134 KAMSCHATKA. [chap. vi. 



We held a palaver with the Toyime, or head-man of the village, 

 shortly after our arrival, and gave him a letter from the Ispravnik, 

 desiring them to supply us with canoes and men, and to help us to 

 the utmost of their power. He was prohaljly unable to read it, 

 as I afterwards discovered Jacof expounding it to him with great 

 solemnity. I have no doubt, however, that the document lost none 

 of its force in the rendering, for we were shortly afterwards 

 supplied with some more cream in addition to that they had 

 already sent us, and were informed that arrangements should be 

 made for our start upon the morrow, as we desired. Much as we 

 all wished to linger on our way, and to yield to the abundant 

 temptations in the way of sport and natural history that the 

 country offered us, we felt that we could not do so. We knew 

 nothing of the length of the river journey that lay before us, and 

 no one at Sherowmy was able to give us any information on the 

 subject. The signs of approaching winter had already begun to 

 make their appearance. The woods were aglow with autumn 

 colouring ; the new snow had already freshly powdered the lower 

 slopes of the mountains, and the clear frosts to which we now woke 

 every morning warned us that we had better not delay. On board 

 the yacht, which was to meet us at the mouth of the river, there was, 

 of course, no means of knowing the date of our arrival, and to keep 

 the ship knocking about a dangerous coast, of which all we knew was 

 that it was unsurveyed and exposed, would be in late Septeml;er or 

 October a decidedly risky proceeding. We accordingly gave up the 

 plan we had formed of remaining for a short time in the neighbour- 

 hood of Sherowmy, and resolved to push on without delay. 



