﻿KANAOJL 



KANSAa 



mnanUin-vh, with aoros mUersd patobM of ttuntod birah, and 

 towmrd* the north thor itr* almast aotiraly overgrown with rain-dter 

 moM. The mk is shaliow to » ooiwidenbla durt«no«, and the aoundinga 

 ▼ary ra^Ur. Tha amall rirera wbioh trareraa thia re^ou bars at 

 thalr mouth not mora Ihito aix feet at low water, with a ooaaiderabla 

 ■orf breaking on tha aandj beach. 



The bMt part of the paniiwula ia the vale of the Kamtchatka Hirer, 

 which towarda ita aontbern extremity i« 40 miles acroaa, but grows 

 narrower to the northward. Ita length is 180 mile^ Ita aoil ia deep 

 and rich, oompoaed of a black earth or conniderable fertility. 



Among the riTora only the Kamtchatka requirea notice. It riaea 

 on the northern deolirity of the mouutaio-knot, runs in general in a 

 northern direction through the vale, but at Kishnei Ka mtch a tka, 

 where it approachea ita northern extremity, it tarns east, and empties 

 itaelf into a larnre but shallow bay, which is only 8 feet deep at high 

 water, and in which the breakers are veir violent when an easterly 

 wind blows. It flowa about 300 milea, and is the only navigable river 

 in the peninsula. 



The climate of Kamtchatka, when compared with thitt of Europe 

 nnder the same latitude, is very severe ; but it is much milder than 

 the eastern districts of Siberia. The frost seta in about the 10th of 

 October ; but up to the middle of December the thennometer com- 

 monly varies between 23° and 27° Fahr. During the following mouths 

 it averages between 1 4° and 20°. In very severe frosts it dtMceuds to 

 -10° and -15°, and sometimes though rarely, to -25°. On the sea- 

 ooast vegetation does not begin before the end of April, but in the 

 vale of the Kamtchatka, which is sheltered on all sides by mountains, 

 it begins at the end of March. Rain is frequent in summer, and in 

 winter a great deal of snow falls. 



AgricuTture was introduced by the Russians about 1 00 yoars ago. 

 In some places on the western coast, but more extennively in the vale 

 of the Khamtchatka River, rye, barley, buckwheat, potatoes, white 

 cabbages, turnips, rsdinhes, and cucumbers are grown, but these 

 articles are only cultivated by the Russian settlers. The number of 

 horses and cattle ia on the increase. The natives formerly lived 

 chiefly on the produce of the chase, by hunting bears, wild sheep or 

 argalia, wild reinnleer, ermines ; black, red, and Bljone foxes ; 

 wolves, sablrs, seals, and otters; but since the number of these 

 animaU has considerably decreased their time and industry are 

 employed in fishing. In no part of the globe is fish more abundant. 

 The natives scarcely know any other kind of food, and the bears and 

 dogs, wolves and foxes, sea-otters and seals, waterfowl and birds of 

 prey of various sorts, all feed upon fish. The most numerous kinds 

 are herrings, salmon, and cod. Wild-fowl, both land and aquatic, are 

 very numeroua Some of them are eaten ; but their eggs, of which 

 whole boata-full are easily collected, are of more importance to the 

 inhabitants. Poultry is very scarce on account of the dogs, who 

 devour the fowls wherever they find them. WTiales are numerous. 



The forests contain chiefly birch, larch, fir, and cedar-]>ine {Pinut 

 tanbra). The mineral wealth is little known : in some places there 

 is iron-ore. and sulphur is found in the vicinity of the volcanoes. 



Two native tribes inhabit the peninsula, the Kamtchatdales and the 

 Koriakes, the former occupying the peninsula as fur as 5tS° N. lat 

 The Koriakes wander througli the country north of the Kamtchatdales. 

