1 3 2 KAMSCHA TKA. [chap. 



and whether boiled or fried in steaks, the lish has a delicacy of 

 flavour that is rarely met with at a civilised dinner-table. But, of 

 all methods of cooking it, one is pre-eminent in its excellence. 

 Cleaned, split, and gutted, the salmon, which should be a small one, 

 is impaled upon a Y-s^^'^^psd forked stick, and placed half over the 

 fire, so that it may be exposed to the occasional action of both 

 smoke and flame. A certain amount of attention is necessary to 

 see that it does not get too much of either, and care should be 

 taken to turn it tolerably frequently. But if properly done — and, 

 those who have tried it will bear me out — the dish is one fit for the 

 gods, and loses nothing from the simplicity of the necessary 

 apparatus. 



We broke camp at noon on the following day, bemg within 

 easy distance of Sherowmy, where we calculated on beginning our 

 river journey. A heavy shower fell as we were striking the tents, 

 wetting much of our baggage and our ornithological specimens 

 before we could get them vmder cover, but the weather soon cleared, 

 and we continued our march. Our long cavalcade proceeded in 

 Indian file over the desolate and monotonous stretches of bilberry- 

 covered open and stunted birch-thicket, — a type of country which, 

 however exhilarating beneath a bright sun, is depressing to a 

 degree under grey skies and driving rain. The wind held steadily 

 from the west, however, and having made sure of the direction in 

 which Sherowmy lay, we left the party, and turning our horses 

 towards the river, devoted the remainder of the day to a search for 

 bears. "We had no sooner taken up our positions by the river-side 

 than the wind shifted, fell light, and then shifted again, and all 

 hopes of getting a shot vanished. Of there being bears in the 

 vicinity we had abundant evidence, for the banks of the river were 

 trampled in all directions with their fresh footmarks, among which 

 it was easy to recognise those of an old animal of great size. The 



^ Some of these Kamscliatkan bears are enormous. One skin in my possession 

 measures eight feet three inches in length, in spite of the greater part of the head 

 being wanting. 



