72 A SHOOTING TRIP TO KAMCHATKA 



rose at the further side of the straits, Hke a well-bred 

 horse covered with foam. Hearty salutes were ex- 

 chang-ed, and the snow-white apparition was soon but 

 a spot on the horizon. Tide :'iysi/s current had pro- 

 duced a strong swell of unbreaking" waves, making us 

 feel quite uncomfortable again. Hut the captain said 

 that the glass was high, and promised a smooth jour- 

 ney for the morrow. In the meanwhile we passed off 

 Hakodadi Harbour, the town being hidden from view. 

 It is the capital of Yesso and an important Japanese 

 commercial centre. We were told that Japanese 

 steamers run twice every summer from this place to 

 Petropavlovsk. As we were greatly embarrassed on 

 the subject of our return journey from Kamchatka, the 

 /^'c^/'/'c?'/ having to call on her way back at several ports 

 of the Sea of Okhotsk, such as Gigiga, Ola, Ayan, and 

 others, and employing a whole month for the cruise, we 

 thought it possible to avail ourselves of one of these 

 two Japanese ships to convey us back to civilisation. 

 As it happened we never saw either of them. Having on 

 our left the Hakodadi lighthouse, we entered the open 

 Pacific towards evening, and steering round the south- 

 eastern promontory of Yesso, took a northerly direction. 

 That night at supper, for the tu'st time, all the pas- 

 seno'ers Lrathercd round the table, and the fiddles had 

 disappeared. Wc naturally made closer acquaintance 



