The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1920-12-20
AMERICAN CITIZENS
LEASE KAMCHATKA
VAST COUNTRY DESCRIBED AS
"ALASKA'S POOR RELATION"
TO BE EXPLORED.


Kamchatka and the neighboring
country of northeastern Siberia, re-
ported in news dispatches from Eu-
rope to have been leased by the Boil
shevlk regime to syndicate of
Americans for development of its
natural resources, is described in the
following bulletin issued from the
Washington, D. G. headquarters of
the National Geographic society:
THE Kamchatkan peninsula and
the Siberian country between it and
the Arctic Ocean is a sort of half
sister to Alaska, which was also once
Russian territory. Alaska, the more
comely sister, Jared forth, so to
speak, was sold into the family Of
the wealthy Uncle Sam, and has had
a life rich in excitement and adven-
ture. Kamchatka, the more homely
sister, remained under the Russian
rooftree on the west side of Bering
Sea and has lived in seclusion.
Natives Spend Mosquito Season" at
SeashOre
"Kamchatka and the country north
to Bering Strait contains a large
area of tundra or Arctic plains; soft
spongy morasses during the few
months of summer; frozen, snow
covered wastes in winter. In the
higher land impenetratable under
brush springs up in summer What
little travel is possible at this season
is done on the backs of sturdy ponies
who must wade up the shallow
streams or plod through the sticky
swamps. In winter travel is easy
Teams of dogs and reindeer whisk
laden sledges over the frozen sur
face of the streams and across the
snow of the tundra at rate, under
favorable circumstances, of 75 miles
or more day. Trails that are vir-
tually highways are beaten down by
the teams of the natives bringing
their furs-the chief present re-
source of the country.-to the trad
ing posts.
GIN the summer the curse CT the
moist regions of the north strikes
the Kamchatkan country; awarms of
and flies thicken the air
and make life miserable for all liv-
ing things. The nomadic natives
lee with their herds of reindeer to
;he seacoast, where the breezes give
some relief.
Diet More Rigorous than Climate
S rigorous a Westerner is likely to
30. Bowls of boiled fishes eyes are
he most popular delicacy in the low
II peninsula where the silver hordes
treams. To the north reindeer meat
e-resistance, the tongues and mar
Lo,, in, ,4tf
'he greatest of reindeer delicacies,
awns. From the stomach of slaugh-
heir greens" in winter-ha1f di-
.ested balls of moss. When pre-
ared for the table these moss balls
re somewhat like spinach in appear
nee.
"Cold storage" eggs contribute to
he Kamchatkan tables. The eggs
re obtained from the nests of gulls
nd other wild fowls and are buried
! pits on the frosty north side of
i'll until needed Frozen berries also
ke out the winter fare.
Soup Balls" Made From Reindeer
Sausage
"'Soup balls carried by winter
dFeltlo are llhciy " PlNFS ="
to Western palates. They
re small balls of reindeer sausage
irrounded by crust of dough, the
hole about the size of an English
alnut. These balls freeze and are
lrried in bags like marbles. A
lndful dropped into kettle of boil
g water produces within a few MIN
es a delectable and sustaining dish.
"The Kamchatkan peninsula prop
is about 750 miles in length, and
e distance from it's roots to Bering
raft is an equal distance. Kam-
atka lies in the same latitude as
e British Isles, while the country
nth to the Arctic ocean is in the
titude of Norway. The Kamshat-
n region is bathed by cold Arctic
rrants instead of the warm Gulf
ream, and it's climate is therefore
1ch colder than that of Britain and