The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1883-02-17
81
Some Interesting Facts About a Very Obscure
Couutry,


Country.
G.. I. KettleWell, whose steam yacht Marchesa
sailed from Cowes on January 1lth, on a voy-
age round the world, brought his vessel back TO
Yokohama on October 9Th, after a cruise OF some
eight weeks in northern waters, during which
time, accompanied by Lieutenant FfolliOt Powell,
n. and DR.. Guillemard, he traversed Kam-
scLatka almost from end TO end. From an in
tcrestlng letter recently received from DIR. Guile
mard. we gather the following particulars Leay-
ing Hakodadi on August 4th. u voyage of nine
days under steam and sail brought fhc Marchesa
to PeironaIlnvsky, a town Of some 300 iphabit-
uUts, situate On ibc shores OF Avatika Bay.
This Is II perfectly land-locked harbOr, containing,
like Sydney haFb0r, numerous minor harbors,
and pronounced to excel both Sydney and the
bay of Rio in the beauty and grandeur of its sur
roundings, five grand mountains, volcanoes,
ranging from 1000 to ii 1000 feet in altitude,
towering above the placid waters of the bay. A
week was spent here in organizing the expedition
to the north, and on August 18th the party
started, accompanied by two Russian guides and
interpreters and five Kamtschatdalers in charge Of
the twenty-six horses and foals, which were re-
qulred for the journey. Riding nine hours
a day, and stopping two days only en- route,
on one of which they hunted, but only OBJ
tanned one bear, the party travelled north
for fourteen days, at the end OF which time they
struck the beadwaters OF the Great kam-
schatka River, the distance to which had been
dL0Cl EAtLUdLCn w ~ HAtACc. 4AoNAbS
made arrangements for the yacht to meet them
on the coast, and not wishing her 10 be longer
than was necessary in unsurveyed waters, all idea
of hunting had to be abandoned, and the voy
age down the river was commenced without de-
Law. Rats were built over dug out canoes, and
on these the expedition hoated down to the sea
a distance of 400 miles. The scenery, which was
that of birch forests, bordering long, lake-like
reaches of river, Ter a greater part OF the voyage,
became a grander type as the coast was neared.
At one point six magnificent mountains were IN
sight at the anne time. one. Klootchefskoii by
name, q superb volcano, absolutely conicaI and
nearly IL 900 feet in height. Autumn had by
this time had it's effect upon the landscape De, and
the coloring of the forest is described by DR..
G~uiIlemard II as equal in richness of scarlet, GRIM
son, and gold to that 0. the forests OF birch
rowan, and aspen in Lapland and Norway. The
expedition camped nightly on the bank of the
river. The weather was brilliant but very cold
after sunset, SO much so, indeed, that the mer-
curry fell below the freezing point in the tents
but it was a perfectly dry cold, and the whole
party reached the coast in rude health. Bears
swarmed In the forest, and at one hamlet passed
on the voyage as many as ninety had been killed
in a month. Duck and capercaIlizie abounded
and afforded plenty OF sport, while in places the
river was so full Of salmon that the banks were
lined with thousands Of fish in a dead or dying
condition. DIR. Guillemard made out six or
seven varieties OF salmon, but expresses an
opinion that there are even more than this.
Photographs of the principle mountains were
taken, and their positions and altitude obtained
by observation, and soundings were taken OF the
river and its course from the headwaters to the
sea. Joining the Marchesa at the mouth of the
river, Mr.. Kettlewell took her across to Behring's
Island, where the Alaska Fur Company's seal
- rookery was visited, the party travelling
across the tundras in sledges drawn by twelve
dogs each. The Z" rookery - was found to con-
sist of some so, 600 fur seals baskiDg on the low
shores of one of the m ,st desolate islands in the
world. Hence the Marchesa proceeded to Cape
Snipunsky, where the party made q good bag oil
big-horn, and after a short stay at Petropaulov
sky a visit was paid to the south of the pro.non-
tory, where the Aleuts hunt the sea otter, the
skins OF winch fetch such high prices in the Lon
don market. On the return voyage to Japan the
Marchesa encountered the full Jury of a tiptoOn,
in the heIgh; of which one of the hands WAS I'M
fortunately lost overheard. The yacht behaved
we'll. bat two boats were smashed, and part o
the bulwarks carried away. Yokohama was
reached on October 5th, and Mr.. Kettlewell and
his friends left for the interior of Japan.-LOn.
don Times.