Charlevoix county herald., 1911-11-04


manning 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 or
the watchful marmot would drive them to head
long fight. Their flesh is very palatable; when
cold weather set in killed and froze enough to
last all winter
The brown sbears are of immense size, greatly
exceeding the grizzlies of the western hems-
phere Their front claws shorter, thicker and
more abruptly curved than in grizzlies. AS a rule
they give us a wide berth; in close quarters.
however or when wounded they are veritable
fends from hell. But Pete attacks them, boldly
and unhesitatingy 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-fve yards;
and the Koryaks have to shoot them in the head,
at that their skins would be worthless.
The ground was frostbound nearly to the sur
face, and bedrock, reached by thawing through
the icy gravels, ten to fifteen feet deep.
Keeping three fires agong, for which Pete rustled
the wood, we made good headway. Lack of
leverage however makes the Russian shovel
which has bend at its neck 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 our way up to the ver
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
crossed the divide leading southwark to the Rus
sakof river to examine its down to the
sea and finally to sled to headquarters along the
shore. On the Russakoff found the con-
ditions; tepid springs above, few coors 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
main with us.
Glorious winter stars clear, large unapproach-
able, glitter the armament At midnight the
Pleiades of Job and Homer flame from the zenith 9
and then the Northern Lights, violet, svery and
rose come down and dance with the houseless
snow.
Christmas eve finds us near the Russakoffs
mouth and New Years day drag sled
into Ola. Just in time; already midwinter sun
dogs loom ghost-like through the frostmist in
the south; for far to the northward the weather
witch of the Yaga-Baba Pass has been brewing
her dread purga, the Siberian snow storm.
The blizzards fury ragged forty-eight hours, bury
ing the roofs Of the lowly cabins under mountain
GUS drifts.
Quickly the late orthodox Christmas-tide ap-
proaches In the morning the entire population
and with them we-attended church, Father Ju-
venal officiating in full canonicals of black and
gold Before the Russian New Year we were up
and away once more.