152 THE JEANNETTE ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



them, and got the frost out of them, but he will probably 

 suffer from chilblains for a long time. The next morning 

 he was quiet and reasonable, and he begged me to have 

 him well guarded, for at times he is out of his head. He is 

 a very worthy man, nearly fifty years of age, and has been a 

 very excellent man in his time. The great trouble at pre- 

 sent is that he has to be idle, there being nothing for him to 

 do but kill time. 



" Yakutsk is a city of 5,000 inhabitants, and is situated 

 on the west bank of the Lena River. It is the chief city in 

 this part of Siberia, and is the residence of the Governor 

 General Tchernieff. The houses are built of wood and are 

 not painted. The streets are very wide, and each hoti.se has 

 a large yard or court. The principal trade is in furs, and in 

 summer a great deal of fresh meat is sent up the river. 

 This is a very cold place. During nine months of the year 

 snow and ice abound. In the winter the thermometer falls 

 to 70 degrees below zero. Since our arrival it has been 68 

 degrees below, and to-day it is only 35 or thereabouts. In 

 the summer the temperature rises as high as 95 degrees, but 

 the nights are cold. 



" There are many horses and cows in this vicinity. The 

 natives of Yakutsk eat horse-meat, but the Russians eat beef 

 and venison, potatoes, cabbage, and a few other vegetables. 

 A few berries, wheat, and rye are grown in this vicinity. 

 There are a few sheep and poultry also. The Russian 

 Christmas is twelve days after ours. They have a great 

 round of festivities during the Prasnik. In fact it has al- 

 ready commenced, and it is hard to get any work done. I 

 went to the tailor's to get some clothes made and he refused 

 to take any more work. 



"Of course there is very little American news in this far- 

 away place, but I have been able to pick up a few bits of it 

 here and there. The death of Garfield is a topic often men- 

 tioned, and from the accounts here I learn that he was shot 

 by ' Guiott,' on the train near Long Branch. A great deal 

 of interest and sympathy is manifested by the Russians." 



