a steppe or tract of land in Siberia, lying between the rivers Irtisch and Obi, in the province of Tobolsk. The soil is excellent for tillage, and part of it might also be laid out in meadows and pastures. It is interspersed with forests, and a great number of lakes which abound with a species of carp called by the people karaschen; and the country produces great numbers of elks, deer, foxes, ermines, and squirrels. Between the Irtisch and Obi are some rich copper mines, particularly on a mountain called Pictowa, from the picta or white firs that grow upon it. The ore, besides being rich in copper, yields a considerable portion of silver; and this, again, affords as much gold as makes a sufficient return for the trouble and expense of extracting it. The native population of this country are called Barabinzians.