66 
SARYTSCHEW ? S TRAVELS* 
achadales, in narkas and kamlegas . The former are tlie sking 
of reindeer, cut into shirts; and the latter are skins of any kind* 
stripped of their hair, and made quite pliant. On holidays, the 
women wear a sort of silk gown of an old Russian shape, which 
was fashionable 6*0 years ago. They have also a speckled silk 
handkerchief about their heads. 
In the first days of the new year, the inhabitants assembled 
every evening for the purpose of dancing. The women under^ 
stood Russian dances very well, and what was still more surpris¬ 
ing, could dance in the Polish fashion, and very passably even 
a la Grecque. The music consisted of three fiddles, played by 
Kosaks, 
I did not see the Kamtschadale dance here, but among the 
Kosaks of Petropaulowsk, who give it the preference, it is so 
indecent, that every modest woman would blush to be a spec¬ 
tator, much more a partner in it. A woman makes the com¬ 
mencement by stepping forward into the middle of the Isba, 
and holding a cloth spread out before her in a transverse direction. 
She shifts her feet slowly, making a variety of motions with her 
hands, head, and body. Her head sinks alternately on one 
shoulder or the other, on her back or on her breast. She then at 
length advances to a man, and renews this gesticulation close be¬ 
fore him, which implies as much as soliciting his hand to the 
dance. He accordingly takes hold of the cloth in the same 
manner, and rising from his seat, they both commence the distor¬ 
tion of all their limbs together. The woman turns every now 
and then away from the man, but returns to him instantly again, 
sinking gradually upon her knees, and then bending herself back¬ 
ward with a similar gesticulation; the man also in the mean time 
falling down and reclining himself over her, the dance is con¬ 
cluded with the most obscene gestures. While it lasts, both 
dancers and spectators all sing to one song, consisting of the 
words an-kelle, an^kaget, incessantly repeated: but they have a 
variety of such monotonous ditties, adapted to the same species 
of dancing. In some of their dances, they imitate birds and 
beasts ; the man for example representing the male, and the wo¬ 
man the female-bear; and sometimes there is a company of these 
imitators, who amuse themselves together, either in running like 
partridges, gabbling like geese, or in aping some other animal. 
After a fortnight’s stay at Bolscherezsk, Mr. Billings and Mr. 
Hall went to Nishne-Kamtschatsk, while Mr. Behring and I re^ 
turned to Petropaulowsk, which we reached in five days. 
On our journey thither and back, we experienced the most 
friendly treatment from the Kamtschadales, who not only enter¬ 
tained us with the utmost cordiality, but made us liberal presents 
-of partridges, fresh fish, frozen keta, jukol, berries, and roots. 
