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TURUCHANSK

Volume 21 · 203 words · 1842 Edition

or Mangasea, a town of Asiatic Russia, on the Yenisei, the smallest and most northerly of all the Siberian towns which bear the name of a city. It derives its name Mangasea from a magazine having been originally built, in 1601, for the collection of the furs paid in tribute to Russia. It was removed from the river Taz, where it was first placed, to the mouth of the Turuchan, and re- ceived the name of that river. The houses do not amount to more than 100, and are built in the most scattered man- ner. The principal part of the town consists in a little fort built of wood, and defended by four small pieces of artil- lery. The trade consists entirely in furs, which are ex- changed for all sorts of merchandise. Most of the inhabi- tants are Cossacks, whose services are required to overawe the wild inhabitants of the neighbouring regions. The ground is barren, but the water-fowl in summer are innum- erable. Long. 88° 44'. E. Lat. 65° 40'. N. The river Turuchan, on which the above town is situated, rises in the district of Turuchansk, and after a course of 200 miles, falls into the Yenisei near Turuchansk.