice, and frequent, ly come out of the water to bask and sleep in the sunshine. The hunters, who are perfectly acquaint ed with their haunts, place themselves in small sledges, which they conceal with a screen of white linen. As this screen perfectly resembles the ice, it can be moved towards the seals without alarming them ; and the hunters, who are provided with mus kets, can thus approach so near as to fire upon them without the possibility of missing their aim. Ano ther mode of catching these animals was employed when that country was visited by Mr Bell of Anter mony. Holes were cut in the ice at certain dis tances, and nets were extended from one hole to ano ther by means of long poles. The seals, unable to remain long under the ice, come to these apertures for air, and thus entangling themselves in the nets, became an easy prey.