AMOOR, Amour, or Amur, a largo and important river of eastern Asia, formed by the confluence of the Argun and the Shilka, at a place called Ust Strelkoi, in 53° 19' N. lat. and 121° 50'E. long. Both these rivers come from the south-west: the Argun, or Kerulen as it is called above Lake Kulon, through which it flows about half-way between its source and Ust Strelkoi, rises near Mount Kentei, in 49° N. lat. and 109° E. long.; the Shilka is formed by the union of the Onon and the Ingoda, both of which rise in the Kingan mountains, not far from the source of the Argun. The Λmoor proper flows at first in a south-easterly direction for about 800 miles, as far as 47° 42' lat.; it then turns to the north-east, and after a total course of over 1600 miles discharges itself into the Sea of Okhotsk, opposite to the island of Saghalien. Its principal tributaries from the south are the Songari, which the Chinese consider to be the true head river of the Amoor, and the Ussuri; from the north it receives the Zeya, the Bureia, the Gyrin, and the Omogun. The climate of the valley of the Amoor varies very much in different parts: in the upper portion of its course there are long and cold winters and short summers; as the river descends into more southern latitudes the rigour of the climate relaxes, and the heat becomes almost tropical; the vegetation is rich and luxuriant, and large forests of oaks, limes, and elms replace barren larches and firs; while on the lower Amoor the cold again to a certain extent prevails, and at the mouth the river is ice-bound for more than half the year, a circumstance which greatly impairs its otherwise admirable facilities for navigation. The river is abundantly stocked with fish, and the mountains near it are believed to contain iron and gold. The ...