Tent Life in Siberia A New Account of an Old Undertaking; Adventures among the Koraks and Other Tribes In Kamchatka and Northern Asia

TENT-LIFE IN - SIBERIA

PREFACE TO REVISED EDITION.

PREFACE

PREFACE - CHAPTER I - THE OVERLAND TELEGRAPH LINE TO RUSSIA—SAILING OF THE FIRST SIBERIAN EXPLORING PARTY FROM SAN FRANCISCO - CHAPTER II - CROSSING THE NORTH PACIFIC—SEVEN WEEKS IN A RUSSIAN BRIG - CHAPTER III - THE PICTURESQUE COAST OF KAMCHATKA—ARRIVAL IN PETROPAVLOVSK - CHAPTER IV - THINGS RUSSIAN IN KAMCHATKA—A VERDANT AND FLOWERY LAND—THE VILLAGE OF TWO SAINTS - CHAPTER V - FIRST ATTEMPT TO LEARN RUSSIAN—PLAN OF EXPLORATION—DIVISION OF PARTY - CHAPTER VI - A COSSACK WEDDING—THE PENINSULA OF KAMCHATKA - CHAPTER VII - STARTING NORTHWARD—KAMCHATKAN SCENERY, VILLAGES, AND PEOPLE - CHAPTER VIII - BRIDLE PATHS OF SOUTHERN KAMCHATKA—HOUSES AND FOOD OF THE PEOPLE—REINDEER TONGUES AND WILD-ROSE PETALS—A KAMCHATKAN DRIVER'S CANTICLE - CHAPTER IX - THE BEAUTIFUL VALLEY OF GENAL—WALLS OF LITERATURE—SCARING UP A BEAR—END OF HORSEBACK RIDE - CHAPTER X - THE KAMCHATKA RIVER—LIFE ON A CANOE RAFT—RECEPTION AT MILKOVA—MISTAKEN FOR THE TSAR - CHAPTER XI - ARRIVAL AT KLUCHEI—THE KLUCHEFSKOI VOLCANO—A QUESTION OF ROUTE—A RUSSIAN "BLACK BATH" - CHAPTER XII - CANOE TRAVEL ON THE YOLOFKA—VOLCANIC CONVERSATION—"O SUSANNA!"—TALKING "AMERICAN"—A DIFFICULT ASCENT - CHAPTER XIII - A DISMAL NIGHT—CROSSING THE KAMCHATKAN DIVIDE—ANOTHER BEAR HUNT—BREAKNECK RIDING—TIGIL—STEPPES OF NORTHERN KAMCHATKA - CHAPTER XIV - OKHOTSK SEACOAST—LESNOI—THE "DEVIL'S PASS"—LOST IN SNOW-STORM—SAVED BY BRASS BOX—WILD SCENE - CHAPTER XV - CUT OFF BY STORM—STARVATION THREATENED—RACE WITH A RISING TIDE—TWO DAYS WITH FOOD—RETURN TO LESNOI - CHAPTER XVI - KAMCHATKAN NIGHTS' ENTERTAINMENTS—CHARACTER OF PEOPLE— SALMON-FISHING—SABLE-TRAPPING—KAMCHADAL LANGUAGE—NATIVE MUSIC—DOG-DRIVING—WINTER DRESS - CHAPTER XVII - A FRESH START—CROSSING THE SAMANKA MOUNS ON A KORAK ENCAMPMENT— NOMADS AND THEIR TENTS—DOOR-HOLES AND DOGS—POLOGS—KORAK BREAD - CHAPTER XVIII - WHY THE KORAKS WANDER—THEIR INDEPENDENCE—CHEERLESS LIFE—USES OF THE REINDEER—KORAK IDEAS OF DISTANCE—"MONARCH OF THE BRASS-HANDLED SWORD." - CHAPTER XIX - THE SNOW-DRIFT COMPASS—MARRIAGE BY CAPTURE—AN INTOXICATING FUNGUS—MONOTONY OF KORAK LIFE - CHAPTER XX - THE KORAK TONGUE—RELIGION OF TERROR—INCANTATIONS OF SHAMANS—KILLING OF OLD AND SICK—REINDEER SUPERSTITION—KORAK CHARACTER - CHAPTER XXI - FIRST FROST-BITE—THE SETTLED KORAKS—HOUR-GLASS YURTS—CLIMBING DOWN CHIMNEYS—YURT INTERIORS—LEGS AS FEATURES—TRAVELLING BY "PAVOSKA"—BAD CHARACTER OF SETTLED KORAKS - CHAPTER XXII - FIRST ATTEMPT AT DOG-DRIVING—UNPREMEDITATED PROFANITY—A RUNAWAY—ARRIVAL AT GIZHIGA—HOSPITALITY OF THE ISPRAVNIK—PLANS FOR THE WINTER - CHAPTER XXIII - DOG-SLEDGE TRAVEL—ARCTIC MIRAGES—CAMP AT NIGHT A HOWLING CHORUS—NORTHERN LIGHTS - CHAPTER XXIV - DISMAL SHELTER—ARRIVAL OF A COSSACK COURIER—AMERICANS ON THE ANADYR—ARCTIC FIREWOOD—A SIBERIAN BLIZZARD—LOST ON THE STEPPE - CHAPTER XXV - PENZHINA—POSTS FOR ELEVATED ROAD—FIFTY-THREE BELOW ZERO—TALKED OUT—ASTRONOMICAL LECTURES—EATING PLANETS—THE HOUSE OF A PRIEST - CHAPTER XXVI - ANADYRSK—AN ARCTIC OUTPOST—SEVERE