Cochrane s Journey to the Frozen Sea and Kamtchatka. 6'2l 



mountains in Norlii America, or the 

 Pyrcnnees, or the Alps, cannot l)C com- 

 |iared with llie desolation of the scene 

 around me ! 'I'he tirst Cfmsidcrable 

 Iialling:-pl;ice from Yiikiitsk, the half- 

 way house, is nine hundred or one 

 thousand miles reuiored from a civilized 

 place. Sucli a spot ffives name to a 

 commissariat, and contains seven li:il>i- 

 talions of the most miserable kind, in- 

 fiabited severally by two cicrgjmen, 

 each separate, a non-commissioned of- 

 ficer, and a second in command ; a 

 post master, a merchant, and an old 

 widow. 



NtSHNEY KOLYMSK. 



We reached fifty-five miles with the 

 same dojiis, and put up for tlie night at 

 a Yukagir hut. Resumed next morn- 

 ing with increased cold, thou°;li calm 

 weather, and reached Nishney Kolymsk 

 at noon, amid 42° of frost, according lo 

 many spirit thermometers of Baron 

 Wrangel's on the 31st day of Decem- 

 ber, 1820, after a most tedious, la- 



hundred pounds weight. I enquired 

 for what they were intended, and learnt, 

 that I could not be supposed to liavu 

 brought fish with me for sut)sistence; 

 and that, as the season had already 

 passed for laying in a stock, the in- 

 habitants of course knew I must be in 

 want. During the forenoon I also re. 

 ceived a parka or leather frock, to bo 

 worn during my stay in the Kolyma. 

 It was a handsome one, mounted with 

 sables and martins. To this was added 

 tiQwsers, cap, boots, and leather hose; 

 in .short, every article of dress that 

 could be desired, and sufficient to have 

 served me at least a twelvemonth. 

 Besiilcs these articles, I was provided 

 with a bear's-skin for a bed, and a 

 leather covering for a blanket, lined with 

 hare's-skins. Gloves were supplied me 

 through the care of the ladies ; and 

 Baron Wrangel, at whose house I 

 lodged, crowned these benevolences, 

 besides his general kindness, in making 

 my situation absolutely enviable, by 



borious, and to me perilous, journey of fitting me with a complete suit of the 



sixty-one days, twenty of which v\ere 

 passed in the snow, without even the 

 comfort of a blanket — a great oversight, 

 I will not call it fault, of my worthy 

 friend Mr. Minitskj : nor had I even a 

 second coat, orjtarka, nor even a second 

 pair of boots, and less clothing than 

 even the guides and attendants of the 

 poorest class. I could not therefore but 



dress of the country, to be used if ne- 

 cessary, or retained as a sample of tho 

 costume in these northern parts. 



Baron Wrangel's expedition I found 

 in a state of much forwardness, great 

 exertions having been used in collecting 

 dogs and drivers, and provisions, as 

 well as in making new nartes or siedges. 

 I learnt that it would depart from the 



feel grateful for my safe arrival at such Kolyma in the month of March, in two 



a season of the year, in such intense divisions, one having for its object tho 



cold, and with only the upper part of solution of the question regarding tho 



my nose between my eyes at all in- latitude and longitude of the north-east 



jured. Had I not received the knee cape of Asia; and the other, a journey 



preservers I never should have arrived duenorth from theKolyma,in searchjof a 



«afe, unless by walking the whole real, or supposed continent, or rather 



di.stance; for when once the knees are the continuation of Asia to where it 



frost bitten in a serious manner, adieu joined the continent of America. I 



alike to them and life. dtd not hesitate to volunteer my 



I met at Nishney Kolymsk, the services; but in consequence of my 



Baron Wrangel and his companion being a foreigner I found my services 



Mr. Matiushkin, a midshipman. It could not be accepted without speci.il 



was the last day of the old year, and, in permission from the government. I 



the pleasant eirjoyment of a moderate therefore made up my mind to set out 



meal, a hearty welcome, and excellent for the country of the Tchutchi, and to 



friends, I soon forgot the past, and felt try my fortune in getting a passage 



little concern for the future. Quarters through (heir country, and so to crubs 



were appropriated me in the Baron's over Beliring's Straits for America, 



own house ; and with him, on the the cold. 



8horc8 of the Frozen Sea, I enjoyed The weather proved exceedingly 



health and every comfort I could cold in January and February, but 



desire. 



On the morning after my arrival at 

 Nishney Kolymsk, and while at break- 

 fast, I received, as a present, a couple 

 of large fish in a frozen date, weighing 

 lacU tivo or six pood*, or about tw* 



never so severe as to prevent our walks, 

 except during those times wlioii the 

 wind was very high : it then became 

 insupportable out of doors, and we 

 were obliged to remain at home. 

 Forty degrees of frost of Falironbeit 



never 



