

TAR 55 



TARAKAI is the name of a large island, which ha 

 Ions; figured on our maps under the name of Saghalien o 

 Saghalian, and has at different times been supposed to b( 

 called Tchoka, Karafto, and Sandan. This island extends 

 from south of 46 to 54 20' N. lat., more than 600 miles ir 

 length, but the width is various. Towards the southern 

 extremity, north of the Bay of Aniva, it is nearly 100 miles 

 wide, hut it soon contracts to about 25 miles, which is 

 about its average width as far north as the Bay of Patience 

 where it suddenly expands to 120 miles, Cape Patience 

 running far out into the Pacific. From this point (49 N. 

 lat. i northward the island asrain grows narrower, but ver\ 

 gradually, so that at 51" N. lat. it is still nearly 80 miles 

 wide. Farther north its average width does not exceed 

 50 miles. The area of the island probably exceeds 30,OOC 

 square miles, which is not much more than that of Scot- 

 land, if we include the islands. 



Taraka'i extends along the eastern coast of Asia between 

 142 and 145 E. long., and is separated from the continent 

 by a strait, which is called the Gulf of Tartary, because 

 the country of the Mantchoos for a long time was known 

 by the name of Tartary. This <rnlf or strait is 200 miles 

 wide at its most southern extremity, but it grows nar- 

 rower as we advance farther north, until near~51 30' N. 

 lat. it is less than 40 miles wide. So far this sea has been 

 navigated, hut at that point a shoal extends across the 

 gulf, on which there is only water for boats. That portion 

 of the gulf which lies between 51 30' and 52 30' N. lat. 

 is not known. Krusenstem thinks that this part of the 

 island of TarakaV is united to the continent of Asia by an 

 IU8, but I.a Perouse expressly states that dried fish is 

 carried from the western shores of the island to the river 

 Amur in boats, which could not be done if the isthmus of 

 Krusenstem existed. It may appear strange that these two 

 navigators have not been able to decide this point, a.s one 

 sailed up from the south to r>l30', and the other from the 

 north to nearly 53 N.lat., but they found the sea always 



d with thick loirs, and hardly ever could see a tew 

 mile-, before them, and the water shoaled so suddenly and 

 constantly that they did not think it advisable to proceed 

 farther. If an isthmus exists, it must be near 52 30* N. 

 lat.. where a low sandy cape certainly stretches so far to 

 the east as to approach very near the western shores of the 

 island. North of this narrow and shallow part, the gulf 



's a circular basin, about 50 miles wide, which re- 



- the waters of the river Amur, and is therefore called 

 by Krusenstem the Liman of the Amur. This basin is 

 united with the sea of Okhotsk by a strait, which in the 

 narrowest part is about ten miles wide. It does not ap- 



that there is any current in this gulf, which is 



in favour of the opinion of Krusenstem. The southern 



iiity (if Taraka'i is divided from the island of Yeso by 



rait of La Perouse, which, between Cape Crillon on 



Taraka'i and between Cape Soja on Yeso, is hardly thirty 



miles wide, and in which the tides run with great velocity. 



. who visited the Gulf of Tartary in June,'found 



luthem winds were blowing nearly uninterruptedly; 



but Broughton, who was there in September, experienced 



i and north-eastern winds. 



Though the eoa-t of the island is of great extent and 

 much indented, it does not appear that there are many 

 good harbours. Along the western shores only open road- 

 steads have been found. At the southern extremity of 

 the island, between Cape Crillon and Cape Aniva, is a 

 bay, the Bay of Auiva, which is enclosed bv two 

 projecting tongues of land, and extends 50 miles "from 

 south to north. Tlv ,,1 anchorage at its 'most 



northern extremity. The projecting headland, which 

 occurs near 49 N. lat., on the eastern side of TarakaV, and 

 terminates with Cape Patience, endogel Die Hay of Pa- 

 tience, which is very extensive, but open and exposed to 

 11 and southern winds. At the most northern ex- 

 J of the island is the Northern Bay, between the 

 cape of that name and Cape Mary. It is not very large, 

 ami oll'ci in several places LTOOI! anchorage and shelter. 



