ELEPHANT OF THE LENA. 137 



there had been discovered 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 preser- 

 vation, and it was supposed that the fossil pro- 

 duction known under the name of Mammoth's 

 horns, must have belonged to an animal 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 president of the academy 

 of Petersburgh.* The news of this interesting 

 discovery determined me to hasten the journey 

 which I had in contemplation, for the purpose of 

 visiting the shores of tlie 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 ; 



* Telesius says, these are both preserved in 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. 



