Travels in Kamtschatka, During the Years 1787 and 1788, Volume 1 — Key Ideas to Explore

diversions while at Bolcheretsk; the rest of my hours were occupied in expressing my impatience and uneasiness, on account of the length of time I was obliged to stay there. To give a different turn to my thoughts, I embraced the few fine days that we experienced, to visit some of the environs, which I had a second opportunity of viewing upon my departure, and which I shall mention when I proceed on my travels. The construction of my travelling sledges[58] engaged also my attention; but my chief consolation was the company of M. Kasloff and the officers of his suite. Their conventions, and the enquiries which I made, enabled me almost every day to take notes, a part of which I have already transcribed, and shall now proceed with the rest.

The diseases that prevail in Kamtschatka is the first article that presents itself. Disagreeable as may be the details they require, I conceive that I ought not to suppress them; they form a part of my observations, and should have a place in my journals.

The small pox, whose ravages I have already mentioned, appears not to be natural to the country, nor is it very common. Since the invasion of the Russians, and the frequent emigrations that succeeded it, this epidemical disease has only made its appearance in 1767 and 1768. It was then brought into the country by a Russian vessel bound to the Eastern islands, for the purpose of hunting otters, foxes, and other animals. The person, who had in his blood the fatal germ, was a sailor from Okotsk, where he had taken remedies for the disorder, previous to his departure; but the recent marks of it were visible. Scarcely landed, he communicated this cruel malady to the poor Kamtschadales, which carried off three fourths of them. As it has not appeared since, it is supposed that these people are not subject to it. In the year 1720 it broke out in the northern part of Kamtschatka but it did not spread so far as the peninsula. It began at Anadirskoi; it is not known how it was brought there, though the Russians are also accused in this instance.

There is reason to suspect that the Kamtschadales are indebted to them in like manner for their knowledge of the venereal disease, which happily is not common. This pestilence appears to be exotic, and its cure is as difficult as it is rare. They have recourse to various roots and to corrosive sublimate, which is attended in this country with its usual ruinous effects, and the more so, as being indiscreetly administered.

The Kamtschadales have no deformed births. Such as are deformed among them, have become so in consequence of a considerable fall, though this is not a very common occurrence, as they are accustomed to fall from their balagans. They are but little subject to the scurvy; their use of wild garlic, and various fruits and berries, is a preservative. The Russians and other settlers are more frequently afflicted with this disease.

Consumptions are frequent enough; but boils, tumors, abscesses, and wens, are very common. They have no mode of curing them, but by incision or extirpation; and they use for these operations a knife, or perhaps simply a sharp stone, which supplies the place of a lancet. Such instruments are calculated to impress us with no very high opinion of the skill of the operators; and it is obvious that the art of surgery, brought to such perfection with us, is in a state of the utmost barbarism at Kamtschatka.

Physic does not appear to have made a greater progress; though it must be confessed that these people have gained something by learning to distrust their impostors and absurd empiricks. Formerly, self-created magicians, called _chamans_, taking advantage of the credulity of the Kamtschadales, turned doctors of physic, and thus secured to themselves a double claim to their veneration and confidence[59]. Their strange dress contributed to the imposition, and suited perfectly their extravagant mummeries. What was told me upon the subject would exceed the utmost stretch of faith, if we had never heard of the Bohemians and other sorcerers of this kind. It is not possible to form an idea of the buffooneries of these suppositious physicians, and the impertinencies they relate, to make their prescriptions or pretended revelations go down. It is probable that their cures were frequently attended with fatal consequences, and that the number of victims equalled that of their patients. Tired at last of being duped at the expence of their lives, the Kamtschadales began to be dissatisfied with these impostors, who gradually lost their credit, and sunk into contempt and oblivion. Such has been the fate also of the chamans. The feeble light which the Russian commerce diffused through the country, proved sufficient to open the eyes of the inhabitants. They perceived at once the absurdity of the magic art of their doctors. As it ceased to be respected, it was no longer lucrative, and the number of magicians diminished of course. Disgusted with the trade, the men abandoned it; and it has since been taken up by some old women, who, possessing less skill, have doubtless fewer customers[60].

The women of this country have seldom more than ten children, the common estimate is four or five, they bear none after the age of forty. They assist one another in their deliveries, which are effected with great facility: meanwhile there are midwives in Kamtschatka, but their number is very small. The accidents which prove fatal to so many mothers, are much less frequent to these women, than instances of child-birth in the open air, in roads, or wherever their occupations call them. On these occasions they make use of their hair, I am told, to tie the umbilical cord, carry home their children themselves, and immediately give them suck. They have no limited time for suckling their children, and I have seen instances of its continuing for four or five years. We may judge from this circumstance of the strong constitution of these women. It is observed, however, that Kamtschadales of either sex, do not live longer than Russians.

