The earth and its inhabitants (1883) (21103743686)

Title: The earth and its inhabitants ..
Identifier: earthitsinhabita583recl (find matches)
Year: 1883 (1880s)
Authors: Reclus, Elisée, 1830-1905; Ravenstein, Ernest George, 1834-1913; Keane, A. H. (Augustus Henry), 1833-1912
Subjects: Geography
Publisher: New York, D. Appleton and company
Contributing Library: MBLWHOI Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries



Text Appearing Before Image:
THE DON. 423 been levelied by the action of the water. Thus the Don flows, as it \^ere, on a sort of terrace resembling a stair step, the right or western cliffs seemingly diverting it to the Lower Yolga bed. Nevertheless, before reaching that river, it makes a sharp bend first southwards, then south-westwards to the Sea of Azov. From the commercial stand-point it really continues the course of the Volo-a. Flowing to a sea which, through the Straits of Yeni-Kaleh, the Bosphorus, Darda- nelles, and Gibraltar, communicates with the ocean, it has the immense advantao-e over the Volga of not losing itself in a land-locked basin. Hence most of the Fig. 219.—Old IIoissk Tkamway from tiiE Dox to the Volga.
Text Appearing After Image:
goods brought down the Volga are landed at the bend nearest the Don, and for- warded to that river. When besiefrins^ Astrakhan the Sultan Selim II. had already endeavoured to cut a canal between the two rivers, in order to transport his supplies to the Caspian. Peter the Great resumed the works, but the under- taking was abandoned, and until the middle of the present century the portage Mas crossed only b)'^ beasts of burden and waggons. But since 1861 the rivers have been connected by rail. The irregularity of its flow has hitherto been the chief obstacle in the way of