CbMFQftTS OF A Coil* CLIMATE. 4l 
to us. Twenty-five versts farther carried us beyond these iiioun- 
tains, over a rivulet to the tolerably large river Dogdo, do wit 
which we proceeded for four versts, almost to its junction with 
another river, from whence it derives the name of Tostach, and 
soon after falls into the Jana. Out road now led Us along the 
Jana itself. 
On the 30th we spent the first night, since otir departure from 
the town> in a warm Jakutish jurt, after having passed eight 
Very cold nights in the wood* Captain Billings overtook us this 
night. 
On the 3d of November we stopped at the jitftS of Barizlech* 
the last dwelling-place on our rOad, from whence we had to 
travel 400 versts as far as the river Aldan, on the same horses* 
through uninhabited tracks. We of course took fresh horses 
here; 
Such a distant journey in weather that threatened to be daily mote 
Severe, was no pleasant reflection. The prospect of what we 
bad still to endure, with Which our former sufferings bore no 
Comparison, inspired the most courageous of us with a species 
of fear. We proceeded towards the source of the Jana betwixt 
Open mountains, where the cold received a double edge, from 
the strong and piercing current of wind which they occasioned. 
Our treble clothing of skihs was of little avail against the Cutting 
air, which seemed to congeal one’s whole mass of blood. Wp 
were every half hour obliged to alight, and relax out stiffened 
limbs by walking. Our faces were perfectly disfigured by the 
cold, and we should probably have lost our noses and cheeks* 
if we had not hit upon the idea of making ourselves masks of 
bog, which were very serviceable, but at the same time UO less 
inconvenient; for they stiffened aud chafed tis vefy seriously «► 
Our breath was likewise instantly turned to ice, from the con* 
fmemertt. In this half ludicrous and half terrible disguise, we 
had more the appearance of scarecrows, than of human beings* 
We chose the most shady places possible for out nocturnal 
stay, not forgetting, however, fodder for the horses, and dry 
wood for fuel. Our fire served both for warming us, and dress^ 
ing out food* AVe never changed our clothes, and after supper* 
which was our principal meal in the day, we laid ourselves dowii 
in the cavities of snow. Happily for us all, not one of the par¬ 
ty was assailed by illness; for in that dreadful extremity, death 
must have been the inevitable consequence. 
In ten days we arrived at the source of the river Jana, and at 
an unusually lofty, open mountain, called the Wcreho-Janish, or 
Upper Janish, from Whence the rivers issue that run into the 
Frozen Ocean and the Aldan. The ascent of this mountain was 
much more gradual than its descent, which presented to ©5*r 
SARYTSCHEW.] f 
