ANECDOTES OF GLUTTONY. 
47 
■f*sb, are dt.ts >minated Tmigusians, but are in reality of Jakutish 
extraction, and very rarely speak Tungusian. I took one of 
them as my guide, to tell me the names of every river, cliff, or 
island we might pass. 
After we had gone 3 r ) versts, on our way to the Judoma, the 
left shore began again to be mountainous, and we found by the 
river llschikit, a rocky declivity called Elslank, about 60 loises 
in height; where we discovered for the first time lofty firs among 
the larch trees. 
On the 9th day of our journey, we turned to the left from the 
river Maia up the Judoma, the breadth of which was 150 fa¬ 
thoms at the mouth. At a short distance from hence, it is only- 
three feet deep, and has a very gravelly bottom. The stream is 
at the same time so strong, that thirty men could not tow a 
single canoe along, without the greatest difficulty. Such places 
ixi rivers have the name of Schewera. 
We were obliged to stop about a verst and a half from the 
mouth of the river, to repair a canoe which had struck upoh a 
stone. We kept close to the right shore, which was very long, 
and covered with all sorts of bushes, among which we found 
the currant and white vine; the latter beautiful shrub has .the* 
name of dik.uschae in Siberia. The opposite shore had a large 
rock in one place, called Sourdschag. 
Twenty-four versts farther, we had to drag up a schewera with 
still greater difficulty. The tow to one of the canoes breaking, 
and unfortunately just above the place where the girdle of a Ja- 
kut was tied, he was thrown by a jerk into the water, out of 
the reach of all assistance. 
We experienced the inconvenience of shallow water for some 
time after, and as soon as this evil was removed, it was suc¬ 
ceeded by one equally serious, namely, the sickness of our men. 
The greater part of our labourers had such bad feet, that I al¬ 
most despaired of reaching Judomskoi-krest this summer. Their 
disorder consisted in a swelling of the toes and heels, and a 
chapping, of the hands. A regular application of tar and grease 
was found to be of immediate efficacy. The principal cause of 
this evil, was the sharpness of the water in the Judoma, in which 
the men were obliged to be continually wading. I observed, 
however, that the Kosaks were not so seriously affected in this 
way, as the Jakuts, and particularly those who had consumed 
their portion of fat and butter, and were now confined to their 
burdock. 
Tins failure in the stock of their provisions originated with 
the intemperance qf the Jakuts, who seized every opportunity 
that offered for devouring their allowance as long as it lasted. 
We no sooner stopped to rest, or spend the night, than, they had 
