v.] COMMENCEMENT OF THE JOURNEY. 89 



locomotion as their charges. At this rate of advance our journey's 

 end seemed distant indeed. We pressed on, however, as well as we 

 could, and crossed a small plain from which the base of the 

 A^'atchinska group of volcanoes was \'isible to our right. Their 

 summits were hidden in thick mist, and the weather, which had 

 hitherto been fine, now looked most threatening. Arriving at a 

 small stream, Vodki and his two companions halted, and declaring 

 that there was no water farther on, proceeded to unload the horses. 

 This we soon put a stop to, and telling them that, water or no 

 water, we had no intention whatever of camping for another hour 

 or more, we resumed our journey. The scenery now changed, and 

 we entered a gloomy birch-forest with much thick undergrowth. 

 This was in places six or eight feet, or more, in height, and was com- 

 posed of coarse grass and giant umbelliferse, with an occasional blue 

 monkshood, varied in the more open parts with large patches of yel- 

 lowing bracken. Before long we reached another stream, and were 

 thus enabled to prove the truth of our surmises ; but it was not till 

 some time later that we finally halted for the night, the horseboys 

 Ijeing by this time scarcely in a condition to proceed farther. We 

 were glad to pitch camp and get a rest, as it had already begun to 

 rain. Before turning in we succeeded in finding Voclki's brandy 

 bottle, Ijut it was perfectly empty. The man had disposed of a 

 pint or more of raw spirit since leaving the settlement ! 



In this kind of travel movement is not very rapid for the first 

 day or two until every one has shaken down to his work, and on 

 the followmg morning we were nearly three hours in getting break- 

 fast and striking camp. The horseboys were depressed and inclined 

 to be penitent. If, like an old Kafir servant of mine, they estimated 

 the amount of enjoyment of the previous night by the strength of 

 the morning's headache, they ought, to all appearances, to have 

 been well pleased. We had decided to leave Avatcha on our left, 

 and to make for Stari-ostrog,^ a small village a little higher up the 



1 The ostrogs, or small forts, were erected "by the Russians in bygone days as a 

 protection against the natives at the time of the first settlement of the country. The 

 name now alone remains, all traces of fortification having long since disappeared. 



