Part 12

[51] They are castrated like horses, but the mode of performing the operation is different. The Kamtschadales do not extirpate the testicles, but bruise them, and the instrument they make use of is their teeth. Some of them do not survive, and others are crippled and unfit for service. In the mean time it is imagined that equal advantage could not be derived from these animals, if they were permitted to remain in their natural state; it would not be practicable to harness them with females. All the males, however, are not mutilated; a sufficient number is reserved for the preservation of the species, and these are frequently used for hunting.

[52] The sledges for baggage are called _narta_, and are drawn by ten dogs.

[53] Called _alaki_.

[54] This stick is called _oschtol_.

[55] The dogs feeling their burthen become lighter, advance with such speed as frequently not to stop till they have exhausted themselves with fatigue, or dashed the sledge to pieces against the trees.

[56] The snow began to fall 5 November, and so heavily, that the country was covered almost immediately. But the frost being later, and gusts of wind continuing almost without cessation, the sledges could not conveniently be used till a considerable time after, as will be seen in the sequel.

[57] These rackets are called _ligi_. In the northern part of the peninsula they use another sort of racket, called _lapki_, which are shorter, and made of leathern thorns twisted, like the firings of a tennis racket; two small sharp pointed bones are fixed in the bottom, which penetrate the ice, and are a preservative against sliding.

[58] A kind of close coach to sleep in, and which is fitted to the sledge. It is like a carriage very common in Russia, called _vezok_; mine was lined with bear's skin, and covered with the skin of the sea wolf.

[59] In an ostrog at some distance from Bolcheretsk, I had afterwards an opportunity of considering this subject more fully, and my observations will be found in their proper place.

[60] The revolution which took place in Kamtschatka respecting the chamans, is the precise history of all our mountebanks. Similar in their impostures, their reign and their fall are similar. Various reflections might be made on this subject. That a people equally simple and uninformed, like the Kamtschadales, should for a time have been the dupes of the impostures of their magicians, is not astonishing, and will admit of an excuse: but that such extreme ignorance and credulity should be made sensible of their error, and blush at it, is a matter of surprise and congratulation; for even with the most enlightened nations of Europe, do not some kinds of chamans spring up every day, equally perfidious and destructive! They have all in the mean time their apostles, their proselytes, and a prodigious number of martyrs.

[61] A Russian weight equal to about thirty-three pounds.

[62] These hurricanes prevail chiefly in the months of November, December, and January.

[63] They were chiefly common sledges, such as we have already described, page 118. Some were closed in the manner of _vezocks_ or _kibicks_; mine was of this description, as I have mentioned, page 127. In the thirty-five sledges do not include those of the inhabitants of Bolcheretsk, who accompanied us as far as Apatchin.

[64] Forty-five dogs were harnessed to M. Kasloff's sledge, and thirty-seven to mine.

[65] I had passed through this village on my road to Bolcheretsk, and have described it, page 65.

[66] Another object of this journey was to procure us provisions. We rejoined him afterwards, as will be seen in the sequel.

[67] The Kamtschatka, which was not yet frozen.

[68] See page 19.

[69] This object of their worship is accurately described in Steller.

[70] A sort of _tambour de vasque_ called _bouben_. It is still in use amongst the Yakoutsk, as will be seen hereafter.

[71] A village upon the border of the river Pengina.

[72] I had the misfortune, while at Machoure, to lose the sable M. Kasloff had given me, which died in spite of all the cares I took of it. I preserved however the skin. It had been a considerable amusement to me to observe its motions. Its extreme activity rendered its chain insupportable. It frequently attempted to escape, and would infallibly have succeeded, if I had not watched it continually; and I never caught it again without experiencing the marks of its teeth. It fed upon fish and meat; the latter was preferred, and is the favourite food of these animals in their wild state. Their address in catching birds and animals inferior to themselves, is astonishing. Mine slept almost all day, and made a continual racket in the night by shaking its chain; but timid to excess, it ceased to make the least noise when it saw any one coming, and began again the moment it was alone. I used to let it out several times a day, and as soon as it was upon the snow, it began to burrow and conceal itself under it like a mole, appearing every now and then, and hiding itself again immediately.

[73] I learned afterwards that the sledge of M. Kasloff, who passed at noon day, had barely escaped from being dashed to pieces in running against a tree, and that two of his conductors had been hurt by the violence of the shock.

[74] The villages have almost universally the same name as the rivers upon which they are placed, those only excepted which are upon the Kamtschatka.