CLIMATE—CHRISTMAS SERVICES AND CAROLS—A SIBERIAN BALL—MUSIC AND REFRESHMENTS—EXCITED DANCING—HOLIDAY AMUSEMENTS - CHAPTER XXVII - NEWS FROM THE ANADYR PARTY—PLAN FOR ITS RELIEF—THE STORY OF A STOVE-PIPE—START FOR THE SEACOAST - CHAPTER XXVIII - A SLEDGE JOURNEY EASTWARD—REACHING TIDEWATER—A NIGHT SEARCH FOR A STOVE-PIPE—FINDING COMRADES—A VOICE FROM A STOVE—STORY OF THE ANADYR PARTY - CHAPTER XXIX - CLASSIFICATION OF NATIVES—INDIAN TYPE, MONGOLIAN TYPE, AND TURKISH TYPE—EASTERN VIEW OF WESTERN ARTS AND FASHIONS—AN AMERICAN SAINT - CHAPTER XXX - AN ARCTIC AURORA—ORDERS FROM THE MAJOR—ADVENTURES OF MACRAE AND ARNOLD WITH THE CHUKCHIS—RETURN TO GIZHIGA—REVIEW OF WINTER'S WORK - CHAPTER XXXI - LAST WORK OF THE WINTER—BIRDS AND FLOWERS OF SPRING—CONTINUOUS DAYLIGHT—SOCIAL LIFE IN GIZHIGA—A CURIOUS SICKNESS—SUMMER DAYS AND NIGHTS—NEWS FROM AMERICA - CHAPTER XXXII - DULL LIFE—ARCTIC MOSQUITOES—WAITING FOR SUPPLIES—SHIPS SIGNALLED—BARK "CLARA BELL"—RUSSIAN CORVETTE "VARAG" - CHAPTER XXXIII - ARRIVAL OF BARK "PALMETTO"—DRIVEN ASHORE BY GALE—DISCHARGING CARGO UNDER DIFFICULTIES—NEGRO CREW MUTINIES—LONELY TRIP TO ANADYRSK—STUPID KORAKS—EXPLOSIVE PROVISIONS - CHAPTER XXXIV - A MEETING IN THE NIGHT—HARDSHIPS OF BUSH'S PARTY—SIBERIAN FAMINES—FISH SAVINGS BANKS—WORK IN THE NORTHERN DISTRICT—STARVING POLE CUTTERS—A JOURNEY TO YAMSK - CHAPTER XXXV - YURT ON THE TOPOLOFKA—THE VALLEY OF TEMPESTS—RIVER OF THE LOST—STORM BOUND—ESCAPE BY THE ICE-FOOT—A SLEEPLESS NIGHT—LEET REPORTED DEAD—YAMSK AT LAST - CHAPTER XXXVI BRIGHT ANTICIPATIONS—-A WHALE-SHIP SIGNALLED—THE BARK "SEA BREEZE"—NEWS FROM THE ATLANTIC CABLE—REPORTED ABANDONMENT OF THE OVERLAND LINE - CHAPTER XXXVII - OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION OF THE BAD NEWS—THE ENTERPRISE ABANDONED—A VOYAGE TO OKHOTSK—THE AURORA OF THE SEA - CHAPTER XXXVIII - CLOSING UP THE BUSINESS—A BARGAIN SALE—TELEGRAPH TEACUPS REDUCED—CHEAP SHOVELS FOR GRAVE-DIGGING—WIRE FISH NETS AT A SACRIFICE—OUR NARROWEST ESCAPE—BLOWN OUT TO SEA—SAVED BY THE "ONWARD" - CHAPTER XXXIX - START FOR ST. PETERSBURG—ROUTE TO YAKUTSK—A TUNGUSE ENCAMPMENT— CROSSING THE STANAVOI MOUNTAINS—SEVERE COLD—FIRE-LIGHTED SMOKE PILLARS—ARRIVAL IN YAKUTSK - CHAPTER XL - THE GREATEST HORSE-EXPRESS SERVICE IN THE WORLD—EQUIPMENT FOR THE ROAD—A SIBERIAN "SEND-OFF"—POST TRAVEL ON THE ICE—BROKEN SLEEP—DRIVING INTO AN AIR-HOLE—REPAIRING DAMAGES—FIRST SIGHT OF IRKUTSK - CHAPTER XLI - A PLUNGE INTO CIVILISATION—THE NOBLES' BALL—SHOCKING LANGUAGE— SHAKESPEARE'S ENGLISH—THE GREAT SIBERIAN ROAD—PASSING TEA CARAVANS—RAPID TRAVEL—FIFTY-SEVEN HUNDRED MILES IN ELEVEN WEEKS—ARRIVAL IN ST. PETERSBURG - INDEX - ILLUSTRATIONS - GEORGE KENNAN, 1868 - A TENT OF THE WANDERING KORAKS IN SUMMER

CHAPTER II - CROSSING THE NORTH PACIFIC—SEVEN WEEKS IN A RUSSIAN BRIG

CHAPTER III - THE PICTURESQUE COAST OP KAMCHATKA—ARRIVAL IN PETROPAVLOVSK

CHAPTER IV - THINGS RUSSIAN IN KAMCHATKA—A VERDANT AND FLOWERY LAND—THE VILLAGE OF TWO SAINTS.

CHAPTER V - FIRST ATTEMPT TO LEARN RUSSIAN—PLAN OF EXPLORATION—DIVISION OP PARTY

CHAPTER VI - A COSSACK WEDDING—THE PENINSULA OP KAMCHATKA

CHAPTER VII - STARTING NORTHWARD—KAMCHATKAN SCENERY, VILLAGES, AND PEOPLE