The Elbert County tribune., 1911-10-13
Z5ze W2R7HERN LIGHTS

mediately before us are seen the snow
disdemed mountain monarchs. robed in ma
jestically flowing folds of glacial ermine-
far behind the heaving pillows of the ocean, =
agitter In the evening sun--while all around Il
Is Siberia's virgin forest. the taiga silent In.
untrodden. mysterious. 10
owing to widely divergent conditions 81
beria's fauna is not uniformly distributed. &f
but within their chosen haunts animals are f.
abundant OF big game we have on the
Pankara the agile. keeneyed mountain
sheep and the powerful brown bear H&
Rocky mountain sheep are here replaced
by congeners of slighter build. more slender ky
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 watchfui 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 unhesitatngly. 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-five 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
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 no bend at its neck. most unwieldly
and exasperating utensil. At the beginning we
struck encouraging colors in addition to quartz.
iron pyrtes, often in the form of mispickel and
all the products OF its decomposition such as
magnetic oxide and hematite. Despite these fair
prospects 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
and finally to sled to headquarters along the
shore. On the Russakoff we found the con.
ditions; tepd springs above, few colors below.
paydirt nowhere
Winter is upon in good earnest; In De-
cember thermometer sinks to 81 below. The
sheep safe beyond the snowdrifts bear. mar
mot and porcupine have retired for their long
sleep; only willow grouse and rock ptarmigan re-
main with
Glorious winter stars, clear, large, unapproach-
able, glitter the armament AT midnight the
Pieiades of Job and Homer flame from the zenith
and then the Northern Lights, violet. siivery and
rose come down and dance with the houseless
snow.
Christmas finds us the Russakofrs 8
mouth and on New Years day we drag our sled
into Ola. Just in time; already midwinter sun
dogs loom ghostlike through the frost-mist 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 billiards. fury ragged forty-eight hours, bury
ing the roofs of the lowly cabins under mountain.
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 more