The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-08-29
Alleged Discoveries il. Siberia.
dANMoTHs, WOODY HORSES, AND SEA
MONSTERS.

The New York World publishes what
puTpOTts to be a letter from flosc""' 80.
s giving an account Of the adventure q q :i VI
Russian named Cheriton 8a.cln!a'CliiIN,
who, sentenced to hard LABOR loI i5lo ~ ~ NV
c,Da after four wears, and III the course OF
his subsequent waudenngs, made some
IConderful discoveries, on account OF which,
and the hardships he has undergone, he
has received a pardon from his government
Having reached the summit of the Aldan
range Of mountains, right at his feet he
beheld parallelogram of valley 80 miles
wide, $50 miles long, and with blue,
quiet lake i'll the centre. To descend into
this valley would be 20 get into a cul- de
sac but Cheriton looked at the bleak, snowy
region behind him, and then down into the
valley before him-green, placid, quiet
cheerful-and hesitated no longer. he
could see no sign of habitation anywhere
but animals were browsing on the mead
oyys bv the lake, what sort hc could not de
feet at that distance. He descended to the
pass, put a new string to his bow, loaded
his pistol afresh, frightened his belt, ana
began to 90 down the mountain toward the
valley
As he descended, the snow grew less
deep, and he camped that night on bed
of fragrant moses, such as the reindeer
Ioves, that was entirely free from snow.
The next day, having his sled, he continued
to descend the mountain side, which slopcd
PECULIARLY downward without being mate
rally broken by spurs. AS he descended,
it was quite evident that the valley was of
a great depth, and far below the level of
the steppes on the other side of the range.
Indeed, If his observations are at all to be
relied upon, the lowest part of this singu-
lar land-loclIed valley must be not above
the level of the sea, if, as he suppOSss, it
be not several hundred feet below 1t, ike
the valley of the Dead Sea. Cheriton soon
came in his downward course to a vast for
est of frs, larches, pines, spruces and ash.
through which progress was difficult, and
at times almost impossible. Several Spe-
Cies of deer, some of which he knew, and
others which lie had never seen before,
ranged this forest in great numbers, feed
ing upon crisp, green herbage, with
aromatic odOr. Foxes and lynxeS were
also frequently met, with bears, and sort
of plantigrade, resembling the American
wolverine, or gluttOn- There were no
wolves, but the Alpine foxes, black here
as Jet, and with beautiful glossy fur, hunt
ed the deer in packs with a cry resembling
that of the iackal. These animals were so
tame and fearless, yet so little inclined to
Inolest him, that he came at once to the
conclusion that they were unacquainted
with man. and consequently that the val
Ley was not inhabited.
ne next udy Drought Onell-
ton through the cOniferOus forest, and to
a wood of primeveal deciduous trees, much
larger than any he supposed Siberia to be
capable of producing. This forest was
open, without much underground, and was
tUfted with succulent herbs and grasses,
except where the rocks, which were of
limestone formation, cropped boldly out in
enormous masses. Among these rocks
were many caves, and from some of these
beautiful rivulets trickled out and ran
down toward the bottom of the valley.
Cheritan at nightfall selected one of these
caves for lodging place, and built fire
at the entrance, which no sooner done than
a bear ran bowling out and escaped among
the rocks. This made our adventurer de-
termine to keep up his fire, and also to
explore the cavern before sleeping. He
made himself torches and went into the
l.iace, finding nothing, however, save some
great bats, and the bones and teeth of some
great animal. The next day Cheriton pro-
ceeded onward, passing below the region
of the forest, and coming out upon a broad
terrace, covered with the greenest grasses
The terrace, which sloped gradually to-
yard the centre of the valley was about
eight miles in width, and seemed to bind
the foot of the mountains all around, as
far as Cheritou could see. He found it
warm enough here to make his coat of
sable very comfortable. The terrace which
struck Cheriton as affording the finest nat
ural pasture he had ever seen, was unbrO-
ken on its surface by any trees, and per-
fectly smooth, except for an occasional
boulder of basalt, that stood up, huge
black and frOwning. The plain was fun
of animals feeding, like domestic herds at
pasture. At the lower margin of this ter
race, Cheriton came to a steep slope that
descended fully 800 feet at a sharp angle,
but not so steep as to be bare of the preva-
Kant the foot Of 9,
the valley proper, and the lake in the mid
die of it. He Immediately went down and
jnst at nightfall, forcing his way through
a fringe of willows, he stood on the pebbly
brink of this lake Ofdark blue transparent
water, scarcely ruff1ed by the faint breath of
an evening breeze. Thoroughly tired out,
Cheriton built himself a large fire, cooked
and ate a hare, made himself a couch of
willow branches, drew his sable coat over
him, and laid down with his feet to the
fire, but not to sleep.
Cheriton says he will never forget that
first night of horrors by the haunted lake
He was beset with monsters. Dark, shad-
Owy forms came over the water, splashing
toward him, and seemed to seek what his
fire might mean. The tramping of great
beasts that crushed the willow stocks like
pipe stems on their way to the waters edge
and then came and stoud over him, breath
ing heavily and slow they seemed t.
gaze ~ Inc hio Win StupAO "OhuSI, iudIlt
him afraid each moment of being overrun
Wild eyes, rejecting the fre-light, shont
around him out of the gloom upon all sides
and wilder cries and howls gave new hor
rors to his position. He sprang to his fee
almost paralyzed with fright, and fired OF
his pistol at the nearest intruder. Tht
echo of the shot rang long around him. anC
it seemed the signal for the cries of a thou
sand new monsters to burst forth There
were mad, plunging ruShes of friphtene,
beasts around him that made the grounC
tremble; peculiar long, shrin quiverin.
shrek sounded over the lake, and was an
swered by harsh, full, gutteral belloy
near at hand. Soon there were more O
these deep, ful-toned, impressive below
ings, and Cheriton, tiinging burnin
brand in the direction of the sound, sa,
the dark shadow of some huge unknow
towering monster move slowly away. In
!. I-i..lLul l.ranA ~.