454 THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. [chap. 



journeys were repeated and finally led to tlie circumnavigation 

 of the north-easternmost promontory of Asia belongs to a 

 following chapter. 



During these journeys the Russians often came in contact 

 with the tribe which inhabited the north-eastern part of Asia, a 

 contact which in general was not of a friendly nature. The bold 

 hunters who contributed powerfully to the conquest of Siberia, 

 and who even at their own hand entered into conflicts with 

 whole armies from the heavenly empire, appear not to have 

 behaved well when confronted with the warriors of the Chukch 

 race. Even the attempts that were made with professional 

 soldiers to conquer the land of the Ghukches were without 

 result, less however, perhaps, on account of the armed opposition 

 which the Ghukches made than from the nature of the country 

 and the impossibility of even a small body of troops supporting 

 themselves. The following may be quoted as examples of these 

 campaigns which throw light upon the former disposition and 

 mode of life of this tribe. 



In 1701 some Yukagires who were tributary tO' Russia deter- 

 mined to make an attack on the Ghukches, and requested from 

 the commandant at Anadyrsk assistance against these enemies. 

 A body tof troops numbering twenty -four Russians and 110 

 Yukagires, was accordingly sent on a campaign along the coast 

 from Anadyrsk to Ghukotskojnos. By the way they fell in with 

 thii-teen tents, inhabited by Ghukches who owned no reindeer. 

 The inhabitants were required to submit and pay tribute. This 

 the Ghukches refused to do, on which the Russians killed most 

 of the men and took the women and children prisoners. The 

 men who were not cut down killed one another, preferring death 

 to the loss of freedom. Some days after there was another fight 

 with 300 Ghukches, which, however, was so unfortunate for the 

 latter that 200 are said to have fallen. The rest fled, but 

 returned next day with a force ten times as strong, which finally 

 compelled the Russo-Yukagirean troop to return with their 

 object unaccomplished. 



A similar campaign on a small scale was undertaken in 1711, 

 but with the same issue. On a demand for tribute the Ghukches 

 answered : " the Russians have before come to us to demand 

 tribute and hostages, but this we have refused to give, and thus 

 we also intend to do in future." ^ 



About fifteen years after this resultless campaign the Gossack 

 colonel Affanassej Schestakov proposed to the Government 



was visited by the Venetian Cadamosto, in 1454 {Ramusio, i., 1588, 

 leaf 100). 



^ As securit}' for tlie subjection of the conquered races, the Russians 

 were accustomed to take a number of men ^and women from their prin- 

 cipal families as hostages. These persons were called amanates, and were 

 kept in a sort of slavery at the fixed winter dwellings of the Russians. 



