lo A SHOOTING TRIP TO KAMCHATKA 



Stringent measures were taken, including torture and 

 capital execution, in order to brin^' the Cossacks to 

 reason. The country was once more temporarily 

 pacified, and parties were sent out to investigate the 

 neighbouring- Kurile Islands, with instructions to 

 collect information about Japan. The fort of Nijni- 

 Kamchatsk was abandoned for a more suitable spot at 

 the toot of the Klioutchefskoi volcano. The followinof 

 years brouQ^ht but little change in the state of affairs 

 on the peninsula. More officials were killed by 

 Koriaks on their way to Anadyrsk and the yassak 

 was plundered. 



In 1716 it was found necessary to discover a new 

 route to Kamchatka, in order to avoid constant fights 

 with the warlike Koriaks of the north. A ship started 

 from Okhotsk and landed at the mouth of the Bolshaia 

 River ; this was the first attempt to reach Kamchatka 

 by sea. Henceforward Okhotsk gained importance 

 as a port, and became the administrative centre of 

 Russian possessions in the Far East. In 1720 the 

 country was still under the almost uncontrolled rule of 

 the Cossacks, and one of the officials reported to 

 Yakoutsk that if immediate measures were not taken 

 to remove the troublesome Cossacks and replace them 

 by others under strong military discipline, rebellion and 

 anarchy would never cease to prevail in the ravaged 



