ORGANIZATION OF CAMP LIFE 149 



aged, though not exactly as before, yet in such a way that they 

 had to obey when we decided anything jointly, since they re- 

 ceived all household goods^^^ from us. Nevertheless, we began 

 in the meantime to address everybody somewhat more politely 

 by their patronymics and given name, so as to win them over 

 and be able to rely more on their fidelity^^" in case of misfortune 

 later on; and we soon learned that Peter Maximovich was more 

 ready to serve than Petrusha* was formerly. This evening we 

 talked over how we would arrange our household affairs in the 

 future, prepare beforehand against all unexpected mishaps, and, 

 as far as possible, try to keep alive the hope of returning to Asia;^" 

 we also discussed the unfortunate circumstances in which we had 

 been placed in such a short time that, setting aside the decencies 

 of life to which everyone was entitled, we now were obliged to 

 work in this unaccustomed way simply to sustain a miserable 

 existence. Nevertheless, we encouraged one another not to lose 

 heart but with the greatest possible cheerfulness and earnestness 



etc. (Die iibrigen drey Kosaken unsrer Gesellschaft und die . . . zwey 

 Bedienten). The MS lacks the words "unsrer Gesellschaft"; if a comma 

 be inserted between "iibrigen" and "drey," the original meaning appears. 

 That this comma is omitted in the MS is not surprising in view of its 

 general lack of punctuation. 



Steller has already mentioned his own cossack; and it is likely that 

 two other members, probably Plenisner and Betge, each had a cossack 

 as a body servant. The names of the two servants of the Captain Com- 

 mander were Ivan Maltsan and Maffei Kukushkin (see list, Vol. i, p. 



235). 



339 The MS here has in addition: "and other necessaries." 



340 The MS here has in addition: "and in order to be one move ahead," 

 i. e. prepared for eventualities. 



* According to Russian custom only an equal or a person of higher 

 rank is addressed, in addition to his Christian name, by the name of his 

 father, to which is appended the syllable vich, which may be said to be 

 the equivalent to the Irish prefix Filz and the Scotch Mac. Less polite is 

 the bare Christian name, especially when made into a diminutive. — P. 



3" The MS seems rather to read: "how we would arrange our house- 

 hold affairs in the future, in case this or that misfortune should occur, 

 inasmuch as the hope of returning to Asia, so far as we were concerned, 

 had not been completely given up." 



