The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-10-18
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Northeastern Kamchatka, famed our smoulderlng
Imagination into brightest flames.
There's 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 foreopers never enlisted and never
discharged. The fond hope that we were going
to be numbered amongst the original Forty
Miners" of new California over yonder, "'crost
the bay" lured us from the Yukon to 81
bera-to Vladivostok
There We joined by kindred spirit,
young Russian mining engineer, Ivan vanovitch-
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 Petropavovsk,
has been Russian colony for 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 thirty miles from the low
littoral the Pankara enters the sea, opposite to
the large island of Karaginsk. gloomily beau
tiful thundercloud overshadowed the density wood
ed shores when landed at Ola the little
Koryak hamlet near the Pankara's mouth. In the
course of few hours steamer, "Primorsk,"
had discharged earthly possessions and the
cargo consigned to the local agent of the Russian
Chartered Company. who holds the furring priv
ileges of Northeastern Siberia
u
thousand hostilelooking dogs snarled viciously.
The Natchanik, however, having minutely
tinized our papers, received us with open arms,
anS Father Juvenal, the Pope, offered the hos
pitofity of his log cabin We learned many inter-
estng facts about this outof-the-way neck of the
woods that night The peninsula's mongoloid
aborigines the rapidly decreasing Kamchadales
proper-mosty fishermen-dwell around the
ter courses to the southwark.
Their northern neighbors, our friends the dog
Koryaks," mighty hunters and trappers, live in
log cabins, dug-outs or skin tents. They belong
largely to the orthodox church-at least nominal
ly-are good natured and hospitable, but their
tions of cleanliness are more than questionable
The occasional sight of toothbrushes once
caused a 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
nearly identical dresses Of pelts or-in summer
gaudy calico.
Further and up to Kamchatkas border, the
strictly nomadic reindeer Koryaks," addicted to
weird shamansm, pitch their yourtes wherever
good feeding grounds attract their herds. Be-
yond their territory we hnd In the interior, Tun-
guse tribes along the seaboard the unconquered
race of the Tchuktches, that stoutly refuse the
Yassak to this day.
The Pankara has a length of about 80 miles.
The advanced season and preliminary examina-
ton of accessible rock formation, combined with
encouraging reports of white and native residents,
prompted us to prospect the upper valley without
delay. The Natchalnik placed the only three pack
horses at our disposal, rather shaggy but hardy
Grkutsk ponies able to shift for themselves even
In winter AS guide and helper We engaged the
Koryak, 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. sweet fragrance
Of fish and blubber permeates the air, for seal
and salmon were plentiful.
Pete, very busy, very important helps us with
our preparations for the prospecting expedition
The Natchalnik invites us to a farewell dinner
deer tongue, ptarmgan. smoked and salted fish.
much tea and more Vodka) and the 18th day
of August set out.
On the third night encamped in the
foothills
Even here, at the threshold of boreal dreariness
nature unfolds almost pathetic beauty. I'm