11G 



K A M T S C H A T K A. 



Fowl. 



Fish. 



Natives. 



berian corn might be advantageously introduced. But 

 agriculture is much neglected by the inhabitants, whose 

 time is considerably interrupted by the services which 

 the government requires, and is also more profitably 

 employed in hunting sables, than raising com. The 

 prosperity of the country seems to demand some posi- 

 tive encouragement to be given to the cultivation of the 

 soil, to counteract the more immediate profits of the 

 fur traffic. 



Theanimals most common in this country,are rein-deer, 

 the argali or wild sheep, the bear, beaver, fox/otter, hare, 

 gable, ermine, marmot, wolf, weasel, wolvereen. There 

 are not above 600 head of cattle in the whole country, 

 though pasture is abundant in summer, and plenty of 

 natural hay might be collected for winter use. Sheep 

 and goats might also be easily reared ; but the scarcity 

 of corn precludes entirely the. breeding of hogs. There 

 are a few horses at the settlements, which belong to the 

 government, and are entrusted to, the care of the Cos- 

 sacs, They are employed in conveying merchandize, 

 and other effects of the crown, or for the occasional ser- 

 vice of travellers. Dogs are the prevailing quadrupeds 

 in Kamtschatka, and are peculiarly serviceable to the 

 inhabitants, every individual of whom possesses at least 

 half a dozen of those useful creatures. They resemble 

 the shepherd's dog of Europe, and are fed chiefly on 

 the offals of various animals, or the decayed fish which 

 their masters cannot use; but, in summer, they are 

 left entirely to provide for themselves, when they range 

 over the country along the banks of lakes and rivers, 

 always returning, at the approach of winter, with the 

 greatest punctuality, to their respective proprietors. 



There are no poultry in the country, as there is so 

 little corn for their support, and no means of preserv- 

 ing them from the prowling canine race around the vil- 

 lages. Almost every kind of northern sea-fowl frequent 

 the coasts and bays ; and the inland lakes and rivers 

 are plentifully stored with wild ducks, wild geese, and 

 swans. Wild fowl are remarkably abundant in the 

 country, especially wood-cocks, snipes, and grouse, 

 hawks, falcons, bustards, and various kinds of eagles, 

 some of which are of a prodigious size. 



The coasts and rivers are full of excellent fish, cod, her- 

 ring, trout, flat-fish, andespecially salmon of every species, 

 and of the finest quality. There are great quantities of 

 crabs and cray-fish; and a great variety of amphibious sea 

 animals are found on the coast, particularly seals, which 

 pursue the shoals of salmon into the rivers and lakes, 

 that have any communication with the sea. Whales 

 also are frequently seen and taken in the adjoining seas, 

 and supply the inhabitants with various useful articles. 

 The flesh is eaten, and the fat preserved for cooking 

 and for burning. The skin is made into shoe-soles, 

 belts, and strops for various purposes. The bones are 

 made into knives, chains for the dogs, and protecting 

 covers to the bottom of the sledges. The whiskers are 

 used to sew the seams of the canoes, and to make nets 

 for the larger kinds of fish. The nerves and veins are 

 employed in making snares ; and the intestines are 

 cleaned, dried, and blown like bladders, to contain oil 

 and grease. 



The natives of Kamtschatka are considered as a dif- 

 ferent race from the other inhabitants of Siberia, and as 

 having proceeded originally from Mungalia, beyond the 

 river Amur. Both in their language and persons, they 

 are said to bear some similarity to the Mungals. They 

 have a swarthy complexion, black hair, a round face, 

 prominent cheek bones, small sunken eyes, thin eye- 

 brows, large mouths, and thick teeth. They are of short 

 stature, and broad between the shoulders, -with slender 



legs and arms, and hangingbellies. They appear, how- Kamtsehat- 

 ever, to have occupied the peninsula at a very remote pe- k*- 

 riod; and havenotraditionaryttoemorials ofth'eir emigra- ^""Y"^^ 

 tion, but believe that they were created orHhe spot which 

 they now inhabit. Their first acknowledged discoverer 

 was a Cossac, named Volodimir Atlassoff, who had been 

 dispatched, in 1697, from fort Jakutsk to the Anadirsk, 

 with orders to engage the assistance of the Koriacs, in 

 discovering and rendering tributary the countries to 

 the east of theirs. With 60 Russians, and the same Conqvuat, 

 number of Cossacs, he penetrated, in 1699, to the cen- 

 tre of the peninsula ; and built the Verchnei ostrog on 

 the river Kamtschatka, where he left a small garrison, 

 and returned to Jakutsk with a great quantify of tribu- 

 tary furs. Proceeding with these to Moscow, he was 

 appointed commander of Jakutsk as a reward for his 

 services ; and appointed to return to Kamtschatka with 

 sufficient reinforcements, to complete the conquest of 

 the country, and form proper settlements among the 

 natives. In consequence of the oppressive character of 

 the commissaries, to whom the government of the coun- 

 try was entrusted, and the undisciplined conduct of the 

 troops, continual revolts, which were suppressed by 

 cruel massacres, occurred in every part of the peninsula 

 during the first fifty years of its subjugation to the 

 Russians ; but, with the exception of a slight insurrec- 

 tion at Bolcherelsk, it has been in a perfectly peaceable 

 state since the middle of last century. Before the Rus- 

 sian conquest of Kamtschatka, the natives are said to 

 have lived in a state of complete natural equality, sub- 

 ject to no chief, law, or tribute ; but merely rendering 

 a tacit respect to the old men, or to those who were 

 most distinguished for their bravery. 



The government established among them by the Govern- 

 Russians, when considered as of a military character, is ment. 

 remarkably mild and equitable ; and the tribute ex- 

 acted from individuals, though rendered heavy by a 

 change of circumstances, was very inconsiderable as 

 originally established. In every ostrog a magistrate is 

 elected by the inhabitants, who is named tayon, and 

 whose authority resembles that of a starost, or elder, in 

 the Russian villages. This person has power to settle 

 all inferior disputes, and to inflict corporal punishment 

 to the extent of twenty lashes ; but all intricate cases, 

 and flagitious offences, are referred to the governor of 

 Kamtschatka. The tayon has another officer under him, 

 bearing the title of jessaul, who executes the orders of 

 his superior, and fills his place in his absence ; while, 

 in like manner, the eldest Kamtschadale in the village 

 assumes the office of jessaul, when the actual holder of 

 that station is not present. The tayon, besides attend- 

 ing to the internal regulations of his ostrog, collects the 

 sables paid by the inhabitants as tribute, and carries 

 them sealed up to the town, where they are examined 

 and valued in the presence of certain magistrates, by a 

 person authorised by the crown ; and the surplus above 

 the duties is paid in money to the tayon, to be proppr- 

 tionally divided among the inhabitants. The annual 

 taxes of a Kamtsehadale, exclusive of the capitation tax, 

 amounts to three rubles ; but these being paid in sables, 

 and the government valuation of these articles being 

 considerably lower than the price of the merthant, he 

 may be considered as paying at least double that sum. 

 The capitation tax also, being levied always in Russia 

 according to the last census, which is taken only every 

 twentieth year, bears hard upon the decreasing villages 

 of Kamtschatka, many of which are now diminished 

 from 30 or 40 to 8 or 10 householders, who must ne- 

 vertheless make up among them the old capitation as- 

 sessment upon the whole ostrog. This error, however, 



