] 24 8HJKHIA. 



Tho exci!.isivf hiiiiiiiiL.' (it viiiiiatii'- wild ,iMiiii;u>, iiiid in particular, extensive forest 

 lircs in Wostorn Silx^riu, compel (hem to emit^rate, drivinf,' tlicm mainly eastwards into the 

 vir^Mn tliirk<!ts of tin- Yakutsk forests. Here the precious sable is fairly abundant, but hunters 

 are rare. Ilnntinf,' the arctic fox also forms a not inconsiderable addition to the livelihood of 

 the Yakutsk, I)olf,'ans and other natives. During.' his mit,Mation from the sea up the river, the 

 latter is barred across with nets or fences, and this animal is sometimes cau^'lit with the aid 

 of special traps in considerable quantities. Thus, in 1860, during' a great micration of arctic 

 foxes on the Yenisei some 7,fXX) of them were cautrht. 



The earninf,'S of the inhabitants from hunting' and trappiuL' belonL' to the number of 

 the most variable. A less accidental character is attached to sriniri'-I hnntiiiL', but even this 

 animal, in dependence upon the harvest of fir-cones formini.' its chief food, srimetimes retires 

 into the most distant forests least accessible to the hunter, at others comes out upon the 

 more nearly situated spots. In the latter case the sport yields frood results. Good hunters pet 

 durin^^ a winter in the Tobolsk fjovernment 200 to 300 head, while further to the east they 

 kill as many as 500 squirrels per iiun. When the majority of the squiirels retire to the 

 remote parts of the forest, the best hunter will not shoot even a fifth part of this fi^rure. 

 The hazel hen or riabchik, shot in tho Tobolsk goveiiiraent mainly for the European 

 Russian market, yields a fairly constant oarninirs, the bag in one winter reaching 50 to 100 

 brace, and if very successful much more. The shooting of other birds such as blackcock, 

 wildgeese, and ducks, has not much importance in Siberia. Such birds are mostly shot for 

 sport, and but small quantities are offered for sale. As to the pursuit of fur animals, as 

 well as bears and other such wild animals, all here depends on chance. With luck such a 

 chase produces earnings of hundreds of roubles. With bad luck it happens that the hunter, 

 after wandering through the forest half the winter, returns either with nothing at all or with 

 a booty which does not cover the cost of feeding himself and his dogs. The main fur animals 

 taken in Eastern Siberia are the sable, fox, marten and k o 1 o n o k or Siberian weasel. 

 Ermine for the lack of demand are hardly shot at all. The chief fur traders are the natives, 

 both because they own by prescription all the best grounds, and because they possess as 

 regards this industry much greater knowledge, skill and endurance than the Russian peasant. 



For the convenience of the natives of the northern region of the goveniments of 

 Tobolsk and Yeniseisk and the territory of Yakutsk, for whom luinting forms if not the only, 

 at any rate, one of the chief means of existence, the Government in many places makes 

 them loans of powder, shot and lead. For this purpose the native grain stores are constantly 

 provided with the necessary supplies of these articles, and the natives very eagerly avail 

 themselves of the privilege in order to avoid being indebted to private traders. 



The same boundless Siberian forests are the centre of another industry also very im- 

 portant in the economy of pretty considerable portion of the population, the gathering of 

 cedar nuts. This industry exists in all the Sibeiian governments. The cedar forests, sometimes 

 of small size, but not seldom extending to tens and hundreds of square versts, are scattered 

 through all the urmans and taigas, and are for the most part, as mentioned above, left by 

 the Government to the free enjoyment of all who wish to make use of them. People collect 

 to gather these nuts from settlements situated thirty and fifty versts from the grove, and 

 sometimes over one hundred versts. 



