292 A SHOOTING TRIP TO KAMCHATKA 



pines stood unaltered among- the reddish oaks and 

 acacias in full bloom, in the dense entanglement of 

 wild grape, hops, and thick underwood. Steep rocks 

 overhung the river, and the wild aspect of the country 

 made us regret our hasty determination. As we stood 

 on deck, we caught sight of several swollen bodies of 

 Chinamen drifting slowly downstream among logs of 

 floating timber, together with swamped canoes and 

 cartwheels ; these were, probably, the last vestiges of 

 the wholesale massacre which had recently taken place 

 round Blagovestchensk, where we dul\' arrl\ed on the 

 28th, after a tedious delay in repairing a paddle-wheel 

 damaged by the drifting timber. 



We learnt in the town that the small steamer was 

 due to start that very day at ten a.m. for Stretensk, 

 and soon found that the accommodation on board was 

 by no means attractive. Having hurriedly transported 

 our baggage, we proceeded to purchase some stores, 

 and called at the back doors of the shops, which were 

 closed on account of its being a holiday. Passing 

 through the garden of Government House, we were 

 shown se\eral big guns lately captured from the 

 Chinese. Some of them were of the modern type, 

 others two or three hundred years old, awkward-look- 

 inof cannons, with small brass idols carved on the 

 sides, and thoroughly explaining the harmless bom- 



