24 A SHOOTING TRIP TO KAMCHATKA 



the ports of the Sea of Okhotsk, which imphed the 

 disagreeable alternative of an additional month's sea 

 voyage. This intelligence, however, did not damp our 

 aspirations. Mr. Schwabe, of the fur-dealing firm 

 of Crompton and Schwabe, kindly supplied the infor- 

 mation we required, and confirmed the telegram I had 

 received from the Russian authorities to the effect 

 that our steamer was to start from X'ladivostok on 

 June 14. 



We accordingly left London at the end of April 

 for St. Petersburg, where Tallent was to meet us, 

 having made the journey by sea together with our 

 impedimenta, which, owing to the probable difficulties 

 of commissariat in Kamchatka, had by that time con- 

 siderably increased in bulk ; the bill of lading showed 

 four tons. We remained a few days in the Russian 

 capital. Before my departure I took the opportunity 

 of meeting Professor Sliounine, who had spent three 

 years in Kamchatka on a Government niission, and 

 who afforded us much information on those remote 

 regions. He was at that time preparing a most inter- 

 esting account of his experiences, which has since 

 been published. Our conversation turned principally 

 on the fauna of the country. I gathered from him that 

 wild sheep existed on most of the hills north and south 

 of Avatcha Bav, and especiallv on the clifts overlook- 



