A WELL-KNOWN HUNTER 173 



Deep was our perplexity at this unexpected turn of 

 affairs, for we had been assured at Petropavlovsk that 

 the Ganahans were all mighty hunters before the 

 Lord ! 



In the evening, as we sat discussing- plans and 

 shaking off mosquitoes, the General introduced to us 

 an old man of seventy, who, as he expressed himself, 

 was " discontented with his ears." Not only was he 

 quite deaf, but apparently almost dumb. Neverthe- 

 less, the few words we could get out of him were as 

 a ray of sunshine in the darkness. He appeared to 

 have been a well-known hunter in his younger days, 

 and had actually shot wild sheep at the head-waters 

 of the Bystraia some thirty years ago. He was (juite 

 willing to accompany us, saying that he would do his 

 best to take us to those hunting-grounds, although it 

 was so lono- since he had visited those reoions that he 

 could not promise to recognise them. Strange to say, 

 his memory did not fail him ; this old wreck was to be 

 our " ouidino- star" to the sources of the Kamchatka 

 River. We passed a bad night at Ganal : what with 

 the mosquito bites, the neighing of our pack-ponies, 

 and the whining of the dogs, sleep was out of the 

 question. 



A couple of young natives turned up next morning 

 with the invaluable patriarch, who was their grand- 



