68 A SHOOTING TRIP TO KAMCHATKA 



for. Here we picked up the faithful "Gabriel," who, 

 since our Mongolian trip, had been in Mr. Schwabe's 

 service, and who was now to accompany Littledale 

 to Kamchatka. We managed to secure, in a few 

 minutes' time, the services of a Chinese cook, whom 

 we immediately despatched on board. At the military 

 staff office we made a fruitless attempt to get a map 

 of Kamchatka, and at 4.45 p.m. embarked on the 

 s.s. Jni'i'ka/, a screw steamer of 1,100 tons, belongino- 

 to the Russo-Chinese Railway Company. The har- 

 bour was crowded with steamers and fishing smacks of 

 every description. There lay, awaiting Mr. Isvolsky, 

 the Russian Pacific Squadron first-class cruiser Rnrik, 

 which was to convey the minister to Japan. My wife, 

 accompanied by Madame Tchichagoff, was already on 

 the pier, and our luggage safely on board. At 5.30 

 p.m. we bade farewell to our still bewildered hostess, 

 who could not comprehend our sporting aspirations, and 

 weighed anchor for the distant northern peninsula. Our 

 captain, a sturdy mariner, courteously gave up to us 

 his own cabin, which was larger and more comfortable 

 than the others, and promised us that, if togs did not 

 delay the shi[), she would carry us in eight days to 

 Petropavlovsk, her average speed being ten knots an 

 hour. He intended to avoid crossing the Sea of 

 ( )kh()tsk, where dense foos constantlv prevail at that 



