Identifier: russia00dobsrich (find matches)
Title: Russia;
Year: 1913 (1910s)
Authors: Dobson, George Grove, Henry M Stewart, Hugh, 1884-1934 Haenen, F. de
Subjects: Soviet Union -- Description and travel
Publisher: London, A. and C. Black
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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ike thecentral, they abound in mineral wealth. A littleto the north of Zlatousk the chain breaks intothree separate branches, which open towards thesouth like a fan. Of these, the most easterly isprolonged in the Mugodjai hills that terminate inthe steep plateau of Usturt, betw^een the Caspianand the Aral. The low declivities of the centralrange sink gradually to the Kirghiz steppes. Thew^estern is the most important of the three, and com-prises the highest point in the whole Ural system.That is Yaman Tau, a dull, bald hill to the east ofthe town of Ufa. From this western range a longlow band called the Obshtchi Syrt runs north otOrenburg towards the \^olga. Only rarely does the scenery of the southernUrals recall the majestic outlines and savagedesolation of the north. Jhere are, indeed, severalrocky heights to the north of Ufa that rise notunimpressively over a wilderness of boulder-strewnscrees, but they lack the conditions that w^eassociate with real mountain scenery. Of bold con-
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THE URALS 339 tour, individuality, and splendid or even apparentinaccessibility, the southern Urals have nothing.They have nothing, either, of the intricate sculp-ture and rich colouring that characterize Skyeor Lofoten. For the most part they are steep,densely-forested ridges, of uniform height andfeatureless monotony. Where a bare summitaffords a view-point, the prospect generally is ofundistinguishable deep valleys with silver ribbonsof water amid the dark green of sharply-risingforests. But where the hill lines end, especially ifthey run at right angles to a river, the scene is fullof a quiet charm. There will be, probably, clumpsof trees by the bank, behind that a small meadowwith haystacks, where the peasants shackled horseshobble over the grass to the jangling of the bellstied round their necks. Beyond the ground rises,covered with maples or oaks or birches. Some-times the slopes may be treeless, and the simpleyet subtle moulding of the hollows in the hill faceshow brown with s

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