I forgot to mention a remedy to which the inhabitants of this peninsula have voluntary recourse in almost every disease: it is to a root called _bears root_, which they steep in brandy. The name sufficiently indicates to whom they are indebted for its knowledge. Perceiving that the bear was fond of eating this herb, and of rolling himself upon it when wounded, they imagined it to possess some healing quality, and this induced them to make use of it. This animal thus gave them their first lesson in botany and pharmacy. It is said however, that the bear cures all his wounds with this root. If this be true, it is natural to suppose that human beings would find it very serviceable: but as I have never had occasion to make the experiment, I can only speak from report.

The Christian religion was introduced into this country by the Russians; but the inhabitants appear to know little more of it than the ceremony of baptism. They are ignorant of the very first principles of Christianity. Slaves to their inclinations, they follow their impulse whether good or bad. If they think of religion, it is merely from a motive of convenience or interest, or when particular circumstances compel them to it. This proves how very defective their instruction is, and reflects in my opinion upon the clergy, whose business it is to enlighten their ignorance. But are these clerical missionaries sufficiently informed themselves? They have no opportunity it must be acknowledged for profound study, and probably it is not required of them, as it is common enough to see a Kamtschadale admitted to this dignified office.

These popes are all under the authority of a protapope, or high priest, resident at Nijenei, and he again is subordinate to the archbishop of Irkoutsk, who alone ordains and appoints the clergy to their cures, so that they are all obliged to resort to this settlement. The length and perils of the journey are considered perhaps as a kind of initiation; and without any other merit or examination, they probably receive holy orders: it is certain they return neither wiser nor better. These divines are then sent to their places of destination; the time they continue is not limited, and depends on the will of their chiefs.

There are eight principal churches in Kamtschatka: Paratounka, Bolcheretsk, Jchinsk, Tiguil, Vercknei, Klutchefskaïa, and two at Nijenei; to these may be added the church of Ingiga, in the country of the Koriacs.

The district or parish of Paratounka includes seven ostrogs and the Kurilles islands; viz. the ostrog of the same name, Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Koriaki, Natchikin, Apatchin, Malkin, and Bolcheretsk. The number of parishioners contained in these ostrogs, does not exceed four hundred; and including the Kurilles islands, the general calculation is not more than six hundred and twenty Christians. The rector of Paratounka is allowed by the empress a salary of eighty roubles, and twenty _pouds_[61] of rye flour. His parishioners of consequence, pay no tythes; but he receives alms and other casual emoluments attached to his church. For a marriage, a christening, or a burial, these priests demand whatever they please. There is no regulation in this respect, and every thing is governed solely by their caprice, which occasions considerable impositions and abuses. In general however, they endeavour to proportion their demands to the abilities of their parishioners, a discretion that is entitled to applause.

The Kamtschadales are free. They are subject only to an annual tribute to Russia, which consists, as I have already said, in various kinds of furs; so that the produce of their chace, turns almost entirely to the advantage of the empress. Every chief of a family is obliged to furnish for himself and for each of his children, even such as are in their minority, a certain quantity of skins equivalent to his share of taxation: this may amount to seven roubles more or less, and the skins, I am told, are generally valued at the lowest possible price. This mode of paying tribute must produce a considerable revenue to the crown, if we merely judge from the number of sables the province annually supplies, which is something more than four thousand. The toyon of each ostrog collects the taxes, and remits them to the treasurer of the crown; a receipt is previously given to every individual of the amount of his tribute, and each Kamtschadale takes care to mark with his seal, or some other sign, all the furs that he delivers.

The current coins are the golden imperial of ten roubles; the rouble, and half rouble. There are very few silver coins below this value; a proof that no article of merchandize is expected to produce less than half a rouble. Copper and paper money have not yet reached this peninsula. A variety of old silver coins of the times of Peter I. Catherine I. and Elizabeth, abound here. A considerable branch of commerce may be made of them; the silver is purer and more valuable than that of common coins.

The pay of the soldiers or Cossacs is fifteen roubles a year. The officers sent by government to so distant a country, receive double salaries.

The peninsula of Kamtschatka, when major Behm presided at Bolcheretsk, was under the jurisdiction of the government general of Irkoutsk. Upon the departure of this governor, whom the English saw upon their first arrival in 1779, captain Schmaleff was deputed in his room, and enjoyed for a year the power and satisfaction of doing good to the inhabitants, who entertain for him an equal respect and gratitude. M. Renikin supplied his place in 1780, and was recalled in 1784 for reasons which I am obliged to suppress. At this period the Kamtschatka department was reunited to that of Okotsk. The chiefs and officers of the different ostrogs have since been subject to the orders of the governor at Okotsk, and to the decisions of its courts of justice; these are themselves subordinate and accountable to the governor general residing at Irkoutsk. The present commanding officer, or governor, at Bolcheretsk, which was formerly the capital of Kamtschatka, is now merely a sergeant; the name of the person I left there was _Rastargouieff_, and he had been nominated to the office by M. Kasloff.

