On the 31st of May, the water began to subside, and we were soon afterwards able to return to our dwellings; but in spite of the constant fires which we kept up, it was long before we got rid of the cold damp atmosphere, proceeding from the walls which had been thoroughly saturated with moisture.

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CHAPTER XII.

M. VON WRANGELL'S JOURNEY THROUGH THE STONY TUNDRA IN THE SUMMER OF 1822.

I HAD designed to employ this summer, partly in preparations for our next winter-journey, for which the balagan built near the great Baranicha was to serve as head-quarters, and partly in surveying the coast from the mouth of the Kolyma to the greater Baranow rock, and in repeating the astronomical determinations of the principal points on the coast, which I had made in the winter of 1821.

As soon as the spring floods subsided, I despatched four trustworthy persons to the village of Pantelejewa, from whence they were to proceed on horseback to the balagan, to build a karbass there, and to take as many fish as possible with nets, and baskets, to form the staple of our provision for the next winter's journey. They were also to kill as many swans and geese as possible.

On the 23rd of June, Lieutenant Anjou, M. von Matiuschkin, M. Kosmin, and myself, descended the river in our own boat, the Kolyma, and visited, in passing, the settlements of Krestowoi, Tschernoussow, and Pochodsk, where fisheries for the use of the expedition were in progress. At Pochodsk, Lieut. Anjou quitted us to proceed on horseback to the

M. VON WRANGELL'S JOURNEY, ETC. 271

Indigirka, with three companions. On the 26th we reached the rocky point on the right bank of the Kolyma, called Krest, (the Cross,) where two Russian families had settled for fishing. The little river of Pantelejewka falls into the Kolyma fifteen wersts from this point.

The situation of Krest possesses such great and important advantages over that of Nishne Kolymsk, that it would be very desirable to remove the little town to it, for the sake both of the inhabitants of the place itself, and of those of the district generally. The high bank, which is quite large enough to admit of the buildings standing at suitable distances from each other, is above the level ever reached by the spring-floods. There is abundance of drift-wood of the best kind for building; and both on the bank, and on several islands in the river, there are good pastures, which might even supply winter-hay for the horses. Vegetation generally has far more vigour and variety than at Nishne Kolymsk; the larch-tree attains greater height and size, and many herbs and berries are to be found. Krest is also tolerably central in respect to the various villages and settlements, whose inhabitants have to resort to the town at different seasons of the year, and to whom, therefore, the change would be highly advantageous. As the distance is twenty-five wersts down the river, it would not be difficult or expensive to remove whatever was worth the carriage; lastly, the situation and neighbourhood are far more agreeable and healthful than those of Nishne Kolymsk, and sheltering hills and woods render it far less cold. In short, the removal would be such a benefit, as would repay a

hundred-fold the little cost and labour which it would

require.

The steep bank of the river which makes a bend at Krest, in a N. 40° E. direction, consists of indurated clay, of a dark-red and of a green colour. Contrary winds obliged us to remain here a day, so that we could not continue our voyage until the 28th of July. Rocks, similar to those at Krest, follow the direction of the river for fifteen wersts, forming a bluff steep bank; they then retire inland, and join the west side of the mountain of Surowaja, which is washed by the Pantelejewka. This river is twelve fathoms broad at its mouth; we turned into it, and our boat, which was drawn by twelve dogs, ascended the stream rapidly; the banks are covered with a layer of vegetable earth, in which sand-willows and alder-bushes grow.

The weather was warm, and the clouds of mosquitoes tormented us so much, that we were glad to take refuge in an out-house filled with smoke, on arriving at the village of Pantelejewa, which is situated on the left bank of the river, amidst good pastures, and among lakes abounding in fish. On the right bank, at about eight wersts distance, rises the Pantelejewa mountain with its two summits.

We met here our former travelling companion, the active merchant, Bereshnoi, who helped us out of a great perplexity. I had not been able to obtain the number of horses which we required, and the short summer might easily have been lost in fruitless endeavours to procure them, if M. Bereshnoi had not most kindly offered us the use of ten of his; at the same time entirely refusing any payment. 66 You

travel by the Emperor's order, and for the general good," said he, "and why should I take any money from you? God has blessed my industry, and I do not want it."

He was preparing for a journey to Tschaun Bay, in search of mammoth-bones, and as it was part of our plan that M. von Matiuschkin should explore that country, he offered to join M. Bereshnoi, which was a very agreeable and useful arrangement for both parties.

Every thing being settled for our different journeys, we availed ourselves of the mild weather to make an excursion to the Pantelejew mountain, and followed a very narrow path-way leading to the summit. This mountain affords a shelter from north winds, and favours vegetation in a high degree; it is a place of great resort for gathering the Vaccinium uliginosum (the whortleberry), which is very abundant and fine here. Unfortunately, the thick larch-woods, which once covered the hill and part of the plain at its foot, were destroyed 50 years ago by a forest-fire,which spread from the banks of the Aniuj to the extreme northern limit of the woody region. A young growth of larch has sprung up within the last two or three years; its lively green is most pleasing to the eye, and many flowers grow amongst the young trees. Higher up, thyme and other herbs are met with, and still nearer the summit the dwarf cedar creeps over the stony ground; the summit itself has no vegetation, save grey moss and a few lichens. The view is extensive, and at this season pleasing. From north-west to south the eye loses itself in the vast tundra, interspersed with lakes of various sizes,

T