The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-04-09
A Traveller in Siberia.

d AllOSA lllAtAebNAlb bOOh VI u ave- a.
adventure by Washington B. Vanderlip
and Homer B. Hubert. w. vanderlip
having Travelled and ventured, and Mr..
Hubert done the writing.
Mr.. Vanderllp was employed by
Russian firm to make an extensive pros
pecting tour in Kamchatka, through
the territory north Of the Olhotsh Sea
and along the shores Of Boring Sea. The
interest Of the book lies not so much in
his mission as in the things he saw and
heard while hunting for copper. sulphur
and gold. Perhaps the best way in
which to indicate the quality of the
narrative is to select quotations at ran
dom.
The description of a Russian dinner
eaten at the house of the chief magis-
trate at Saghalien is not likely TO stimu-
late desire to travel in that part Of
the world. 1t gives one the sensation OF
having dreamed Of Over-eating. which is
almost as bad as the reality. A part of
it is as follows:
The table was loaded with timed
preserves, pate de foie gras, caviar, salt
ed salmon, behring's picked. and raw
fish, sardines, cheese, sliced raw onions,
cold sausages raw cabbage, and huge
piles Of black and white bread. There
was also the usual large carafe of pure
white vodka, a powerful distilled liquor
made from rye"
And that was the first course only.
Asked if any Of the convicts at Sa-
ghalien ever escaped from The island.
the magistrate said:
Some of them got away once 1 will
tell you about II. A japanese fishing
schooner put in here under stress OF
weather and anchored off the town.
That night eight Of the cOnvtctS swan
on to her, murdered the crew. and sailed
away without the slightest knowledge
Of navigation. After drifting about aim
leSsly FOR several days, they were picked
up by an American whaler and carried
to San Francisco. AS soon as the facts
became known. the Russian authorities
demanded their eXtradition. but the
American papers took the matter up
and made great cutlery about sending
back these innocent political cOnvicts TO
the horrors of Siberia, while the ladies
of san Francisco heaped corrections and
flowers upon them. The United States
authorities declined to give them up.
though IL should have been we'll known
that no political suspects are ever sent
to Saghalien, only tried and condemned
criminals. But mark the sequel. Within
two years all but one Of those eight
men were hung for murder. and the re-
naming one was in prison for life. We
appreciate the kindness of the United
States In relieving US Of the support OF
these criminals, and she can have all the
Russian cOnvicts on the island Of 81
ghalien If she wants them, and wei
come.
This. if it be true, is truly a grim
joke on us
On one occasion Mr.. Vanderlip's dogs
scented a team Of reindeer, and there
were lively doings. He says:
The reader may we'll ask how the
natives can use both dogs and rein
deer if the very sight Of a deer has SUCH
exT lanation is simple. The two never
60 together. There Is the dog country
and the deer country and the two do
not infringe upon each other. Even
among the same tribe there may be
clean division. For instance, there are
the Deer Koraks' and the Dog Kor-
axis In some of the villages OF the
former there may Occa siOnally be seen
few lOw-bred ours which are not used
for sledging, and have been trained not
20 worry deer. Confusion IS often I'M
avOidably caused by travelling with dogs
through a deer country. but the natives
do not take # in I'll part, knowing that
II they themselves have to travel with
deer through a dog country they will
cause quite as much Inconvenience"
OF the craftsmanship OF the Siberian
natives the traveller says:
About twenty years ago the Russian
government sent a company Of expert
Cossack rifemen into this north coun-
u y ~ ttdtH the ldLANeS now 10 SnOOI.
These instructors never got farther
than Ghijiga, though II had been the
plan to distribute them throughout the
district. Targets We're set up. and the
COssacks did some fancy shooting. The
natives looked on stolidly, and when
asked TO shoot, declined 10 do so Dur
called up some Of their boys who easily
Worsted the Cossa cks at their own
game.
The natives were always curious
about my Colts 45-caliber six-shooter.
as this weapon is not known in that
section. In my younger days I had
seen something Of Arizona and Texas
life, and thought I was a pretty fair
shot One day a native with whom l
was stopping asked me to let him have
q shot with my revolver ! tore a small
piece of paper from my notebook and
pinned IL on a tree about twenty yards
distant. ] shot first. and me within
an inch or so OF the papD- "a fairly
EoOG shot-but the old Korak took the
weapon and, bringing II slowly into po-
sition, let driYe. and hit the paper.
could detect no look OF exultation on his
face, nor on that Of any spectator. They
took IL a. a matter Of course that their
tribesman should outshOot me with my
own weapon. the very first time he ever
had one like II in his hand. I have
never tried to shoot against Korak
since then"
The book is fully illustrated from ex-
cellent photographs. New York: The
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