KAMTSCHATKA. 



419 



*- merly they uwd spear* and arrowt, poisoned with the 

 juice of a root called sgate ; but, since their subjuga- 

 tion to the Russians, they are provided with rifle-barrel- 

 led guns. 



The principal other articles which they must still 

 provide for themselves, are boatf and sledges. The 

 former are of the roost wretched description, being no- 

 thing more than the trunk of a tree hollowed out, and 

 resembling a trough more than a boat. They are easi- 

 ly overvet in the currents of the rivers, or by striking 

 against any obstruction during the night ; and scarcely 

 a season passes, without several instance* of persons 

 being drowned by such accidents on the Kamtschatka 

 and Awatscha rivers. In the northern districts, where 

 timber cannot be procured, the boats are made of still 

 more slender materials, namely, of the skins of sea ani- 

 mal* sewed together with whales' whiskers, and caulk- 

 ed with mosa or beat nettle*. This vessel is seldom 

 able to carry more than two persona, one at each end, 

 who make use of poles instead of oars to guide it down, 

 or puh it up the stream. Sometimes a kind of float, 

 ur r.ift, renting upon two of these boats, is employed to 

 convey the heavier articles. The sledge of the Kamt- 

 schadale is formed like an oblong basket, with the 

 two extremities rising in a curve, and is made of very 

 thin wood, with the aides of open work, ornamented 

 with straps of different colours. Thin basket, or frame, 

 w huh is about three feet in length, and scarcely above 

 : foot in breadth, is placed upon two parallel planks, 



longer than the sledge, and three or four inches 

 vt Inch serve M support*, or skates, and in time of thaw 

 have lone pieces of whale-bone fastened to their bottom 

 with leathern thong*. These planks bend upwards in 

 front, and meet the pole* which support the seat of 

 the driver, which is elevated three feet from the 

 ground, and covered with bear skin. The wl 



obinc 11 remarkably light, sometime* weighing only 

 bout U-n pound*. To the*e vehicle* the dog* are har- 



nessed by mean* of a leather strap, which paste* undt 

 the neck, rotting on their bmwta, and is joined to the 

 pledge by trace*. The animal* being yoked 



in cou- 

 ple*, are also fattened together by straps pa**ing through 

 their collar* ; but a single one goes tbremost a* a lead- 

 er, ami is always the beat trained, and most intelligent 

 in understanding the signal* and sounds of the driver. 

 There arc always live, or at least four, dogs yoked to 

 each sledge, which are able to draw two persons, or 

 the driver and his over-weight of baggage ; but they 

 may be employed in a much greater number; and 

 Knmnstrrn mention! a. governor in the country, who 

 used to travrl in a sledge like a small house, drawn by 

 100 dog*. The animal* are trained to this service by 

 liutened, when young, to elastic stake*, while 

 ,.-.! beyond their reach, so that, by con- 

 tinual!} pulling in order to obtain a meal, they acquire 

 strength, and the faculty of drawing. They learn to 

 obey the voice ol' the driver, in setting off, stopping, 

 turning to tight or left ; but those that are well trained, 

 are guided rather by signal* than sound*. For thi* 

 purpose, tile driver carrier in his hand a carved stick, 

 which be employs also to preset e the sledge from be- 

 ing oversrt, and which is sometimes pointed with iron, 

 to take a firmer hold of the ice ; while the other end is 

 provided with iron rings, which serve a* bells to en- 

 courage the dog*. Me turn* them to the left, merely 

 by striking thit stick upon the ice; or to the ri^'lit, by 

 striking the poles of the sledge ; or stops their progress, 

 by placing it between, the snow and the front of the 

 vehicle ; et corrects then, when inattentive, by throw. 



ing it among them ; and to recover it, as he passes ra- Kamudiat- 

 pidly along, is the strongest test of his skill. The ut- ka - 

 most dexterity also is requisite in the driver to keep ^""Y"^^ 

 his seat, and to preserve the sledge from being over- 

 turned ; for which purpose, his body is almost perpe- 

 tually in motion, inclining to either side, or recovering 

 an upright posture, with the greatest alertness and 

 nicety, as the balance may render necessary. They 

 sit sometimes astride, but usually side-ways, with the 

 right hand towards the front ; and some adepts are able 

 to stand upright, or even on one leg. It is of the most 

 essential importance to the traveller to preserve his seat, 

 or to retain hold of the sledge, as the dogs continue 

 their progress, and rather increase their speed, as the 

 vehicle becomes lighter, never halting in their course 

 till they arrive at some habitation, or find themselves 

 entangled by some obstruction on the road. It is ne- 

 ceaaary for the traveller to alight, both in descending 

 and ascending any considerable declivity ; and, fre- 

 quently after a fresh fall of snow, a road must be form- 

 ed by a person furnished with snow-shoes. These are 

 made of thin boards, about four feet long, and six or 

 eight inches wide, turned up in front like skates, and 

 covered below with the skin of the sea-wolf or rein- 

 deer. With these the traveller is always provided ; and 

 is often obliged to proceed in this manner, alternately 

 clearing the way, and then leading forward the sledge, 

 till he arrives at some inhabited place. When overta- 

 ken by a drift of snow, they are under the necessity of 

 seeking the shelter of some copse ; and when long de- 

 tained by the storm, dig a hole in the snow, filling up 

 the entrance with brushwood, and wrapping themselves 

 in their fur*. 



Beside* the long jimmies which the Kumtschadales Occups. 

 have often occasion to make, both on their own ac- tion >- 

 count and in the service of the government, their princi- 

 pal occupation* are hunting and fishing. In the former, 

 they are more or lew employed at all seasons of the year, 

 a* they must pursue the different animals at the time 

 when their furs are most valuable: the argali, or wild 

 sheep, in autumn the rein-deer in winter the sable in 

 the beginning of winter the fox at any period except 

 summer the bear in all seasons of the year. They em- 

 ploy snare*, nets, and pit falls; but more commonly place 

 their chief dependence on their rifle, if they can pro- 

 cure powder and (hot. Armed with his gun, lance, 

 and knife, and provided with a bundle of dry fish, the 

 hunter place* himself in ambush, where he will pa- 

 tiently keep his station for days and weeks, till he has 

 succeeded in his object, or is compelled by hunger to 

 return home. The Kamtschadale* are not dexterous 

 marksmen, though the expence of ammunition pre- 

 cludes all unprofitable practi-ing; but, from the same 

 cause, they are so careful in taking a sure aim, (which 

 they render more steady by using a forked stick as a 

 rest to their piece,) that they very rarely expend a 

 shot in vain. They frequently take the sables, which 

 live among trees, by throwing a noose over their head, 

 while intent upon the dogs which are baying around 

 them ; and employ the mix vomica, and other poisoned 

 baits, for the foxes. Hut the most hazardous pursuit, 

 in which all their courage and dexterity are required, 

 is the killing of the bear. Sometimes they take this 

 animal without much penon.il risk, by means of heavy 

 trap*, which fall down upon hi- pulling the bait attach- 

 ed to them ; or by assailing him with dogs and guns, 

 when almost torpid in his den, in the winter season ; 

 but, most frequently, they boldly meet him in the open 

 plain, aud fire upon him su he passe* their plaoe of con* 



