168 SIBERIA 



which I replied by pointing out that as no one had 

 ever been there in winter^ not even the natives, nobody 

 could possibly know whether the mountains were 

 accessible or not, and that the sooner some one settled 

 the question the better, as the inhabitants live mainly 

 upon the chase, and, that part being uninhabited, the 

 probability was that it would be very plentifully 

 supplied with game and would therefore be a magni- 

 ficent hunting-ground for them if it was once opened 

 out. This altruistic treatment of the problem clinched 

 the argument. Our friend proposed to assist us to 

 procure rusks and bread for the journey, which we 

 could not have done without him, as the winter 

 supplies had been exhausted through the cold lasting 

 two months longer than in previous years. The 

 spring is three weeks earlier in this part than near 

 the settlement of Novo-Nicolaevsk on the Siberian 

 railway, and the previous year the ice had all 

 thawed before the 2Sth of March. The winter 

 begins in October — December being the coldest 

 month. The cold is not so excessive as in Central 

 Siberia, the thermometer rarely falling lower than 

 62 degrees below zero, Fahr. 



The village of Ouemon has a population of 1,000. 



We left Ouemon at midday and drove up the 

 mountain slopes to the Katimda saddle, which I 

 measured to be 4,850 feet above the level of the 

 sea. We had a fine view of Katunda to the right, 

 with the Saptam Mountains on our left and the 

 Katunskie-Belki range in the distance ; but we could 

 not see Ouemon, as it was hidden from our view 

 by a dense forest through which we had just passed. 

 We descended into the flat valley of Katunda, 3,000 

 feet below, the mountains forming a circle round it. 



We reached Katunda late in the afternoon, having 

 completed the journey from Bysk in three days 

 and three nights. During the journey we had 



