In some of tho Polish governments the younger secondary and tertiary deposits are so widely spread that tho paireozoic rocks rise only in small patches to the surface. Around Kielce a nucleus of Devonian rocks with much limestone, and charged with characteristic fossils, ie followed by carboniferous limestones and by thick-bedded coal-seams, over a small district that extends into the coal tracts of Silesia In consequence of the high antiquity of the Silurian strata, which prevails so widely in Russia, there is little or no coal. What seams are known to exist are mere streaks, and of bad quality. The only coal deposits of any importance are those of Kielce and the Donetz coal-field, which lies between the Dnieper and the Don, about 100 miles from tho Sea of Azof, in a rugged dislocated tract, where the seams mostly of anthracite are thrown up at different high angles, so as to be difficult to work.
In southern Siberia there is a great extension of the younger palreozoio deposits, which extend also to the AltaI Mountains, whilst in north-eastern Siberia such rocks have been traced even to the Sea of Okhotsk. [Soma.] The geology of the Ural Chain is given under URAL MOUNTAINS. (3Iurchison, &lutist.) Russia is rich in minerals. Gold occurs near the Gulf of Omega, and also on the western declivity of the Ural Mountains [URAL Mous-ram]; but the chief gold-mines of Russia are on the eastern or Siberian aide of the Ural Mountains. Platinum was discovered on the western declivity of the Ural in 1823, and six mines are success fully worked near 157° 40' N. lat. No silver is found in European Russia, though it occurs in Siberia. But the greatest mineral wealth of Russia consists in its mines of copper and iron. Both these metals frequently occur on the western declivity of the Ural Mountains, from 55' to 60' N. let, and they are worked in many places. The govern ment of Penn, where the mines are most extensively worked, has 200 mines of different kinds in operation, more than 7200 furnaces, and above 180,000 men directly or indirectly employed in different branches of metallurgy. The mines belong, some to the crown, some to private persons. The governments of Viatka and Orenburg are also important mining districts. Iron-ore occurs also on the southern declivity of the Uwalli, and on the table-land which extends about the sources of the rivers Oka, Don, and Dears & It is there found in the clay in layers, and sometimes only in lumps. Frequently it occurs in bogs and morasses. The extensive manufactures of Tula hardly use any other iron. Quicksilver, arsenic, nickel, cobalt, antimony, and bismuth exist in several places.
Salt is an important article. Besides the vast sources for the supply of this article before mentioned, the salt-formation extends along the western declivity of the Ural Mountains', to the source of the Kama, and thence westward on both "ides of the Uwalli. In all these districts salt is made from numerous salteprings. The greater number of these salt-manufactures are contained in the government. of Penn and Viatica; but several of them occur farther west. Salt is imported into the Baltio provinces from foreign countries cheaper than the native article, owing to tho heavy expenses of transport Marble and granite are quarried near the village of Tivdia, at the northern extremity of the Lake of Oliva, and at Serdobol, on the northern shores of Lake Ladoga. The marble is of good grain; some is white, and some has a reddish colour with white stripes or spots. The granite is worked with great activity ; all the public edifices and private mansions in St. Petersburg are built of it is inhabited by • greater number of nations, differing in language, character, and civilisation, than any other country of Europe. The inhabitants belong either to the Caucasian or to the Mongol race. The Caucasian however is by far the most numerous, as the nations of Mongol origin do not form one-hundredth part of the whole population.
The Caucasian race in Russia consists of individuals belonging to Slays:mien", Tshudes or Fine, Turks or Tartars, Germans, Jews, and Greeks. Nixie-tenths of the population are of the Slavonio race. They are divided into Russians, Poles, Lithuanians and Lettes, and Wallasffliana and Servians. The Russians 000stituto more than two thirds of the whole population, and their number Is estimated by Ilexthausen at about 50 million'. They inhabit, to the exclusion of all other nations, the central provinces of the empire between the Doieper and the Volga. They. likewise constitute the mass of the inhabitant. in the northern provinces between the Ural Mountains and the White Sea, and in the southern between the Don and the Dniester. They are divided into Great and Little Russian'. The latter inhabit the country called the Ukraine. The Cosmic. are properly descendants of the Little Russian& and are intermixed with Pole., Tartars, nod Kalmuck& [Cosaaxs.) The Great Russians, with the exception of • comparatively small number who have obtained their freedom, are bondsmen to the numerous body of rich noble. which exists among them. Among the Little Russians a considerable number of families are not subject to any master ; and the Coesake are all free.