i68 A SHOOTING TRIP TO KAMCHATKA 



the men about, who stood laughing at his helplessness, 

 yet nevertheless complied with the little Chinaman's 

 wishes. 



The following day's long march was to bring us at 

 last to Ganal. The scenery was similar to that of 

 preceding days : the road winding through birch and 

 poplar woods, with thick undergrowth of tall grass 

 and juniper ; here and there a few cedars would inter- 

 rupt the uniformity of the country, and in open spaces 

 broad stretches of briar in full bloom afforded a plea- 

 sant diversion to the eye. We crossed several lateral 

 streams, and a few miles before our destination struck 

 the valley of the Bystraia River, which joins the 

 Bolshaia at its mouths, close to the village of Bol- 

 sheretsk on the Sea of Okhotsk. The vallev o-radu- 

 ally widens as we approach Ganal, where it extends 

 to three or four miles in breadth, forming the tundra 

 of that name. To our right rose the so-called Gandl- 

 sky vostriakl, or Aiguilles, rows of sharp-edged vol- 

 canic crags, which were as yet invisible on account of 

 the prevailing mist. We could just surmise the exist- 

 ence of a loftier range, bordering the eastern side of 

 the valley from the steep gullies sweeping down, and 

 partly filled with last winter's snows. At the further 

 end ran parallel a lower range of llat-topped hills with 

 broad plateaux, which we could distinctly perceive to 