The island is naturally divided into three tracts: the 

 mountainous, which occupies the southern portion; the 

 level, in the middle; and the hilly tract, which extends 

 over the northern districts. The mountain-region i 



uds more than one-half of the island, 

 Hie north at Cape Delisle de la (V 

 "'1 ' N. lat. . A chain of mountains begins at Cape 

 Crillon, and continues in an uninterrupted line northward 



TAR 



to an elevated summit called Peak Bernizel, where it 

 seems to be united to another and lower chain, which 

 traverses the eastern peninsula, and incloses the Hay of 

 Aniva on the east. Cape Aniva is formed by a high 

 isolated hill, which is connected by a low isthmus with 

 I he chain of hills which lies farther north, and joins the 

 principal range at Peak Bernizel. Farther north occur 

 other summits, as Peak Lamanon, Peak Mongez, and Mount 

 Tiara : the two last mentioned are north of 50 N. lat. 

 None of these summils have been measured, but their 

 elevation probably does not exceed 5000 feet above the 

 sea-level. Along the western coast the mountains in some 

 places come close up to the water's edge, but a narrow level 

 tract generally separates them from the shore, and this 

 tract is covered with high trees, while the delivities of the 

 mountains are mostly bare, probably owing to the rapidity 

 of their slope. Extensive flats occur at Aniva Bay and the 

 Bay "of Patience. The low country .which skirts the shore 

 on the eastern side of the mountains appears to be more 

 extensive and less interrupted than that along the western 

 shores. On the eastern side the shore in some places is 

 level and low, and in others elevated. The country ex- 

 tending from 51 to 53 N. lat. is so low that the shores are 

 not visible at the distance of five or six miles, and it is 

 sandy and overgrown with hushes. The interior is in gene- 

 ral level, partly sandy and partly swampy, and a great part 

 of it is covered with short bushes or small trees. A num- 

 ber of low sand-hills are dispersed over the country, which 

 are destitute of trees, and appear like islands in a sea of 

 verdure. The hilly tract occupies the most northern part 

 of the island, or that which extends from 53 N. lat. to 

 Cape Elizabeth. The coast is in general high and steep, 

 being generally composed of perpendicular white cliff's. 

 There are only a few tracts in which the coast sinks down 

 to the level of the sea ; and here the villages are built. 

 The interior consists of a succession of high hills covered 

 with full-grown trees to the very summits ; the valleys 

 which intervene between them are partly wooded and 

 partly covered with a fine close turf. This part of TarakaV 

 seems to possess a considerable degree of fertility. 



Clirnntii. As European navigators have only occasion- 

 ally visited this island, and have only stayed there a few 

 dii\ t, or at the utmost a couple of weeks, our information 

 respecting the climate is extremely deficient. We only 

 know that even at the beginning of'June the higher sum- 

 mits of the mountains have still some snow on them, which 

 indicates that the country must be much colder than Great 

 Britain, which is nearly at the same distance from the 

 pole : otherwise the summer months seem to be temperate, 

 but the continual fogs which enclose the island nearly all 

 the year round are more dense than those that occur on 

 the coasts of Nova Scotia. 



l'rtiilitrti<iiix.No kind of grain is cultivated, not e\en 

 ound the settlements of the Japanese, nor are orchards or 

 titchen-gardens mentioned. The inhabitants however de- 

 rive profit from the spontaneous products of the soil : they 

 hy the roots of a species of lily for winter food, and collect 

 great quantities of garlic and angelica, which are found 

 MI the skirts of the woods. The forests consist of oak, 

 maple, birch, and medlar, but chiefly of fir. Large tracts 

 are covered with juniper-trees. Gooseberries, raspberries, 

 and strawberries abound, and also wild celery and water- 

 -. It does not appear that \\ild animals are nu- 

 nerous : only martens and bears are mentioned, and even 

 :hese do not seem to be common. The sea supplies the 

 nhabitauts with the means of subsistence. Salmon is 

 jerhaps nowhere so abundant as in the Gulf of Tartarv. 

 The account of La Perouse in this respect seems hardly 

 credible. Dried and smoked salmon, together with the 

 skins of salmon, are prepared for the foreign market, and 

 onslitute the principal articles of export. Herrings, 

 which are very abundant, are likewise cured and exported. 

 Cod occurs, liul it docs not seem to be taken to such an 

 amount as to form an article of export. Whales are nu- 

 nerous in the Strait of La Perouse and along the eastern 

 oasl, and train-oil in bladders is an article of export. In 

 he same' parts seals, fur-seals ^(Phoca ursina), sea-lions 

 Phnca jiibata), and sea-otters (Lutra marina) are very 

 frequent. No mines are worked. 



The inhabitants are aborigines, among whom a few Japa- 

 icse have settled on the Bayof Aniva, and a few Mantchoos 

 on the Northern Bay. In the Japanese settlements are a 

 Tew Japanese officers, but no Chinese authorities have been 



