The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1926-04-22

1NO00 Oh the u1udDIJdutS Oh huSShOo
Ustye have ever gone beyond these
two points, nor have any ever been to
Yakutsk. Names like Omsk and Mos
COW sound to them like fairy tales. II
is, therefore, not surprising that the
real inhabitants of Russkoe Ustye are
not very much above the state Of prim-
tive savagery. There is not a single
literate person among the settlers
along the Indigirka.
Cluster Of Huts.
In appearance, Russkoe Ustye is
nothing but a miserable cluster Of a
few snow-swept wooden huts and
barns. In every direction, as far as
the eye can see there is in winter,
snow, snow, snow. Here and there is
a cIump of dwarfed shrubbery, buried
under the snow in the winter. Amid
the monOtonous landscape Of this
white desert one distinguishes with
great difficulty the cottages, half hid
den from sight by the snow piled up
against them.
The settlement is especially dreary
during November and December, when
the sun disappears altogether from
the horizon, and the dim twilight
called daylight lasts only two or
three hours. This is the most cheer
less season of the year, and the sad
bowling of the dogs in the darkness
seems almost unbearable to one I'M
accustomed to it.
The winter nights are at times mag
nificent. In the black velvet of the
sky the stars, which make their APP
pearance about three o'clock in the
afternoon and twinkle until eleven
O'clock in the morning, blaze like dia=
mondsI Almost every night there is
a most brilliant northern illumination.
Owing to the nearness of the sea,
the cold there registers rarely lower
than so degrees centigrade. But the
winter billiards. are frequent and ter
rible. They stifle a person, cut Off the
breath, throw one off his feet with
lashing volleys of snow, and make it
impossible to see farther than Eve
steps ahead.
The annual temperature at Russkoe
Ustye is the lowest of all those places
where meteorological observations
have been made, it is also one of the
northernmost inhabited spots on the
globe.
The winter lasts eight long months,
from September till May. The sum
mers are warmer than one would ex-
pect, the temperature in the sun reg
istering up to 80 degrees centigrade
csc degrees Fahrenheit), but it is very
rarely that summer passes without
a snowstorm A summer "day," dur
ing which the sun never disappears
below the horizon, lasts almost three
months-from April % till July 20.
The Indigirka thaws generally during
the first days of June.
The flora is of the scantiest. In
summer the ground thaws to a depth
of only two feet; below that it is for
ever frozen. Throughout this region
there are no forests. Not single ma
tive of Russkoe Ustye has ever seen
a tree growing to them a common fir
tree is as much of a curiosity as a
tropical palm tree to a northern per
son.
The shrubs of the willow extend ten
miles toward the sea and then come
to an end Git is about As miles from
Russkoe Ustye to the Arctic ocean,.
There, even grass ceases to grow.
Nothing but Swamps.
In summer, no matter where one
turns, one can see nothing but swamps.
In spring and summer the Lndigirka
brings on it's currents from the south
large numbers of fallen trees. These
are eagerly picked off the banks by
the natives, for this driftwood makes
it possible for them to Withstand the
intense winter cold, and they likewise
build their dwellings of 1t.
The staple food of the natives is
fish, which is taken in summer as well
as in winter (under the ice). Sea
food is also fed to the dogs.
The local fish is excellent, especially
the muksun. which belongs to the sal
mon family. It is usually cooked,
but is often dried in the sun and
smoked SO prepared. it serves in
place Of bread and is regarded as 2
delicacy.
More often, however, the fish is fro
zen and eaten raw, and is called stro-
ganin, or sliced fish. The skin is re
moved and the fish is cut in slices with
a sharp knife II must be eaten fro
zen with salt
OF bread the natives are completely
ignorant. Frozen bread is brought II
by the wealthiest traders. who treaf
their friends to 1t as one might treat
a person to chocolate. The trader:
also bring sugar, but It Is regarded al
great delicacy.