The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-01-18
RUSSIAN 1ELEORAPN EKPEpITlON.

the Fleet-AurOra BOrealis- Com pIete
Success of the Seasons Operations
The Indians OF AsiR-A village OF skins
and Bones of the whale on PIOver Bay
-Great Friendship Of the Indians
Character OF the Country.
The letter copied below from one of the Rus
sian Telegraph expeditions is unusually inte.
resting. 1t presents many incidents graphically,
and affords a clear view of a region of country
little known to us:-
RUSSIAN AMERICAN TELEGRAPHIC EXPEDITION,
FLAGSHIP golden GATE" SAN FRANCISCO, De-
cember a, lS65.-Five months upon the sea, with
only an occasional visit to terra irma, is any
thing but brilliant place for one to look for
items interesting to the public at large. To be
sure, there is great deal to be seen in jour
ney OF fifteen thousand miles, but it consists
almost entirely oil water, clouds, and skies, sub
ects well suited 10 the poet or painter, but for
Bohemian they are unable to give him single
item for his journal which will do to transcrlbe
for public perusal.
Since my last communication, which was
dated at Petropauvolovsk, Kamschatua, the
portion of the fleet then there have traversed
2600 miles across the Pacific, and are now at
anchor in this port. The Clara Bel, Milton,
BddQeT and Palmetto arrived here from various
ports of the North Pacific some weeks since,
while the steamer George s.. Wright and the
flagship arrived upon the 3Oth ult. The entire
fleet Is now here 10 undergo thorough renting
preparatory to an early start the coming season.
must not omit to mention that while in the
harbor of Petropauvolovsk we witnessed the
sublime and beautiful phenomenon presented by
the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights, as they
are commonly calleG, which have been in all
ages a source of admiration and wonder. These
lights or meteorc cOruscations are 1t Is gene
rally known, more brilliant in the northern
regions, appearing mostly in the winter season
or in frosty weather. They commonly appear
about one or two hours after sunset, near the
horizon, like pale cloud, and sometimes con-
tnue in that state for several hours without any
visible motion casting a pale light upon the
armament like an obscure moon. Gradually
they begin TO send forth streams of stronger
light shooting with great velocity to the zenith,
emulating not unfrequenuy the lightning in
vividness blended with the mellow TINS OF the
rainbow. Again silently arising in compact,
majestic arch of steady white light apparently
durable and immovable, and yet so evanescent
that while the beholder Is gazing in awe they
vanish.
At all times they cover the whole hemisphere
with their Pickering and fantastic coruscatlons,
when their mOtions'are so amazingly quick and
their forms change so rapidly as to astonish the
beholder. They break out with vivid brightness
where none are seen BEFORE skimming and
dancing along the heavens; then they are as
suddenly eXtinguished leaving behind dusky
trail which again is illuminated like colossal
pvrotechnic display, and as suddenly left blank.
They will assume the appearance OF vast columns
and move along the horizon like phantom
figures, exhibiting on one side the tints OF deep
yellow, while the other melts away until it be-
comes uudistinguishable in the surrounding sky.
like some huge altar or pyre, and in a flash dis
appear to transform their shapes to figures gro
tesque, which dance along the sky with a
tremulous motion, as though keeping time to
music. When went below at midnight they
were still indulging in carnival OF magnificent
grandeur.
During the past season the vessels of the fleet
have been kept busy, and have accomplished
much TO further the progress of the great work.
Exploring parties have been formed at various
points along the American and Asiatic coasts,
soundings have been made in Behring's Straits
with satisfactory results, and much valuable
information gained relative to the character OF
the country in the interior. Thus far everything
has proceeded with the utmost care and caution,
and the result is that last seasons operations
have been a complete success. BY the time the
fleet again approaches the northern ports, the
eXplol ations will In all probability be completed,
so that constructing parties can enter the coun.
tries at different points, and push the work tor
ward with great rapidlty.
After landing Major Kennicott and party at
Michaeloyski, or Fort ST. Michael, our vessel
proceeded to Ployer Bay, situated on the north
west side OF Behring's Straits. We were in hopes
to reach that port before the equinoctlal gales,
which are quite severe in these lattudes, came
upon us. We were in fact within five miles OF
the harbor when heavy fog enveloped us the
gale burst upon us, and forced us from the coast
out to sea. This was on the 23d of September,
when snow fell for the first time during the
voyage After three days the gale subsided, and
we entered the bay in safety, and were gratited
to find there the companys steamer, which had
just returned from passage through the strait,
where she had been engaged In making sound
ings. We also found here the whaling brig
Victoria, Captain Fish, OF Honolulu, Sandwich
Islands.
We learned much from the officers of that
vessel of the depredatons of the pirate Sbeadn.
dOdh, which was prowng about in that locality
a short time before our arrival | have seen ii
stated in the papers that Captain Waddell, of the
Shenandoah, asserts that he took his vessel to
Liverpool and surrendered her as soon as he
learned OF the cavlng in OF the Contederacy,
while Whalers at Plover bay assert that he
destroyed large number of vessels after he had
received the information. But, Shenandoah
reQuiPSCdt IN pace.
On the following day we we're visited by the
Indians of Asia-Tchutchis. They came along
side our vessel in canoes made of seal skin
something on the principle of the bdank (de
scribed in former letter., but much larger and
uncovered. Each canoe Is capable OF carrying
fifteen or twenty passengers. Our Russian IN
terpreter, being anxious to ascertain if he could
hold conversation with them in that tongue
asked them in Russ if there were any among
them who could speak that language; 10 hi
astonishment ne was answered in English tina
they would come aboard and talk to us il
Mexican" if it would please us.
The spokesman OF this crowd was KNOCK EN- !;
and an amusing comical fellow is Knockem
He obtained his soubrquet from the American
whaleTs, who noticed hts strong proclivities Il
belabor his brethren when they were under th
influence of an overdose of rum. ThOugi
Knockem is not total abstinence Inin himself
he has an antpathy against those who indulg
too freely, which maniiests itself through hi
powerful arm and sedgehammer fist; to use hi
own language-"WnenJ they drink drunk knoc
'em like h-lh The comparison of the force O
his 'knock' is a sufficient guarantee to warran
the assertion that he has been schooled in tn
language among the ubiquitous Yankees. Quit
number spoke the English language sufficient
to make themselves understood. TheV seem {
nf riuCr