THE KAMCHATKA RIVER i77 



amphitheatre of snow-clad mountains, with a lofty 

 cone-shaped peak to the left ; that was the Kamchat- 

 skaia Vershina, an extinct volcano of about 8,000 teet, 

 towering- above the different ranges, distributed in all 

 directions, and forming the central mountain group of 

 the southern part of the peninsula. We were now 

 within ten or twelve miles of the head-waters of the 

 Kamchatka River, and as far from our coveted hunt- 

 inof-srounds. We soon struck the river itself, which 

 is here but a small stream hardly ten yards wide, 

 though fast and deep enough to make us look for a 

 ford, which we discovered after a lengthy search. 

 Our old guide seemed quite cheery again, and twenty 

 years younger, as he marched ahead of the caravan 

 along one of the numerous bear trails which ran 

 through the high grass and tall reeds bordering the 

 small river. The vegetation here was exceptionally 

 high, towering above the mounted ponies, which ad- 

 vanced slowly in Indian file. This task was all the 

 more difficult, since he had visited these regions with 

 his sledge-dogs in winter a quarter of a century ago, 

 and the aspect of a country alters entirely at different 

 times of year. Now and again he would halt to pick 

 up another track, or endeavour to recall to mind some 

 more conspicuous feature of the scenery, and resume 

 his course after a few minutes' hesitation. Neverthe- 



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