Review of Berings First Expedition, 1725-30. 137 
I remained with the rest of the party near Ilimsk just below the 
Uskut, because at Ilimsk there are few houses and on account of 
the difficulties involved in a winter journey to Yakutsk, from the 
deficiencies of transportation, the deep snow and the severe cold, 
which prevented us from proceeding. 
To these reasons [was added] the necessity, according to the 
orders from the authorities at Tobolsk, of drawing the provisions 
for the expedition from Irkutsk and from [limsk down to Yakutsk 
because at the latter place grain is not cultivated. During our 
wintering at Ilimsk I made a sledge journey to Irkutsk to advise 
with the local Voivod who had previously been Voivod at Ya- 
kutsk and who understood what would be needed by us in trans- 
porting our outfit from Yakutsk to Okhotsk and Kamchatka, 
since I did not possess any actual information in regard to that 
region. During the last days of winter travel I went over to the 
Uskut and obtained from Irkutsk twenty additional carpenters 
and smiths for the work of the expedition and two goonets from 
Ilimsk, 
On the Tunguska, [lima and Lena rivers to the Vitim live the 
so-called Tunguses, people who own reindeer which they use as 
‘draught animals, while those who do not own deer live near the 
rivers on fish and travel in canoes made of birch bark. These 
people are idolaters. 
From Uskutsk on fifteen barges, in the spring of 1726, we 
descended the Lena to Yakutsk. From the river Vitim down to 
the Lena, on both banks live Yakuts with a smaller proportion of 
Tunguses. The Yakuts possess herds of cattle, plenty of horses 
and cows by which they subsist, and are contented with the 
product of their herds, depending but little on fish except where 
their cattle are too few. They pay an idolatrous reverence to 
the sun and moon as well as to birds, such as the swan, eagle and 
crow. They also hold in great honor their own fortunetellers, 
known hereabouts as shamani, each of whom owns small idols or 
figures which they call shaitan. By their own account these 
people are of Tartar origin. 
On reaching Yakutsk in boats I required the aid of all the 
people of my command. Thirteen flat-bottomed barges which 
had been constructed at Uskutsk, under Lieut. Spanberg, pro- 
ceeded by water on the Lena down to the Aldan to ascend that 
river, the Maya and the upper Yudoma. Such a cargo could 
‘hardly have been transported to that distance overland on horse- 
