THE URAL COSSACKS AND THEIR FISHERIES. 775 



These carts are contracted to carry the catch to the city markets 

 (there is no railroad in this steppe). No less than ten thousand 

 carts are used here, and if you add ten thousand more carts be- 

 longing to fishermen, you may imagine how imposing must be the 

 sight of the peaceful armies. 



The fishing in the upper part of the Ural River, as I men- 

 tioned before, is carried on in winter, under the ice, and that is 

 the most peculiar of all 

 fisheries. It is called 

 bagrenie, which means 

 "hooking/' because the 

 fishing is accomplished 

 by a peculiar kind of 

 hook. When the ice in 

 the river becomes firm 

 enough to support the 

 weight of the fishing 

 army, which generally 

 takes place in Decem- 

 ber, an order is given by 

 the communal adminis- 

 tration for the army to 

 meet at Uralsk, from 

 which point the fishing 

 is begun. On a fixed 

 day, thousands of people, 

 old and young, hasten 

 to the appointed place. 



Let us now see how 



IIG. 7. URAL FISHERMAN READY FOR THROUGH- 



the fishermen dress for IcE FlBHIHGi CALLED BAGRE. 



this winter fishing. One 



of them ready for work is represented in the picture. Light and 

 comfortable garments, waterproof mittens and boots ; in one hand 

 a chisel, in the other two haft-hooks the long one (with a haft 

 of seven or more fathoms) is used for catching fish, lying (as a 

 rule) in deep places on the bottom ; the short one is destined to 

 hold the fish when it is brought to the surface of the ice. 



At about 9 A. M. the banks of the river, near the place where 

 the shoals of fish have gathered, are crowded with thousands of 

 horses and sledges, so that it becomes difficult to reach the river. 

 Fishermen go down to the ice and stand on it in endless lines on 

 both banks of the river, anxiously waiting for the signal a can- 

 non shot. 



The ataman has gone out in midstream ; every one is looking 

 for him impatiently. The signal having been given, two living 

 waves of people rush forward to the middle of the river, and the 



