Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1920-12-24
KANCHaTKA ALASKA'S
POOR RELATION

ksmchatSa and the nefghborfn
country OF northeastern Siberia. NJ
ported in news dispatches from Eu
rope TO have been leased by the Bol
shevik regime 10 syndicate G
Americans for the development of Il
natural resources is described in tn
following bulletin issued from tn
Washington. d. c. headquarters of tn,
National Geographic Society.
The Kamachtkan peninsula and tn,
Siberian country between II and the
Arctic ocean is sort OF half-sister tc
Alaska. which was also once Russian
territory. Alaska. the moro comedy
sister. Jared forth. so 10 speak. was
sold into the family OF the wealthy
Uncle sam. and has had life rich in
excitement and adventure. Kamchat-
ka. the more homely sister, renained
under The Russian rooftr,ae on the west
side Of Bearing Sea and has lived in
seciusion
Natives Spend Mesquite Season" at
sesshere
Kamchatka and the country north
"a Boring Strait contains a large area
a. tundra OF Arctic plains: soft. spongy
increases during the few months OF
summer. frozen. snow covered wastes
IN winter In the higher land impen-
trahle underbrush springs up in sum-
neT. what little travel is possible at
this seas son Is done on the hacks OF
sturdy ponies who mus, vade up the
shallow streams or plod through the
sticky swamps In winter travel is
easy Teams OF dogs and reindeer
whist laden s'esges over the frozen
surface ~ the streams and across
The snow 81 the tundra At a rate. IN
der favorable circumstances. Of 70 .
miles or more a day. Trails that are
virtually ghways are beaten down by
the teams ~ the natives bringing their 7
furs-the chief present resource OF the ,
oountry-to the trading posts
Tn the summer the curse of ths
moist regions Of the north strikes the
Kamchatkan country; swarns OF
mosquitoes and flies thicken the air
and make life miserable for all living
things The nomadic natives fee with
their herds Of reindeer to the sea
coast where the breezes give some re- +
lief
Diet More Rigorous Than Climate
Though the climate OF Kamchatka
is RIGOROUS westerner IS likely 10
consider the food Of the country more
50 Bowls of boiled fishes eyes are
the most popular deiIcacy in the low
cr peninsula whore the silver hordes
~ salmon run up most OF the streams.
To the north reindeer meat in some
form IS the universal piece de resis-
lance, the tongues and marrow bones
being pasze,i In particular. The great
est Of reindeer delacies. however. is
the meat Of unborn fawns. From the
stomach Of slaughtered reindeer the
natives obtain their greens" in winter
half digesfed balls OF moss. When
prepared Tor the table these moss
balls are somewhat like spinach in APP
pearanoe.
Cold storage eggs contribute 70 the
Kamchatzan tables, The eggs are
ATTAINED from the nests OF gulls and
other wild fowls and are buried in
pits on the frosty north side of hill
until needed. Frozen berries also exc
out the winter fare
~sOup Balls" Made From, Reindeer
Sausage
" SOUP Rails. carried BY winter
travellers are likely to prove a com
pensation TO Western paIates. They +.
IRE small balls OF reindeer sausage :
by a crust Of dough, the
whole about the size of an English
walnut. These balls freeze and are :
carried in bags like marbles. A hand
tul dropped into a kettle OF boiling S
water produces within few minutes
D delectable and sustaining dish.
The KamchatIan peninsula proper ,
Is about $50 miles in length. and the L
distance from its roots to Behrlng a
Strait is an equal distance. Kam-
,hatka lies In the same latitude as the :
British Isles. while the country north r
lorth TO the Arctic Ocean Is In the D
Of Norway The Ramchat-
<an region Is bathed by cold Arctic
currents instead OF the warm Gulf
stream. and it's climate is therefore
nush colder than that Of Britain and
s..o ,9s-...t, %