The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-12-16
THE JANUARY MAGAZINES.
UPutnam's."


Kimball's new romance entitled To-day"
William Cullen Bryant has poem, "Among
the Trees;n and George KenmaD, in "Tent Life
with the Wandering Koraks, describes the
adventures Of party OF four telegraphic ex-
plorers among the wandering tribes OF North
eastern Asia. The manner in which the ex-
plorers introduced themselves to the Koraks
is described in the following picturesque
style:-
Late one afternoon in November, as the long
northern twilight was fading into the peculiar
steely blue of an Arctic night, our dogs toiled
slowly up the last summit of the JamanCa
Mountains, and we looked down, from height
of more than two thousand feet, upon the dreary
eHpanse of snow which stretched away from the
base of the mountains at our feet to the far
horizon. 1t was the land of the Wandering
KOraks. cold breeze from the sea swept
across the mOuutain-top, soughing mourntuly
through the pines as 1t passed, and Intensitymg
the Loneliness ard silence of the white wiutry
landscape. The FAINT pale light OF the vanishing
sun still fingered upon the higher peaks, but the
gloomy ravines below US, shaggy with forests of
larch and dense thickets of trailing pine, were
already gathering the shadows and indistinct-
ness OF night
At the loot of the mountains stood the first
enCampment of Koraks We had long since
learned to dlstrust the statements OF the Rus
slams and KamChadaes as to the hostility of
this tribe, and we looked forward with curiosity
and pleasurable excitement, rather than with
any emotion of fear, to our first NEE, ing. Their
wild, isolated life, peculiar and barb lrous Gus.
TOMS and the strange stories which we had
heard of their savage religious rites, had in
vested them in our imaginatons, with mys-
terous interest which little spice OF
personal danger only deepCned. As we rested
our dogs a few moments upon the sum-
init before commencing our descent, we tried to
discern, through The gathering gloom, the black
tents, which we knew stood at the foot of the
mountain; but nothing save the dark patches of
trailing pine broke the dead white of the level
steppe. The encampment was hidden by pro-
jeGting shoulder of the mountain.
The rising moon was just throwing into
dark, bold relief the Shaggy outlines Of the
peaks on our right, as we reused up our dogs
and plunged inlo the throat OF dark raVine
which led downwards to the steppe. The de-
ceptlve shadows of night, and the masses
of rock which choked up the narro
defe, made the descent extremely dangerous,
and 1t required all the skill of our practisei
drivers to avoid accident. Clouds of snow flew
IRON the spiked poles with which they vainly
tried to arrest our downward rush. cries and
warning shouts from those in advance, multiplied
by the mountain echoes, excited our dogs to still
greater speed, until We seemed, as the rocks and
trees flew past, to be in the jaws of falling
avalanche, which was carrying Us, with breath
less rapidity, down the dark canon to certain
ruin. Gradually however, our sped slaCkened,
and we came out into the moonlight on
the hard. wind'packed snow OF the open
steppe. Hall an hours brisk travel brought
us into the supposed vicinity of the Korak
enCampment; but we saw, as yet, no
signs OF either reindeer or tents. The disturbed
torn-up condition of the snow usually apprises
the traveller Of mis- approach to the yourts OF
the Koraks, as the reindeer belonging TO the
trl0e range over all the country within a radius
of two or three miles, and paw up the snow in
search of the moss which constitutes their food.
Failing 10 find any such indicqtious, we were
discussing the probability of our having been
misdlIected, when suddenly our leading dogs
pricked up their sharp ears, snutfed eagerly at
the wind and, with short, excited yelps, made
off at dashlug gallOp towards a low hill
which almost at ~, right. angles, with
in VAN to check the speed of tue excited dogs:
their wolAsh instincts were aroused, and all
discipline was forgotten AS the fresh scent came
down upon the wind from the herd of reindeer
beyond. moment brought us to the brow Of
the hill, and before us, in the clear moonlight,
stood the dark, conical tents of the Koraks,
surrounded by dense herd Of at least four
thousand deer, whose branching an,lers
appeared like forest OF dry limos
around the Yourts.. The dogs all gave
voice, simultaneously, like a pack of iox;
dashed tumultuousy down the declivity, re-
gardess OF the Shouts of their masters aud the
menacing cries OF three or four dark iorm3,
which rose suddenly up from the snow between
them and the frlgh ened deer. Above the tumult
! could hear dds voice, huGlng mprecations
in Russian at his yelping dogs, which, despite his
most strenuous efforts, were dragging him aud
his capsized sledge across the steppe. The vast
body Of deer Wayered moment, ana then broke
into wild stampede, with dogs, drivers, and
Not DESTROYS OF becoming involved iu the n1eee
spraDg from my sledge, and watched the con.
fused crowd as 1t swept, with shout, bark, and
halloO, across the plain. The whole enCampment,
winch had Sc ened. in its quiet loneliness, to be
deserted, was now startled into instant activity
Dark forms issued suddenly from the tents, and,
Rrasplng the oue spears which stood uOri9ht in
the snow by the doorway, joined in the chase,
shouting and huIlng lassos of warus-hlde at
the dogs, wi the hope OF stopping their pur-
suit The clatterng of thousands of autIers
dashed together in the confusion of fight, the
hurried beat of countless hoofs upon the hard
snow, the deep hoar5e barks OF the startled deer,
and the unintelliglble cries OF the Koraks
panic.strlcken herd, created Pande-
monidm OF discordant sounds, which
could be beald lar and wide through
the still, frosty atmosphere of night. 1t
resembled more q midnight attack of Canaan
ches upon hostile camp than the peaceful
arrival OF three or tour American travellers, and
listened with establishment to the wild uprOar
OF alarm which We had unintentiOnally aroused.
The tumult grew fainter and fainter as it swept
away into the distance, and the dogs, eXhausting
the unnatural strength which excitement had
temporarily given them, yielded reluctantly to
the control OF their drivers, and turned towards
the tents. DOdGs dogs painting with the Vio-
lence OF their eXertiOns, limped sullenly back,
casting longing chances occasionally in the
direction of the deer, as il they more than half
repented the weakness which had led them 10
abandon the chase.
why didn't you stop them ?" inquired of
Dodd, laughngly. "A driver OF your experience
ought to have better control Of his team than
that."
stop them !" he exclaimed, with an aggrleved
alr; I'D Ike to see you stop them with a raw
hide lasso around your neck, and big Korak
hauling like steam Windlass on the other end
OF H.. It's all very well to jump from your