The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1921-01-17
kAMCHATKA: lALASKA'S
POOR RELATION,

The kaDchatkan Peninsula ard the
Siberian country between it and the
Arctic ocean have attracted interua-
tional attention since the report Of il
lease to a syndicate OF A1acrcan~ for
the development Of its natur;li re-
sources. This region is sort OF hail
sister to Alaska, which was also once
Russian territory.
Alaska, the more colnely sister.
Jared forth. so to speak, was sold into
the family of the wealthy Uncle Sam.
and has had life rich in excitement
and adventure. Kamchatka, the more
hOmely sister, remained under the Rus
sian rooftree on the west side OF
Rering sea, and has lived In secusion.
kamchatka and the country north
to Boring strait contain q large area
of tundra Or Arctic plains: soft, spongy
morasses during the few months of
summer; frozen, SHOW covered wastes
in winter, In the higher land impene-
trable underbrush springs up in sum-
mer. 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 tile
sticky swamps, In winter travel Is
easy. Teams Of dogs and reindeer
whisk laden sledges over the. frozen
surface Of the streams and across the
snow of the tundra at a rate, dnder
| favorable circumstances of as miles
| or more a day, Trails that are virtu-
ally highways are beaten down by the
| teams of the natives bringing their
furs-the chief present resources Of
the country-to the trading posts.
In the summer the curse of the
moist regions of the north strikes the
kamchatkan country; swarns of
mosquitoes and flies thicken the air
and make life miserable for all liv-
ing things. The nnmadic natives flee
with their herds Of reindeer to the sea-
coast, where the b~eeZes give some re-
lief,
! Though the climate Of Kamchatka Is
! rigorous. a Westernor is likely to con-
! slider the food Of the country more SO.
Bowls of boiled fishes eyes are the
most popular delicacy In the lower
peninsula where the silver hordes of
: salmon run up most of the streams
To the north reindeer meat in some
; form is the universal piece de resist
! ance, the tongues and marrow bones
being priced in particular,
! "Cold storage" eggs contribute to
kamchatka's tables. The eggs are
obtained 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" carried by winter trav-
elers. are likely to prove compensa-
ton to western palateS. They are
small balls of reindeer sausage" sur
rounded by crust of dough, the whole
about the size of an English walnut.
These balls freeze and are carried in
bags like marbles. A handful droppsd
into kettle of boiling water prYS 8
within a few minutes a defect. at ,ca,
sustaining dish.
is about $50 miles in length, ED the
distance from its roots to *ering
strait Is an equal distance. lKam-
chstka lies in the same latitude as the
British isles, while the country north
to the Arctic ocean is in the latitude
! Of Norway. The Kamchatka region Is
bathed by cold arctic currents instead
Of the warm Gulf stream, and Its cli-
mate Is therefore much colder than
that Of Britain and Scandinavia.