FRESH PLANS 225 



exaggerated, and the source of this unexpected news 

 lacked authenticity, we could not help thinking that 

 some important disturbance had taken place, and that 

 our projected trip to Amurland into the Khingan was 

 likely to fall through. This only encouraged further 

 attempts to secure trophies of Kamchatkan bighorn, 

 and a fresh plan dawned upon us. A small steamer 

 of the Seal Fisheries Co., the Kotik. bound for the 

 Commander Islands, lay at present off Petropavlovsk; 

 if only the skipper could be induced to drop us. on 

 his way, at Cape Shipounsky, the captain of the 

 Tsitsikar might call for us at that place ten days 

 later, when he intended to start back to Nikolaievsk. 

 The Ispravnik volunteered to carry on the negotia- 

 tions with both captains, whilst we laid in stores for 

 the journey. To our great vexation, though the 

 former was quite willing to land us at Morjovoi Bay 

 (Walrus Bay), close to the coveted promontory, the 

 skipper of the Tsitsikar would not listen to any 

 proposal, and flatly declined to steer a single mile 

 out of his route, alleging that he had no instructions 

 whatever on the subject, that the weather might 

 prevent him from entering an unsheltered bay, which 

 was not even marked on the chart, and that he was 

 due on a fixed date at Ta-lien-\\'an. being tied by 

 an important contract for timber. Thus vanished 



