The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1830-08-04
From. Dobelrs Kamtschatka.


A PERILoUs ADVENTURE. The Toyune
OF Malka related to me curious adventure
that occurred to him and two of his friends
which at first, was inclined 10 doubt; hut
as 1t has been since confirmed to me by sew
eral persons in Kamtchatka, give it to my
readers. Every spring Spiridon and some
OF MS friends were in the habit of going to
the coast between Bolcherisk and TigiI, to
Kill bear, seals, and other sea animals. The
kamtchadales use the fat of these both for
oil and butter; and the skin serves to make
boot soles and thongs SO that the hunting of
the animals once year is a matter of no
small Importance. Our Toyune therefore,
with two of his friends repaired in the lat
ter part of April to their usual hunting
place, where they found the sea covered
with ice for a considerable extent. Each
bad a sledge and five dogs and, although
the wind blew strongly off shore they did
not hesitate to COON the ice in search of
seals, as it seemed firmly attached to the
shore and they observed some Kamtcha-
dales hunting on it farther up the coast.
They discovered some seals at a consider
able distance out, and repaired thither to
meet them.
Already had they killed two, and were
preparing to tie them with thongs on their
sledges, when one of the party, who had
stald little behind, came to them of a sud-
den, crying out that the ice was moving,
and that all the other Kam:chadales had
gone on shore This news alarmed them
so much that they left the seals on the ice.
and, seating themselves on their sankos or
sledges, pushed their dogs at full speed to
regain the shore. Unfortunately they ar
rived too late; the ice had already separat-
ed from the land to the extent of hundred
yards; and as it began to break into pieces
they were obliged to return TO the part that
appeared to them the strongest and thickest.
AS the wind now blew extremely hard, they
were soon driven out to sea, where, the
swell being very heavy, the ice began to
break again all around them, leaving them
at last ON solid clump from forty to fifty
feet IN circumference, that was of great
thickness, and kept entire.
They were now out of sight of land, driv-
en- before gale of wind and heavy sea,
and their icy vessel rolled SO dreadfully
that they had much difficulty 10 keep them
selves on its surface. However, being all
furnished with ostals,* they made holes and
planted them firmly in the ice, and then tied
themselves, their dogs, and sankos fast to
them. Without this precaution, the Toy
une said, they would have been all thrown
into the sea. They were sea sick. weak
and disheartened; but nevertheless, said
Spiridon, Il had hopes, and told nv COM
rades thought we should be thrown upon
the f9 a. s5a gn Kafb var Evening the wind
abated little, the weather cleared of, and
they saw land not far off, which one of them
who had been formerly at the Kurile Islands,
knew to be Poromochir, and they now fully
expected to be driven on its shores. How
ever, as the night approached, the wind
changed to the very opposite direction, and
blew even more violently than before. The
clump of ice was tossed about in most I'M
easy manner, and several times the ostals
and the thongs were in danger of being
broken by the violent conclusion of the
waves against the ice.
All that night and the next day the storm
continued with unceasng violence. On the
morning of the fourth day, before daylight,
they found that their clump had been driven
among other cakes of ice, and was closely
surrounded on all sides. The wind had
abated entirely the waves also had sub
sided, and all was calm and still. When
the day broke, how great was their Joy and
establishment to perceive themselves near
the land, and within about 20 vers;s of the
place from whence they had been driven.
They had suffered much from thirst, as they
found the ice salt as well as the water. Not
having either eaten or drank during all the
time, they found themselves so weak that
they had the greatest difficulty in preparing
their sledges, and in getting from the ice to
the land. The moment they landed they
offered up their prayers and thanks to God.
Spiridon charged his companions not to eat
snow or drink much water at time, al
though they were almost dying with thirst,
as they could soon get to an ostTong that
was only about twenty or thirty versts dis
tant. They had not proceeded far before
Splrldon saw the tracks of some reindeer;
he therefore made his companions stop, and
taking his gun walked gently round high
blutf on the coast whittier the deer had gone
and had the good fortune to shoot one of
them.
His companions no sooner heard the noise
of the gun than they came to him. They
cut the throat Of the deer Immediately, and
drank his blood while warm. Spiridon said
that they felt their strength revived imme-
diately after drinking the blood. Having
given some of the meat to the dogs, they
rested themselves about an hour, and then
set off for the ostrong, where they arrived
safely. One of them, who INDUCED too
much in eating at first, died short time af-
ter; the other two survived, but Spiridon
said he had ever since been afflicted with
complaint in his breast, and shortness of
breath.
"The ostal is a staff about five feet in length
crooked little at one end, and armed with an
iron point, that is thrust into the snow or ice,
and held before the sankala to stop the dogs.
$50
ABUSE. Cato, the Censor, being scurrilously
treated by fellow who led licentious and dis
solute life, g contest" said he, "between thee