 The Kamtchatdales are short, but stout, and broad in the shouldcn : 

 their head is large, their face flat and broad, their cheek-bones are 

 prominent, their lips thin, and their nose flattened ; tbuir hair is 

 black, hard, and lank ; their eyes sunk in tJio head, and their legs 

 thin. The Koriakes are pnncii>ally distinguished from them by the 

 ■mallneas of their head. Both nations dilfer in language and in mode 

 of life. The Kamtchatdales are hunters and fishermen, have fixed 

 habitations, and uae dogs to draw their sledges in winter. The 

 Koriakes are a wandering tribe, subsisting on the produce of their 

 numerous herds of rein-deer, of which the richer among them 

 ftwjuently possess aeveral thousands, and their sledges are drawn by 

 these animus. The whole population of the peninsula is stated not 

 to exceed SOOO souls, but it seems that the wandering Koriakea are 

 not included in thia estimate. The number of Russian settlers and 

 their descendants ia aaid to amount to 1400, a few Cossacks included. 

 The remainder are Kamtchatdales. 



The principal place is now PtStropaulovski, built on an extensive 

 bay [AWATSKA Bat], with about 600 inhabitanta Nishnei Kamt- 

 chatka, on the river Kamtchatka, formerly the residence of the 

 Kvemor, hardly contains more than 100 inhabitanta. Bolohereak 

 a a amall harbour on the western coast and about 200 inhabitanta. 

 The commerce of Kamtchatka ia inconsiderable. It exports only 

 tiis furs of aeveral animals which are taken by the natives, and 

 imports flour, sugar, colonial goods, whisky, tc, chiefly from 

 Okhotak, and partly from Java. 



Kamtchatka is a Kuasian province annexed to the government of 

 Eastern Siberia, or that of Irkutsk. 



(Co<ik, Becchy, Suer, Knisenstem, and Langsdorff, Voyage*.) 

 KANAOA. JAlkutiax Islands.] 



KANDAHAR, or CANDAHAIl, a fortified city of Central Afghan- 

 Ulan, and formerly the capital of the whole of that country, is 

 situat- d in a fertile plain watere<l by the Arkand-ab, the Tumuk, and 

 the Arfthasan, tributaries of the Helmund, at an elevation of about 

 8500 feet above the level of the aea, in 82° 87' N. Ut, 68° 20' E. long., 



200 milaa 8.W. from Cabal, S65 milas &E. from Herat ; and has about 

 60,000 inhabitants, chiefly Afghans, Penian^ and Hindoos. The 

 ancient Arctekoitu stood aomewhers in the same pUin as Kandahar, 

 which is also aaid to ooeupy a vary ancient aits. Be this as it may, 

 the present city was built by Ahmed Shah, the founder of ths 

 Durance dynasty of Afghanistan, in 1754. That ruler made it ths 

 capital of his dominions; but on the acoeasion of Timur Shah ia 

 1774 the seat of government was removed to CabuL The city is still 

 the capital of a amall atate, which ia aubject to the brothers of Doat- 

 Mohammed, ruler of CabuL [Ajmbamistan.] The form of the ci^ 

 is oblong, and its plan perfectly regular ; four streets meet in ths 

 centre, in a circular place 50 yards in diameter, surmounted by • 

 dome. This is called the Chaursoo (Sharshee), and is a public market- 

 place aurrounded by shops ; the four principal streets are 60 yards in 

 width, are lined with shops, and extend to the gates of the city. Ths 

 smaller streets are narrow, but straight, and all cross at right angles. 

 The town is well watered by canals from the Urghund, or Arkand, a 

 tributary of the Helmund, and a small stream runs through almost every 

 street ; but nevertheless the streets are not clean. The houses are mostly 

 built of wood, with flat or domed roofa The mosques are numerous 

 but meanly built The tomb of Ahmed Shah, covered by a gilt 

 cupola, stands near the palace, and is held as a sacred asylum. The 

 city is inclosed with bastiooed mud-walls and a ditch, and is further 

 defended on the north side by a citadel. Kandahar is a place of 

 considerable manufacturing industry, and its transit trade is consider^ 

 able. [.\^ruBA»isTAN, vol. i. col ti4.] The plain round it is irrigated 

 by canals from the rivers, and produces excellent fruits, com, tobacco, 

 liiadder, &a. The occupation of Kandahar by a British force under 

 General Nott from 1339 to 1842 is reUted under Afohaicistaii. 

