The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1911-11-16

Northeastern Kamchatka, famed our smoudering
Imagination into brightest flames
There's a race of men that don't fit in; they are
always tired of things that be; they want the
strange and the new and they don't know how to
rest My dear old 'pard," Austin, and belong to
this legion of forelopers, enlisted and never
discharged. The fond hope that we were going
to be numbered amongst the original Forty
Miners" of California over yonder 'crost
the bay" lured from the Yukon even to ST.
beria-to vladivostok
There were joined by kindred spirit
young Russian mining engineer. Ivan Ivanovitch-
soon enough he became plain Jack-fresh from
an American college and ready for adventure.
Kamchatka, dependency of the maritime prov
ince and administrative district of Petropavlovsk
has been Russian colony for over 200 years.
From Cape Lopatka, the large peninsula's south
most point, lofty mountains, overtopped by many
active and more extinct volcanoes, stretch north
ward far into the Arctic waste
On the northeast coast. there where the noun
tain chain recedes over thirty miles from the low
littoral the Pankara enters the sea, opposite to
the large island of Karaginsk gloomiy beau
tfu thundercloud overshadowed the densly wood
ed shores when landed at Ola. the little
Koryak hamlet near the Pankaras mouth In the
course OF a few hours steamer, "Primorsk,"
had discharged earthly possessions and the
cargo consigned to the local agent of the Russian
Chartered Company who holds the Turing priv
ileges of Northeastern Siberia.
open-mouthed natives gaped curiously and a
thousand hostile-ooking dogs snared viciously
The Natchalnik, however, having minutey scru-
tinized our papers, received us with open arms,
and Father Juvenal, the Pope, offered us the hos
pitality of his log cabin. We learned many inter-
esting facts about this out-ofthe-way neck OF the
woods that night. The peninsula's mongoloid
aborigines. the rapidly decreasing Kamchadales
proper-mostly hshermeh-dwell around the wa
ter courses to the southwark.
Their northern Deghbors our friends the dog
Koryaks," mighty hunters and trappers. live in
log cabins. dugouts or skin tents. They belong
largely to the orthodox church-at least nominal
y-are good natured aud hospitable, but their no.
tions of cleanliness more than questionable.
The occasional sight of toothbrushes once
caused riot Of an amazed mob Both the women
and the almost beardless men alike braid their
hair into two plaits. smoke the cheap Moharka
tobacco, intermixed with birch bark and wear
nearly Identical dresses of pelts or-in summer
gaudy calico
Further on and up to Kamchatka's border the
strictly nomadic reindeer Koryaks" addicted to
weird shamanism, pitch their yourtes wherever
good feeding grounds attract their herds Be.
yond their territory we find, in the interior, Tun-
guse tribes, along the seaboard the unconquered
of the Tchuktches. that stoutly refuse the
Yassak to this day
The Pankara has length of about 90 miles
The advanced season and preliminary examina.
tion of accessible rock formation combined with
encouraging -eports OF white and native residents
prompted to prospect the upper valley without
delay. The Natchalnik placed the only three pack
horses at our disposal, rather shaggy, but hardy
lrkutsk ponies, able TO shift Tor themselve6 even
in winter AS guide and helper We engaged the
Koryah, Peter, nicknamed Petrushka- Parsley
from his fondness for this wild plant. Petrushka
Of course was speedily pared down to Pete, as
Ivan has surrendered to JACK long ago
The village OF Ola is happy A sweet fragrance
of fish and blubber permeates the air, for seal
and salmon were plentiful
YER m anf hahn n tvffh
our preparations for the prospecting expedition.
The Natchalnik invites TO farewell dinner
deer tongue ptarmigan. smoked and salted fish,
mncA tea and more yodka) and on the 18th day
Of august We set out.
~ the third night Se are encamped in the
focsaills.
Eyen here. at the threshold OF boreal drehriness
nstGre unfolds an Almost pathetic beauty I'm