. All the Russias; travels and studies in contemporary European Russia, Finland, Siberia, the Caucasus, & Central Asia. d be unwise to let hisattention be monopolised by its romance and picturesqueness,to the exclusion of its practical and commercial interests. These,however, are hardly inferior to its more dazzling side, and theyare growing, and destined to grow, in amazing fashion. Naturehas endowed the country with a climate in which anything willflourish, and the soil holds mineral wealth in vast variety andinfinite quantity. At present Russian official methods seriouslyhandicap production
. All the Russias; travels and studies in contemporary European Russia, Finland, Siberia, the Caucasus, & Central Asia. d be unwise to let hisattention be monopolised by its romance and picturesqueness,to the exclusion of its practical and commercial interests. These,however, are hardly inferior to its more dazzling side, and theyare growing, and destined to grow, in amazing fashion. Naturehas endowed the country with a climate in which anything willflourish, and the soil holds mineral wealth in vast variety andinfinite quantity. At present Russian official methods seriouslyhandicap production, but M. de Wittes influence is gradually THE FROSTY CAUCASUS 179 removing obstructions and hastening procedure. If he hves,and no war comes to strain Russian resources, the next ten yearswill see all the world astonished at the commercial developmentof the Caucasus. The progress of the oil industry of Baku every-body knows, and I give the astonishing figures in a subsequentchapter. The export of manganese ore, an essential of the steelindustry, the Caucasus furnishing exactly half of the worlds ^P^lj:^^^J^^ ,* supply, was 426,179 tons in 1900, from the two ports of Potiand Batum. As regards other productions, the British Consulat Batum, Mr. Patrick Stevens, who speaks from intimate know-ledge, says that if the uncertainty that hangs over Russianofficial methods were removed there can be no shadow ofdoubt that the boundless resources of this country, so richlyendowed by nature, might be developed very advantageouslyboth for the capitalist and the population, for itsmineralwealth is practically unlimited, copper, zinc, iron, tin, and i8o ALL THE RUSSIAS many other metals being found throughout the region, inmost cases in exceedingly extensive deposits. Round theshores of the Black Sea are several Imperial Estates, knownas appanages, where excellent wine is produced in largequantities, and this is an industry which might be greatlyextended by experienced and skilful wine-grow
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