"The whole valley of the Amoor was in the possession of the Chinese until 1853, when it was conquered by the Russians in a campaign that lasted less than two months, and was unaccompanied with loss of life. General Mouravieff, then Governor-general of Eastern Siberia, organized an expedition and sent it down the river in boats. The Chinese were wholly unprepared for it, and the Russians had everything their own way. Then colonists were sent to form the villages I have mentioned, and Russia was so firmly established that she could not be disturbed.
"And now, as you have doubtless studied the geography of Asia, will you tell me how the Amoor is formed?"
INAUGURATION OF GENGHIS KHAN.
"Certainly," answered Fred. "It is formed by the rivers Argoon and Shilka, just as the Ohio is formed by the Alleghany and Monongahela. The Argoon comes in from the south, and the Shilka from the north. Genghis Khan was born in the valley of the Argoon, and the armies that went to the Tartar conquest of Europe were originally mustered on the banks of that stream."
JUNCTION OF THE ARGOON AND SHILKA TO FORM THE AMOOR.
"The answer is correct," was the reply. "The spot where the rivers unite is called 'Oust-strelka' ("Arrow-mouth"), owing to the shape of the tongue of land between the streams. The scenery is interesting, as the banks of the Argoon are steep, and the hills as far as one can see them are covered to their summits with dense forests.