Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1911-10-13

mediately before US are seen the snow
diademed mountain monarchs robed in ma
jestica1ly flowing folds of glacial ermine-
far behind the heavng pillows of the ocean, Ass
aglitter in the evening sun-while all around Hsss
is Siberias virgin forest the taiga. silent, EN
untrodden. mysterious. EM
Owing to widely divergent conditions 81 EN
beria's fauna is not uniformly distributed, Es
but within their chosen haunts animals are E%S
abundant OF big game have on the I'M
Pankara the agile, keen-eyed mountain wk
sheep and the powerful brown bear. HM
Rocky mountain sheep are here replaced E
by congeners Of sghter build more slender NC
horns and pure white color. Their bands
spend most of the time above timber, re-
naming even during the severe Kamchatka win
ter amongst the heights whose Irregularities Of
cliffs and gorges afford opportunity for shelter
and exposed food supply. Sometimes when we
had nearly stalked them the warning whistle Of
the watchful marmot would drive them to head
long fight Their flesh is very palatable; when
cold weather set in we killed and froze enough to
last all winter.
The brown bears are of immense size, greatly
exceeding the grizzlies Of the western hemis-
phere. Their front claws shorter thicker and
more abruptly curved than in grizzlies. AS a rule
they give us wide BERTH in close quarters,
however or when wounded, they veritable
fends from hell. But Pete attacks them, boldly
and unhesitatingly with his formidable spear.
Tradition and training make all natives marks
men of the first order with firearms, bolos and
arrows Even small ermines and arctic squirrels
stand no chance of escape at seventy-f1ve yards;
and the Koryaks have to shoot them In the head
at that, or their skins would be worthless
The ground was frostbound nearly to the
face, ard bedrock reached by thawing through
the icy gravels, was ten TO fifteen feet Deep
Keeping three fires agoing, for which Pete rustled
the wood, made good headway. Lack OF
leverage however, makes the Russian shovel,
which has no bend at its neck a most unwieldly
and exasperating utensil. At the beginning we
struck encouraging colors in addition to quartz,
iron pyrites, often in the form of mispickel and
all the products of its decomposition such as
magnetic oxide and hematite. Despite these fair
prospects we had worked way up to the veri-
est headwaters without tangible results early in
November. Near the source the soil not
frozen. due to warm volcanic springs, and sinking
to bedrock became impossible. Therefore we
crossed the divide leading southwark to the Rus
sakoff river to examine its course down to the
sea and finally to sled to headquarters along the
shore. On the Russakoff found the same con-
dtions; tepid springs above, few coiors below,
paydirt nowhere.
Winter is now upon us in good earnest; In De-
cember our thermometer sinks to 81 below. The
sheep are safe beyond the snowdrifts bear. mar
mot and porcupine have retired for their long
sleep; only willow grouse and rock ptarmigan re-
main with us
Glorious winter stars. clear, large, unapproach-
able glitter on the armament At midnight the
Pleiades of Job and Homer flame from the zenitha
and then the NortherA Lights, violet. silvery and
rose come down and dance with the houseIess
snow.
Christmas eve finds us near the Russakoffs
mouth and on New Years day We drag sled
into Ola Just In time already midwfnter sun
dogs loom ghost-ke through the frost-mist in
the south; for far to the northward the weather
witch of the Yega-Bsba Pass has been brewing
her dread purga, the Siberian snow storm.
The billiards. fury ragged fortyeight hours. bury
ing the roofs Of the lowly cabins under mountain
Gus drifts.
Quickly the late orthodox Chrfstmas-tide ap-
proaches In the morning the entire population
and with them we-attended church, Father Jd-
venaI officiating in fun canonicals Of black and
gold Before me Russian New Year we were up
and away once more