626 Cochran^ s Journey to the Frozen Sea and Kamtchatkai 



broidered, as were also liis cap and days of hard labour. My route laj 



gloves. The performance of course along the Kolyma, Zysanka, Indigirka, 



began by smoking a pipe; then taking Omekon, and Okota; all of which are, 



his tambourine and bolotiyak. or tarn- at this season of the year, large, rapid. 



bouriiie-stick, he seated iiiaiself crossed 

 legged near the person to be exorcised, 

 and began to sing a doleful ditty, ac- 

 companied by more doleful music ; the 

 import of the song I could not gather. 



dangerous, and almost impassable rivers. 

 Besides these, there are numerous other 

 streams, as well as lofty mountains of 

 frozen snow, large overflowed marshes, 

 crowded and decayed forests, and half 



After this introduction he began to jump, frozen lakes, which present themselves 



Jiop, and fling about, roaring, screaming, in every part of this journey : suffering 



and making the most hideous distor- at the same time cold, rain, hunger and 



lions of lace and body, so that I actually fatigue, with forty-five nights' exposure 



believed him to be mad. I never felt to the snow ; at times without fire, in a 



more |)ain for any one than I felt for this frost of thirty degrees ; and latterly five 



shaniann, certainly much more than for days being passed without food ; never 



the sick person on whose behalf his in- having seen an individual during four 



captations were made. After this hundred miles, and but one habitation 



violent exercise, he drew his knife, and, in the extent of one thousand: being 



to all appearance, plunged it into his frequently bewildered and lost in the 



belly. 1 really felt alarmed, believing snow mountains. 



that he had actually committed suicide: "I was induced to undertake the iato 



he, however, drew back the knife in my journey in order that I might reach 



presence without any effusion of blood, Okotsk in time to proceed to America 



and indeed without any actual incision or Kamtchatka, as circumstances should 



l)eing m;ide. He then formally an- render most desirable or necessary: 



iiouuced that the evil spirit would not otherwise the proper route from the 



triumph, i)rovidcd the customary sa- Kolyma to Okotsk is vii Yakutsk, the 



orifice were made, of a fat mare. The route of the OmekoH having been dis- , 



party were then dismissed with an in- continued thirty years, in consequence 



vilalion to come to the next day's feast, of the difficulties and perils which ever 



when the mare was to be cooked. In attend it. 



all this conjuration, there was indeed no " Your excellency is well aware tlxit 



slight of hand, but rather a slight of the tlie object I had in view, when I tjuder- 



bclly, and the case is, that t!ie bliamanns took this long and painful journey, was,, 



are, from habit, accustomed to draw in first to ascertain the situation of She- 



that part of the belly which the knife is latskoi Noss, then to cross from Asia to 



supposed to penetrate, to a distance of America, at Behiing's Straits, and trace 



fi\e or six inches ; lliey never, however, the latter continent as far as possible to,, 



use other than their own knives, from the north-cast. 



tear, I presume, of tiicir being too long. " The first problem is entirely solved 



The power of these impostors over the by the fortunate issue of Baron Wrangel's 



ignorant nuiltilutle is very great, but expedition. The north east boundary 



tiicy do not wander f;ir froni their prin- 

 cipality, nor are they numerous. Their 

 pretensions extend to the cure of dis- 

 eases, changing the weather, affording 

 successful chase, and finding stolen 

 things. 



LETTER ADDRESSED TO THE GOVERNOR- 

 GENERAL OF SIBERIA. 



Okotsk, July 8, 1821. 

 " Most excellent Sir, 



" From the river Kolyma 1 had last 

 the honour of addressing jour excel- 

 lency ; since when I iiave come over a 

 large tract of desolate conntry, nearly 



of Asia being thus established beyond all 

 doubt, I could no louger have any 

 reason for remaining in the vicinity of 

 the Kolyma, which place I accordingly 

 (juilted the moment the fair held with 

 the Tschuktchi, upon the Anuiuy, was 

 finished. 



" Had I known when in Europe of 

 the expeditions on the Kolyma and in 

 Behring's Si raits, I do not think I should 

 have taken this route to employ and lai— 

 prove myself." 



OKOTSK. Lat. 59N. Ion. USE. 



Okotsk is situated in the north-east 



two thousand miles, with great labour part of a bay formed by the rivers Okota 



and scmie \wn\. 'i'he dilliculties I have and Kouktui, and is approaching to 



bad to contend with surpass everything more respect and consideration than it 



of the kind I have before seen, and re- ever did before, owing, I believe, prin- 



rpiircd every exertion of mine to conquer, cipally to the active and honest exer- 



wliich I did not do under seventy-five tious of the present chief. The town 



was 



