The Novoe Vremya has published an interesting letter from M. Struve on the subject of a future waterway between Pacific and the Arctic Oceans. The idea first to connect Siberia with Europe by a surer route than that pointed out by Professor Nordenskjéld, and next to open out a way by which Siberian products may reach the Pacific. The first difficulty to be overcome lies in the navigation of the River. Obi. The river enters the sea too far to the east, and thus any shipping that uses it has to contend with the dangerous navigation of the Kara Sea. A scheme has for years past been under the consideration of the local authorities by which the Obi should be connected with the sea at a point to the west instead of the east of Nova Zembla. The river Petchora enters the soa at the right point, just by Waigatch Island, and M. Strave shows by an elaborate description of the country that a canal could be made without formidable difficulty to connect the Obi and Petchora. On the eastern side the Obi could be connected in like manner with the Yenisei; and this once accomplished, there would' be a direct waterway between Irkutsk and the ports of the White Sea. Connection, too, could be made between the Yenisei and the river system of Eastern Siberia, There is a plateau sixty miles long between the Angara and the Lena which may turn out to be an insurmountable difficulty; but if this cannot be canalised, it can at all events be traversed by a short railway. Ounce this barrier passed, the whole river system of Eastern Siberia would be open; and by the Lena, the Aldan, and the Maia it would. be possible to reach Nelokan, which is only 130 miles from Ame, on' the Pacific, Professor Nordenskjéld has ordered a vessel to be built at the mouth of the Lena, whence he will set out in 1882 on another voyage of discovery in the Arctic seas, By going overland through Siberia to the mouth of the Lena he hopes to "steal a march" on the brief open season,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.