38 A SHOOTING TRIP TO KAMCHATKA 



The scenery round the lake is highly picturesque, 

 surrounded as it is by craggy hills and dense fir woods. 

 In the autumn months storms are frequent and greatly 

 endanger navigation ; in winter the ice forms deep 

 crevasses, which render traffic very difficult. The 

 interruption of the railway by this immense stretch 

 of water prompted the Government to complete the 

 communication by land, and join the two lines by 

 a section running round the southern shores of the 

 lake. The construction of this line was being carried 

 on with unceasing energy at that time, and I heard 

 that it was no easy enterprise, on account of the 

 mountainous nature of the country. I gathered that 

 bears were plentiful in the neighbouring forests. Seals 

 abound on the northern coasts of the lake, as well as 

 on its numerous islands. Several species of Sa/mo 

 inhabit its depths {Sa////o ouiul, baicalcusis, tJivuialliis, 

 fliiviatilis) also the "golomianka" {CoiiicpJioi'its Iniica- 

 Iciisis), a fish which is peculiar to Lake Baikal and 

 found nowhere else. 



The morning was fresh, and icebergs still floated 

 on the waters as we entered the steam ferry. The 

 sun shone brioht, and our five hours' crossinof was 

 by no means an unpleasant diversion. At Myssovaia 

 we found a train waiting to convey us to Stretensk. 

 It took an hour to unship the train on to the tempo- 



