The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-02-01
S l B E RIA.
our KAMTscaATKA cOaRespoNDeEcf


OUR EmTscATKA CORRESPONDENCE.
TTheFur Trade Of Kamtsehatka--Its Characte
and Extent-The Fur Pr0ducrion-The Mod
Of Dealing In Fur-American and Othe
Merchants-Hist0ry Of their Enrcrpvtses
sCurt0sittes Of Trade mt PetropaulOvskf. Sc
PxzorAULovsxI, Kamtschatka, !
July n august p, lSo6
The sole wealth Of Kamtschatka and it, value for NM
poses of trade arise from fur 1t has neither agricu
cure, manufactures or mining interests and were Il mo-
for tho animals Of four legs who part with their cover
ing for the benefit Of those who walk on two, Kan.
scnatka would neverprcscnt any attractions 70 the mar
chant Tho Russians first discovered the peninsula
while trading from Siberia for fu and the value Of the
discovery soon became apparent Tho most impor,ap
of the fur animals Is the sable creature about the sine
OF an ordinary cat and possessing long and son fur
which every one has seen in the sable or commerc,
worn In civilized cuuntries he lives mainly o.
vegetable food, the bark and twigs Of the birch
being hia chief sustenance. The sable IL caught
in variety Of ways. He s shot, taken alive In trap
or secured BY dead-als that XIII him the instant h
asoushss H. tempting bait Sometimes be s taksn in
aee q the bot Of tree whore he has bssn discovered
and from which he is driven squirrel is driven ID
America rcn ree TO another In fact the inssauy
OF man seems 70 b taxed Tor the various Of des
seoylng this little animal and II the sable aware
ssfoe ID too late OF the relation he hears humanity
be would doubtless retire from KAmschatki and seek
Hpossibls. secluded retreat
II y tho ambition Of every Kamtschadale native 10
carry his winters hunting to high figure As possible
and he therefore makes every effort secure the skins
of the best anmala A sable viii bring from ten to
twenty roube and the best grades are worth moro than
the latter sum. am told that there Is sable ON tho
LANA river whose arstocratc skim though It may bring
tho animal very little, be sold In the market for five
usw krnA ~nA~
KamtschatkA or this Lena sable is very scarce
and can only be worn by royalty and persons OF noble
blood or those whose wealth gives them patent or mo-
oility The sable Of Kamtschata is more democratic,
and goes to all parts Of the civilized world The fur
that warns monarch warmed bear not as liter
ally true in these days when that line was written a
tho bear has become Questionable therefore OF
low prce The sable and the otter are the most
valuable Ours but tho latter as To- otter
very little competition to tho former.
When Kamtschatka conquered by the Russians
the natives were required to pay yessak or tribute
che same as the subjects Of the empire everywhere
This yessak corresponds to the poll tax in America
and d collected by the authorities the same as our poll
tax p gathered The tax in Kamtschatka was fixed at
one sable for every four
and has remained the down to the present time
Every undesirable village has head man. or s'sta-
rost - no Is called in Russian-an officer elected by
tho villagers, and corresponding 10 the mayor or an
American town Each pays to the ssrost the best
sable akin he has TAKEN and these laid aside until
the Igpravnik (govsrno makes his annual tour Every
winter the Ispavnk takes his team or teams AZ dogs
and stars from Petropauovsii 70 mako tour through
che psnasala He vsss IN The Villages asasAs narost
~ 0ch.cf tAem brings Qua The furs - hs coss<Asa
.ASn Aas subJscsS one Tor each man mo 1spravnsk
40 be- serica eye for fur takss from ~ Iet one
6nnr1h ~ and "A.
bes among teem Thsss sabaes are ssnt 70 81 Peters
burg and ne The propssg o. re government 1,
ne thsa ssld seshs gsvssamons q de sossrnmsnt a.
mrss shs a. 70 rhsbrite nsschauts or the lsprAvnik
8 e sss rhs s ~ s
is9is Ist ars shoss who have ccassbusA
e: 9 e are . ,se common sss:t q
9overnnsnt h/A purchaser u pays Axed auz-tvsiss
roubiss hsao 70 BE- the present price, bus The private
the abas costly than present and the vane
now ducaaAsS o year 70 year like that Of every other
cannot issm INA. there is ever any attempt 70 svsd.
the payment 81 ths tax aud there would b. little hope
The vsses arc sms oontainipa from three 3 tvsnG.
faillss and4n such communities the starost ID pray
ss.,s, g knew W ~ H. sSou. "a: personal
might b iess dimcut bus think no one would make
1ks furs ~. purchaasd By he smaller merchants,
proceed 70 'fssiopsulovEki. rgil o. Nijns. KAN
shsir agsnss sometimes the foreign merchants 20 Ia
psrso., or ~ Deputy on trading excursions All tnis
sssas done with dogs !. .S;: :: ss sss'01
sans aws Il 7amsschaska, like such laws every WHERE
protect shs game u is breeding season In Kamtschstka
Il Il forbdeu to che sable between March and
ber Any native seeing sable in the Of proscrp
ton would psas him quietly BY, we'll knowing tai the
animal would bring himself INTO trouble The moment
&he prohibition the hunting begins. Tho guam
city caught varies In different years long and HARD
n m n
weather dminshcs the amount Of food and compels the
sable 10 sssk the traps Last winter was particularly
unfortunate much that the Ispavnk authorized
the hanting 70 be extended month beyond the
usual time
Guilty got st the actual statistics OF trade Merchants
usuay Interested in letting their rivals know as little
IS possible Of their own transactions the merchants q
Kindred the Hudson or the Thames and are no
more ready to volunteer information concerning their
bu0nees afars did not risk point blank refusal by
slinx questions thss could DO considered impairment
hors OF elsewhere have found these gentlemen ready
hs node Of dealing and hereby acknowledge their ~
pested c0urtesos. II there were boardof trade or
srrh.nts exchange = i could sGSS
pgvaas indvidusia have csdeAvcred 70 obtau suune
statistics nom the Ispnvnlck, covering period of
=. y.s sad With 1885 that oca hss
kindly responded but his secretary did not comprehend
Wished They cover period Or three years nom 1855
and ia are s. :: follows
a ols ssbIes value so4 roubles
black fox. ...-...............-.-" s ~ roueies
30 silver foxes. 654 rouDles
1,25e foxes. ~ roupies
81 otters. .............. ~ rouDis
IL woverines..- ......s...... ~ rouo'es
. S2o sables value "a 200 roubaes
- silver foxes. Sz0 rouo.es
5ll foxes... 49, rouc,es
~ Nv fouo'os
900 sabes.. ~ rouS,ss