[75] I shall be censured perhaps for making my narrative abound with dry and uniform details. I would willingly spare the reader in this respect, if I had not promised to observe the utmost accuracy. Let him consider the objects with which I am surrounded in the immense extent of country that I travel, and he will perceive that they are almost always the same. Does it then depend upon me to vary my descriptions, and avoid tautology?

[76] There is such a continual smoke in these subterraneous habitations, that the opening in the roof is not sufficient to let it out, and there is therefore in an unoccupied corner of the yourt, behind the fire-place, a kind of vent-hole in an oblique direction. It is called _joupann_; it terminates without, at a little distance from the square opening, and is commonly closed up with a mat or straw covering.

[77] Some of the yourts which I saw were floored with planks; but this is regarded as a luxury, and the generality have no other floor than the ground.

[78] This nook is in a manner distinct from the room, and is less filthy, because it is less frequented. It is a place of honour set apart for strangers.

[79] They make use of the herb called _tonnchitcha_ for the same purpose.

[80] There are some of these wandering Koriacs, I am told, in the island of Karagui, which is twenty-six wersts from the village of that name. I had before imagined that I could perceive this island at a distance.

[81] These knives are about two feet long; they are worn in their girdle, and hang upon the thigh.

[82] To guard ourselves against these famished dogs we never dared to go out without our sticks, or some kind of arms to drive them off.

[83] It is called by the people of this country _Poustaïareka_, or desert river. This gulf was entirely frozen over.

[84] The tubes of these pipes are made of wood, with a slit from one end to the other. Thus they open in the middle, and the smoakers, from oeconomy, scrape the inside after using, and make a second regale of the filings.

[85] In describing the dress of the Kamtschadales, we observed that they wore under their parque a small chemise made of nankin, or cotton stuff.

[86] The reader will recollect that upon leaving Bolcheretsk, we had a troop consisting nearly of three hundred.

[87] It was really a labour, and a most fatiguing one, if we consider that in these yourts it was not possible to write, without lying upon the ground; we were also suffocated with smoke, and the ink froze by our side.

Transcriber's Notes

Obvious errors of punctuation and diacritics repaired.

The following archaic spellings have not been changed: alledge, but-end, carabine, centinel, chace, compleated, extasy, seise, smoak.

Hyphen removed: oat[-]meal (p. 151), Rein[-]deer (p. 113), stair[-]case (pp. 26, 27).

P. viii: with sorrow and affecton -> with sorrow and affection.

P. xiv: Klatchefskaïa inhabited by Siberian peasants -> Klutchefskaïa inhabited by Siberian peasants.

P. xv: We are apprehhensive => We are apprehensive.

P. xv: Desription of Poustaretsk -> Description of Poustaretsk.

P. 6: They sat sail -> They set sail.

P. 7: Kaslof -> Kasloff.

P. 7: surrendering myself implicity -> surrendering myself implicitly.

P. 8: Kosloff -> Kasloff.

P. 20fn: couveniencies -> conveniencies.

P. 31: preserved to them this priviledge -> preserved to them this privilege.

P. 87: Kamtscadales -> Kamtschadales.

P. 89: They disperse in crouds -> They disperse in crowds.

P. 99: lessons which thy gave -> lessons which they gave.

P. 99: progess of reform -> progress of reform.

P. 103: facinated my eyes -> fascinated my eyes.

P. 108: haunt of this annimal -> haunt of this animal.

P. 110fn: if he refuse to come out -> if he refuses to come out.

P. 111fn: rain-deer -> rein deer.

P. 116: unclear word restored as "Meanwhile".

P. 129: in like mannner -> in like manner.

P. 142: whose business is to vsiit -> whose business is to visit.

P. 145: no particular priviledge -> no particular privilege.

P. 176: eighbouring mountains -> neighbouring mountains.

P. 182: acquisiton of wealth -> acquisition of wealth.

P. 184: the veneration ... for sorcecerers -> the veneration ... for sorcerers.

P. 187: there are individuls -> there are individuals.

P. 191: We sat off early -> We set off early.

P. 199: Verknei-Kamtschatka -> Vercknei-Kamtschatka.

P. 238: as as well as the form -> as well as the form.

P. 240: Kamtaschadale -> Kamtschadale.

P. 255: large peices of it -> large pieces of it.

P. 256: We sat off in the night -> We set off in the night.

P. 260: view of the many obstactles -> view of the many obstacles.

P. 265: preserve an equiliribum -> preserve an equilibrium.

P. 267: He departed the 10 -> He departed at 10.