100 On the Mammoth, 



afterwards in some German ephemerides ; but as they are now 

 scarce, I shall cite his own words. 



' I should reproach myself if I longer delayed the publica- 

 tion of a zoological discovery, which is highly interesting in its 

 detail, since it makes us acquainted with a species of animal, 

 whose existence was a subject of dispute among our best in- 

 formed naturalists. 



' I was told at Jakutsk by the merchant Popoff, chief of 

 the body of merchants of that town, that there had been dis- 

 covered on the shores of the Frozen Ocean, near the mouth of 

 the river Lena, an animal of extraordinary magnitude. The 

 flesh, the skin, and the hair, were in a state of preservation, 

 and it was supposed that the fossil production known under 

 the name of Mammoth's horns, must have belonged to an ani- 

 mal of this species. Mr. PopofF, had at the same time the 

 kindness to present me with a drawing and description of this 

 animal, and I thought it right to send them both to the Presi- 

 dent of the Academy of Petersburg *. The news of this inte- 

 resting discovery determined me to hasten the journey which I 

 had in contemplation for the purpose of visiting the shores of 

 the Lena as far as the Frozen Ocean ; wishing to preserve these 

 precious remains, which might otherwise be lost. My stay at 

 Jakutsk consequently did not last many days ; I set off on the 

 7th of June, 1806, furnished with some necessary letters, of 

 which part were for the agents of government and the merchants, 

 whose assistance I thought would be useful in my researches. 

 On the 16th of June I arrived at the little town of Schigansk, 

 and towards the end of this same month I was at Kuma- 

 Surka; from thence I made a particular excursion, of which the 

 Mammoth was the object, and I will now relate what my journal 

 contains on that subject f. 



* Tilesius says these are both preserved iu the academy, but describes 

 the drawing as very bad, representing a pig rather than an elephant, with 

 red hair on the back. He says that the description was quite worthy of 

 the drawing. 



X Some parts of this account, not immediately relating to the object iu 

 view, are h«>re omitted- 



