The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-06-19

branches, como with deep and rSsd current. tnrsush
winch we constantly had either to wade or SWIM made
ths rather disagreeabo the water had rot very cod
TSe heAh OF our crew, who uadod for hours in the
tcrsne TOW rope not being long enough TO draw tho m
otherwisekapt toerably good 10 spite of the la,s OF
odka OF which none could DO obtained even al A,bsz,
where the government magazine was well suppnsa with
other rations.
Although the channel Of the river had every where az
least two and half to three feet DEPTH our skis osy
drew .hree quarters Of foot nevertheless 20. fsly
quenty aground, as we had to be towed close 20 the
bank or at most to the full length Of the rope thus
were often obliged 10 quit the rope altogether and mike
headway With and poles bat the strong &c.
Morally renderod exer.ions fuitless Then the men
had 10 jump INTO the river push tho sk forward and
having got over the shallow place, kept either walking
along the bank 30 get again or remained till cyo-
ning shivering In their wet garments Upon fine but
cold morning had started far ahead thinking 10 roach
station which after yards proved be some twenty msa
further distant and towards evening found our
Intercepted by an arm of the river deeper and with
swer curreat than those bed rded during the DAVIS
To undress spite Of the bitter cold of both water ana
air, to tie clothes and together in buudle were
the work OF instant but carefully slid down tho
bank into tho water, found not only bottom but 10
rapid saresm that /. seemed unsafe to cross It,
We tried the experiment distance above and below
y
mlIrace it had got completely dark by this ume e,r
teeth kept chatterng In unison with the sounds Of
the water dashng and running along the bank and Moth
ing remained but to dress Ain aud fast the
darkness and the Of the ground would permit
Of in order 10 put chilled booi ia circulation. This
achieved, we picked out spo! in a small birch wood,
built large fire of dead branches which quite pient.
full and IN our thin garments passed the night
enough considering NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. both hungry
and THIRSTY With day break etarted back upon our
Vh
had given all this trouble near the mouth where IL
snaower, but still flowed rapidly and .osarfs nooa
reached our party who had felt great about u.s.
having made signal fires aad sho. or guns during the
whole night
After this adventure VIC thought il more advisable to
walk along the bank viIha sight Of the river, and 70
generally footed not less than from fifteen miles
u day. climbing over hga ciIs wading through creeks.
swamps and eules, aud worst Of ALL stepping on SHARP
pointed stones and sandy rocky bars
reg m Win rim o.s OF SSs
dyspepsia, or similar complaints, et them mako such
trip up the Amoor, aud it WI them eiec.uaIly
than all the ply scaos an IA the patent medicines they
have ever heard OF read of 10 toe newspapers
On the 27'h OF September arrived At yos. Streka
(arIow Poln situated in the jupci,on OF the Shka and
Areoon 'ivete which united form the Amoor For few
day rad been traveipg through mountainous coun-
try, covered pine spruce forest The bod
Of the more condned than her etoofe islands
bad become scarce, aud skred the shore or
the otter, ana the aspect OF tho scenery wild aud
cbecsleUs.
The in charge of this station Captain BardonoG
with grea poteness aad hospitality. He had
been informed that coming fortnight agu by
COL ShaeE0d who had lett US at Ieya the 2Sln Au-
guet travelling thence horseback a courier Of Gov
e'nor Mouravmf and the sow1ess OF progress be-
painfully evident to his opinion the courier
would be by this time in Ikutsk. 1--WE did not reach
that city till the 10th October)
THIS being so much more urgent for us 70
hurry because II the winter surprised here should
be detained a. least three weeks, took leave u
our polite host on the next day, looked o hnal
farewell at the AMOR, whose black ana rapid waters we
now gong to leave behind aud embarked with
couraee on the Shika, which here at conuencs
with the pnJest river Ia quite a powerful stream.
a drenchipg raip-tho las. we to have in this
season, for nothing but fell afterwards fallen
during preceding night and our poor sailors were yet
wi'hou sodka not drop having been obtained At vost
sams :9s
the 10th September the FIRST fell two inches deep
and the all crowded together round largo fire. eat
ing our scany supper while standing up the snow beat
US with thick white coat which, in spite Of the large are.
did not melt 60 fast % came down silent group
s' ves 30 ns doubt
looked serious as he peered into the blazing fire. We
thought Of OF the seat Naposons retreats and tho
around tho expiring embers OF their bivouac res pre-
sented ITSELF to our eyes in lively colors but this recoec
ton restored courage for our chances were
infinitely better and our situation enviable compared 70
theirs.
On the LIST of October we passed some stone pillars.
erected formerly by the Chinese as boundary marks
though at present the Argoon, and slice OF TERRITORY
south and cast Of it, the sze Of which would be dcut 70
tell but which We will call the hndquarters close up to
the shoulder bone Of Mantchoor considered the ffon
tier line between the two empires.
On the I'd October the first drift ice, called Siberia
shoopa set in and nerfered greatly the progress OF
oar frai sks l. proved at once from three TO four
such force that it chafed through the panks of our
bow and required great vigilance steering through It.
Al Tie same time the shallow water the banks on
both sides .roze tto solid mass, our men were nov
partly walking and creeping all tours upon the slipping
ice, partly waaing through the yet open rvulets and
creeks Which lay across their path
TIC temperature Still getting lower drift and sokd
ice inereased the channel appearing sometimes entirely
blooke up The work of our enan1 we ourse,ye re-
greatly took hold along with ihern-becane mere and
more fiicult. lumber OF streams and raynes had to
De passed. no" frozen over with surface smooth and
shinipg like looking glass. Between vost Stralka
aud ShiikDsky Zavod four large streams emptyiug
themselves inso the Sbilka, aud called the Jeukla,
OF which latter the government has some rich
god mines The men having no foo.bod bore,
20 welrl current, we're often cragged back by the law
rope, which is fastened by girth round their BODY
lacy would thus clutch in vain AZ the ground under them,
or ny to get on their feet again the strain the rope
dragging them backward peIl neil in their PROSTATE
POSITION, I'LL they would pull up against large boulder or
iight cake Of ice which afforded them sons hold
No stations are established on tho Shka above vost
Streka Till &c, bzl about 240 distance which we
reached at last on the 5th OF October There are num-
Der OF stations and villages the banks of the Argoon:
and troops csrrersSor government convoys 20 10 shat
river and Cross the ridge at Boshoy zavod higher up
We noticed particularly the formation OF tae left bank Of
the Shika beng granite mica siae aud quartz ia
very similar to that OF the California veins and found
the same auriferous ndi ,atons, especially near the
guchts and ravnss II is well known that gold exists
everywhere the Shka Afgoon and their tributaries:
but told that the not wish to open
any mines Until $780, in order to have the county some
what seted rst and to avoid tue scarcity of provisions
want OF comm unicaton aud other disadvantages
Gofbi2s called alter the river which flows into the
Shka on tue left SIDE is Cossack station aud village or
larger size than We had VIC left Kis. Major
General Deme'IieyItch Skobezyer who commands this
post received us with open erDs and proud to
cal US his guests The steam bath attached his
Na
interesting operation Of shampoong &C we were pre-.
sentd to the lady OF toe house, who threw open her
lockers and cupboards, welcomed IN real patr
archa sty e Major skobeiizyer was really glad to lave
Us under bis root and would not belr OF departure
We had been already three daye with him. had cash day
eaten six times, septtsre mes and rested ourselves
well that all the hardshps and fagues OF the last two
months were entirely forgotten, when the Major advised
US TO stay one day longer promising to give and
sailors horses to proceed further the drift ice would
Get thCk thai The ss would be able 70 force thor