136 A SHOOTING TRIP TO KAMCHATKA 



We now reconsidered our former scheme, and 

 turned our attention towards the Ganal Ranoe. It 

 was quite possible that during the days wasted in 

 our fruitless attempts to get away, the passes into 

 the interior had been opened, and that we could 

 accordingly penetrate into the peninsula along the 

 only existing route which led to the head-waters of 

 the Kamchatka River. We decided to carry this out 

 at any cost, and despatched the Admiral to muster 

 a few^ ponies, with the aid of the Ispravnik, who 

 sent the three Cossacks of his "guard" on this 

 errand to the different settlements of the bay. Such 

 horses as they might manage to collect were to await 

 us at Khutor, a small hamlet situated a few miles up 

 the Avatcha River. As for ourselves, we were to 

 start across the bay, and follow the stream in canoes 

 to the Khutor rendezvous, whence our expedition by 

 land was to begin. In the meanwhile Cristo had 

 shaken off his attack of fever, which I strongly sus- 

 pected to be connected with our sailing trials, and 

 resumed his duties on hearing of our new intentions. 

 We were off, as projected, on July 2, at five a.m., 

 leaving Petropavlovsk for the fom'th time. Our two 

 boats, with ourselves and baLi^ai-e on board, were 

 towed across the bay by the steam launch, minus the 

 Ispravnik this time. It was a lovely fresh morning, 