 KANDY. [Cetlon.] 

 KANESVILLE. [Iowa.] 

 KANNSTADT. [Oakxstadt.] 



KANSAS, or KANZAS, a territory of the United SUtea of North 

 America, established by Act of Congress 1834, occupies the country 

 lying along the river Kansas, north of the Indian territory, and extend- 

 ing northward to the Nebraska River. It is bounded R by ths 

 Uissouri River, which divides it from the states of Iowa and Hiasouri ; 

 S. by the Indian territory; W. by oflaets of the Rocky Mountains; 

 and N. by the territory of Nebraska. Of its limits we have no very 

 definite statement ; and no census has been taken of ita population. 

 The settled population is however at present extremely small. 



By fsr the larger part of the territory consists of an unreclaimed 

 wilderness, over which roam tribes of native Indians in search of 

 game. The eastern and southern portions are broad open prairies, 

 well watered and very fertile, but thinly timbered. The centre of the 

 territory forms a portion of the Great American Desert, which is said 

 to be for the most part wholly irreclaimable, and to present scarcely 

 an oasis. On the west are outlying members of the Rocky Mountains. 

 The chief river of the territory is the Kantat, the head streams of 

 which rise near the eastern base of the Rocky Mountain^ between 

 the sources of the Arkansas and Nebraska. Its two principal brandies, 

 the Republican and Smoky Hill forks, run for a considerable portion 

 of their course at a distance of 120 miles apart. Republican Fork 

 issues from a rather large lake, in S9' 52' N. Ut, 103° 30' W. long.; 

 Smoky Hill Fork rises in the mountain region east of South Peak; 

 their junction is near 39° N. lat., 96° 30' W. long. The united stream 

 is known as the Kansas : its general course is east-by-north to its con- 

 fluence with the Missouri, in 39° N. lat., 94° 32' W. long. It has • 

 full body of water, is 340 yards wide at its mouth, and is said to be 

 navigable for steam-boats for 150 miles, and fur keel-boats, with its 

 forks, for some hundred miles higher. Republican Fork, the larger 

 of the two main branches of the Kansas, receives on its right side 

 two considerable affluents, Solomon's Fork and the Grand Saline. 

 Numerous smaller tributaries swell the main stream and its affluents. 

 The chief of the secondary streams belonging to this territory which 

 fall into the Missouri are the Nemawhaw and the ludependenoe. The 

 Missouri itself for^s the eastern boundary of Kansas, and affords an 

 invaluable outlet for its prociucts. The Nebraaka River, on the 

 northern side of the territory, ia a very wide but shallow river, with 

 a rapid current and a bed full of shiflmg sand-banks : it is navigable 

 by steam-boats for about 50 miU-a The great emigrant and Frdmont 

 routes to Oregon, Utah, and California lie across the territory of Kansas, 

 and follow tha line of one or other of these rivers. 



As far as the country hns yet been examined geologically, its southern 

 and eastern parts api>ear to belong to the Lower Carboniferous system ; 

 the rooks consisting largely of mountain limestone and sandstone. 

 In the south-eastern comer is perhaps some portion of the basin of 

 Upper Carboniferous Rocks, or CosJ-Bed, of the Indian Hrritory. 

 The western and northern parts of Kansas seem to consist chiefly of 

 strata of the Cretaceous group, but we have no detailed account of 

 the rocka The country, with the exception of the central wastes, is 

 considered to possess a fertile soil and a salubrious climate, while 

 almost every part is well watered Tiie prairies are of the best kind, 

 but are deficient in timber, 'i'he river bottoms have a rich alluvial 

 soiL The few settlers who have established themselves within the 

 territory are said to report very highly of its cajubilities, but as yet 

 oven the surface of the country is very Uttlu known. The only settle- 

 ment beyond the recently-founded 'city' of Worcester and a few 



