TAME BEARS 285 



strong-, we advanced at slow speed both on account of 

 the constant mist in the early morning and of the 

 heavy barge in tow behind us. August the 17th was 

 a lovely warm day after the daily fog had cleared away, 

 but here again we were delayed by a peasant who 

 had thrown himself overboard. The steamer stopped, 

 and boats were lowered to rescue the unhappy man. 

 He was picked up a mile lower down by sheer force, 

 after a desperate struggle, and safely brought back. 

 He proved to be off his head from intoxication, and a 

 couple more hours were thus lost over this affair. 



On the following day a strong contrary wind sprang 

 up. We could perceive in the faint distance a loftier 

 range of hills, the Sikota-Alin, whilst the foreground 

 presented the same monotonous aspect of rolling, 

 wooded boulders, which gradually grew lower. Round 

 the hamlet we could see occasional signs of cultivation, 

 consisting chiefly of barley and potatoes. Now and 

 then a fine sturgeon would he brought in and pur- 

 chased by our restaui'ateiir for the e\^ening meal. 

 After a stormy night we halted to take in wood 

 at a village called Malmyjskoie, where native Goldy 

 ladies came to meet us in bright procession. I learnt 

 that the Goldys deify Bruin, and each settlement of 

 that tribe owns its tame bear, which they hold in great 

 respect, and though the inhabitants may be starving 



