SABLE 115 



with its open and unsheltered bays. That day we 

 called at the shops for different odds and ends. I was 

 struck by the unusually high prices ; we were charged 

 fourteen roubles (^i los.) for a small copper kettle, 

 and other trifles on a similar scale. Eggs are particu- 

 larly dear — twenty kopecks (6^/.) apiece — owing to the 

 scarcity of hens, which have to be carefully protected 

 against the omnivorous sledge - dogs ! American 

 articles, such as Californian canned fruit, come very 

 cheap on account of their being free from duty, for 

 Petropavlovsk indulges in the high-sounding title of a 

 "free port." Upon calling on Mr. Rousanoff, this 

 elderly gentleman took us into his back shop and 

 produced a large trunk filled with over two hundred 

 sable skins of the finest quality ; this was probably 

 the result of many an advantageous exchange during 

 the period of " starvation." He told us that the price of 

 this valuable fur had risen that year, and that Schwabe's 

 agent had {uirchased almost the whole Government 

 stock a month before for ^6 apiece, including good 

 and bad skins. He asked us £S for each of his, and 

 declined to sell fewer than fifty skins. We thanked 

 him for his generous proposal, and returned on board 

 in order to make our preparations. 



On the following morning we disembarked with all 

 our belongings and pitched camp on the narrow tongue 



