The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1875-03-31
Scene. In Kaml,eha,Aa aaa SIBERIA.


Mr.. George KEENAN,, Of Mediua. y.
Y, delivered a lecture at Cooper In
stitute, New York, Saturday even
ing, on Life in Siberia and Rants
chatka," The lecturer was u of an
exploring party sent out in 1868 to
select the best route for connecting
St. Petersburg with the United
States by telegraph. lie commenced
bumorously narrating the voyage of
the party from San Francisco to the
Russian shores, and then delineated
in q graphic name the life and oc-
equations of the Russian peasantry.
The marriage relations, be said, were
peculiar. 4 Russian could obtain O
wife for a sun e~quigalent to ten
cents in currency, aud from thai up
ward. After the ceremony was per.
formed at the church a feast was usu-
ally provided at the residence Of the
parents of the bride, al which the fe.
licity existing between tie newly.
welded pair was manifested by par.
taking cf food from the same dish.
During the banquet be said it was
customary for some persons to ex-
claim sour" ia the Russian language,
at which exclamation the bridegroom
would drop his knife sul fork, and
throwing his arms around his wife,
would salute her with hearty kisses.
Tie frequency with which this cere-
mony vas repeated eften sadly in
terfered witt their supper. The
speaker next narrated k:2 experience
while j~ourneyiBg on horseback
through Kamtschatka 10 autumn. The
scenery at that season, be said, was
delightfully."- picturesque. The deep
gorges intervening between the snow
capped mountains, the glowing tints
of the foliage of decaying vegetation.
were all better calculated to remind
the traveller OF California than cf
that frozen country. The toBpera-
ture for a short time at that season.
be said, was mild and genial. Short
IL after the beginning Of the mouth
Of October, however, the mild wealth
er grew cold very rapidly, aud in
creased 10 severity at the end Of the
year. There were in K~amtscbatka
a large number of colonists from
Central Asia who had become thor
ougbly identified with the Russian
population, having adopted not only
the dress and manners Of the natives
of that country, bot also the Ian
guage and religion. They were hon
est, truthful and h%ospitable to stran-
gers, aud subsisted chiefly on the
products Of sablc-trapping and fish
ing. At one time the little party
were reduced 10 the lowest cxtremi-
ty, all their provision had been con
sumed and they were compelled for
two days to subsist upon a piece Of
bulbber, originally intended for the
purpose of oiling their guns. At
length a wandering tribe Of Koratz
were encountered, and, after their
fright had been a~ssuaged. they placed
before the halffamished party the
best accommodations at their dispo-
sal, which consisted of a mixture Of
bulbber, moss and Feiadeer meat,
boiled 20 the consistency Of a pad
ding, which, though not Of Il nour-
ishing tendency, sustained life. The
religion of the tribe was generally
the worship CT the evil spiiit, mani
tested by q species Of sorcery. After
.delinesting the customs Of the inhab-
itsnts Of Siberia, the lecturer vividly
described the aurora borealis, as wit
messed in that country. The Their
mometer, be said, frequently indlcat-
ed from fifty TO sixty degrees below
zero, but the intensity Of the cold
was lessened by the heavy suits of
in which the natives envelop
themselves. The lecturer withdrew
q moment and arrayed himself 10
a fur costume which be said he had
worn during his sojourn in the Arctic
The only evidence of civ
lization to be found ia that country
pictorial papers. He had seen
q instance a portrait Of ex-Gov-
'rnor Dix, cut from Harper's Eeet-
y, framed and hung as a Saint, be-
ore which prayers were daily said
~ the Russian p~easantry. The
ipeaker closed by relating the disap-
continent of the party on learning
hat all their labor had been fruitless,
wing to the successful laying of the
atlantic cable.