The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1891-01-08

twenty of these animals every summer
Ephraim, too tightly squeezed by the Iprav-
sLik of his v.llage-a young Russian OF
thirty, who passed his time in getting drunk
in company with the priest-had treated him
as he treated his bears and had afterwards
escaped by flight
He had met the band of gold-robbers only
few hours before, and had Immediately
become member Of it. His horse, com
peting in swiftness with the reindeer, had
broken a leg and, for that reason, been con-
demned to death. The old Tunguse, who
had not too much feeling, had slain it after
the fashion of the country These Tun-
guses, though in general mild and pacific,
are very cruel towards animals. Thus, their
favorite mode of killing horse which is to
be eaten is to throw it upon the ground, tie
it firmly with ropes and then to open the
breast and plunge in the arm to compress
the heart with the hand until death ensues.
They claim that the meat is much improved
by this process.
Old Ephraim and the other Tunguse were
capable of eating the horse before the break
ing up of the encampment.
The latter, named Avaram, with bronzed
skin, very prominent cheek bones and small
eyes black and bright as those of the Tar
tars, belonged to Tunguse group Of the
southeast of Siberia. Entirely clothed in
reindeer skin, his chief garment was a kind
of large fur overcoat, open in front. To its
neck was attached, olbe used at need, a
species of very gay hood-a malachi-made
of the skins of red, black and gray foxes
arranged in alternate bands, with border
of sea otter fur; tight-ftting skin breeches.
with the hair inside, covered his thighs; his
feet and legs were enclosed in reindeer skin
boots with seal skin soles, reaching above
his knees.
This Tunguse had joined the band of gold
robbers in the hope of gaining with 1t sut1-
cient to pay the price of his betrothed, the
daughter of one of the golovas or great.
chief of his tribe, a rare beauty whom he
had obtained at the exorbitant figure of a.
hundred reindeer-a veritabie fortune.
Among the Tunguses of the southeast, the
price OF woman varies from one. relnueeI
to a hundred. They tell, however, OF beau
ties of an inferior order obtained for pipe
of tobacco. These circumstances do not
prevent the marriages from being celebrated
by Russian priest
The other bandits, after having killed a
passably foundered reindeer, roasted steaks
cut from the animal; the Koriak and the
Lamoute, on their side, prepared a soup
with the contents Of the reindeer's stomach.
This Koriak was a young man, the sole
survivor of family dead of hunger. When
he related to his companions that each year.
at the close of winter, famine decimated the
inhabitants of Toumane because, at that
time the supply of fish caught during the
summer gave out:
''Why don't you continue to fish," asked
one of the bandits Of him.
Sab! I don't know" answered he. 'sI1he
Russian government furnishes US with
packthread to make nets, but we give it TO
the Larnoutes on condition that they sal
fish for us. Unfortunately, the most go
ished. among US eat all at the beginning Of
the winter!"
The Lamoute wore suspended from his
neck an enormous silver medal, the gift of
the Car, received as a reward for the as
sistance he had rendered his countrymen
during one of their periodical famines.
These spring famines are the scourge of
Siberia This medal, strangely placed on
the bosom of brigand, won for the entire
band great deal of respect from the ma
tives.
The Ghiliak fisherman was native of the
lower Amoor country, forced to fee after
having slain one Of his relatives who had
stolen from him the flint of his gun. He
feared, not without reason, that the friends
of the defunct might retaliate according to
the Ghiliak code-an eye for an eye and
tooth for a tooth This barbarian, who was
very superstiti Gus and inclined to idolatry,
had been baptized in accordance with the
Greek rite, and wore about his neck several
little metal crosses. His name was Mich
aeloff
AS to Ivan, that former Cossack had aban-
doned the post of the region of the AMOR,
where he lived as soldier-laborer, coloniz-
ing the country. These Cossacks owe
service Of fifteen years, for which they re-
ceive an annual salary of about two dollars
and a quarter, the government furnishing
them in addition, With rations of black
bread and, sometimes, of tea. Their nour-
ishment consists of salmon which they
mi,st catch themselves, and which, with diff
ferent wild fruits and the bark and roots of
several kinds of trees, forms a diet but little
varied.
Those who live in the vicinity of the Bay
of Castries consume great quantity OF
very large and fine oysters. We know that
the Russians visited the AMOR, for the first
time, only in 1913; but about ten years
later, they succeeded in obtaining from the
Chinese the cession Of all the regions stretch
ing from the left bank of the river to the
previous boundary Of Siberia, gaining by this
''rectifcation" of the frontiers an immense
and rich territory.
Ivan, who had grown weary of the life Of
q colonist had deserted. He often men.
toned to his companions this curious cir.
cunlstance; upon the shores of the great
Asiatic river, the animals of the cold coun-
tries meet those of the burning regions o.
the south. The reindeer there becomes the
prey of the Bengal tiger, and the wild boar
and the badger live, side by side, wsth the
hare of the pole and the glutton.
Koschcvine, the Russian, had escaped
from the mines of Nertchinsk following the
course of the Amoor in the hope of being re.
ceived by the native population established
on its banks. He succeeded in passing all
the Chinese posts in a small boat, keeping
along the left shore of the stream, living
upon the produce of his carabine and en-