The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-10-18

beria's fauna is not uniformly distributed, h%S
but within their chosen haunts animals are M@N
abundant. OF big game we have on the M
Pankara the agile, keeneyed mountain fN
sheep and the powerful brown bear. E@z
Rocky mountain sheep are here replaced EEM
by congeners of slighter build, more slender kSSz
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 flight 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 a wide berth; in close quarters,
however, or when wounded, they are veritable
fiends 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, boos and
arrows. Even small ermines and arctic squirrels
stand no chance of escape at seventy-tive 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 thawng through
Keeping three fires agoing, for which Pete rusted
the wood, we made good headway Lack of
leverage, however, makes the Russian shovel,
which has no bend at its neck, most unwieldly
and exaspersting utensil. At the beginning we
struck encouraging coors In addition to quartz,
iron pyrtes! often in the form of mispickel and
all the products OF its decomposition such as
magnetic oxide and hematte Despite these fair
prospects We had worked our way up to the veri-
est headwaters without tangible results early in
Aha he oil Y,ok
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 same con-
dtions; tepid springs above, a few colors below,
paydirt nowhere.
Winter is now upon us In good earnest; in De-
cember our thermometer sinks to 81 below. The
sheep safe beyond the snowdrifts; bear, mar
mot and porcupne 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
Pleiades of Job and Homer fame from the zenith
and then the Northern Lights, violet svery and
come down and dance with the houseless
snow.
Christmas eve finds the Russakof's
mouth and on New Years day we drag our sled
into Ola Just in time already mdwinter sun
uoss loom Bhostlke through the Irostmlst In
the SOUTH for far to the northward the weather
witch of the Yaga-Baba Pass has been brewing
her dread purga, the Siberian storm.
The bzzards fury ragged forty-eght hours, bury
ing the roofs of the lowly cabins under mountain
drifts
Quickly the late orthodox Christinas-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.