The governors in these various ostrogs are not accountable to one another for their administration, not even inferior officers to their superiors; the authority of each is limited to the inhabitants of his own district; which has doubtless induced the empress to appoint an inspector general, _capitan ispravnick_, whose business is to visit every year all the Kamtschadale villages, receive their complaints, examine their differences, judge them, and punish such as are guilty; in short to maintain order and peace among them. It is also a duty of his function to encourage commerce, particularly their fishing and hunting, to inspect the regular payment of their tribute, the stock of provisions of each individual for his own support, and that of his family, the repairs of the bridges and roads, which unfortunately are very few, and kept in very bad order. In a word, the inspector general should consider it as incumbent upon him to introduce among these people the manners and customs of Russia. This important office was confided, in 1784, to baron de Steinheil, who fixed his residence at Nijenei. Affairs calling him elsewhere, he was succeeded by M. Schmaleff, who, in accompanying us, was making the tour of his office.

The government is not purely military; there are some tribunals established for hearing and deciding causes and other matters juridically. Such are the tribunals of Tiguil, Ingiga, and Nijenei-Kamtschatka; they are subject to the jurisdiction of the court of Okotsk, in the same manner as in Russia the magistrates of the subordinate towns hold from those of the capital, in whom the final decision rests. There is beside at Bolcheretsk a kind of consular jurisdiction, or vocal tribunal, called in Russia _Slovesnoisoud_. The judges are merchants; they take cognizance of all disputes relating to commerce, and their decisions are either confirmed or annulled by the court to which they are carried by appeal. The Russian code of laws is the only one that is attended to; it is too well known to require that I should enter into particulars; and I could only repeat what has been already related by various historians and travellers better informed upon the subject than myself.

I ought however to add, that the property of the Kamtschadales devolves, of course, upon their decease, to the next heir, or to whomsoever it is bequeathed. The will of the testator is equally respected, and as literally adhered to, as it could be with those nations of Europe who are most scrupulous on the subject of successions.

Divorces are neither practised or allowed among the Kamtschadales. The Russians seem to court their alliance, though it procures them no particular privilege. Their motive is obvious. By frequent marriages, it is possible that before the end of the present generation, the race of the indigenes may be totally extinct.

The penalty of death, abolished in all the dominions of the empress, is never inflicted in Kamtschatka. In their earliest migrations, the Russians, when accused of harassing the natives, were condemned to the knowt; the Kamtschadales also, for various offences, were liable to this cruel punishment; but it is no longer practiced. When the natives are guilty either of petty or capital offences, the punishment is whipping. It may be questioned whether they have gained by the change. The present mode of punishing them being more simple and expeditious, it is resorted to with less scruple, and is liable to frequent abuse.

The Kamtschadale idiom appeared to me to be uncouth, guttural, and difficult to be pronounced; the words are broken, and the sounds disagreeable. There are as many different dialects and accents as there are ostrogs. For instance, upon leaving Saint Peter and Saint Paul, we are astonished to hear a different jargon at Paratounka: this is the case with villages the nearest to one another. Notwithstanding these variations of idiom, I considered it as incumbent upon me to procure a vocabulary, which will be found at the end of my journal. I shall add to it the Koriac, the Tchouktchi, and the Lamout languages. My attention to the subject was unremitted, and I received very considerable assistance. I shall finish the article of my abode at Bolcheretsk, with some observations that will tend to prove the impossibility of my leaving it sooner.

Towards the end of November the cold became on a sudden so severe, that in a few days the rivers were all frozen, even the Bolchaïa-reka, which seldom happens, because of the extreme rapidity of its current. The next day it got rid of the ice that covered it, and from that time I saw no more stop before Bolcheretsk, lower than the house of the governor. Though frozen in various places, it presents a great number chasms, where the water is seen to flow as usual.

On each shore of the peninsula, there is a sensible difference in the atmosphere. During the fine weather, a drought prevailed at Saint Peter and Saint Paul's, whereas at Bolcheretsk they complained of frequent showers; meanwhile autumn had not proved this year more rainy than common. Very heavy rains are injurious in this country, because they occasion floods, which drive the fish from the rivers; a famine most distressing to the poor Kamtschadales is the result, as it happened last year in all the villages along the western coast of the peninsula. This dreadful calamity occurs so frequently in this quarter, that the inhabitants are obliged to abandon their dwellings, and repair with their families to the borders of the Kamtschatka, where they hope to find better resources, fish being more plentiful in this river. M. Kasloff had intended to proceed along the western coast, having already made his visit through the east; but the news of this famine determined him, contrary to his wishes, to return, rather than be driven to the necessity of stopping half way, or perishing with hunger from the difficulty of procuring dogs and provision.

The wind varied considerably during my residence at Bolcheretsk; it was most commonly west, north-west, or north-east; it blew sometimes from the south, but seldom from the east. The south and west winds are almost invariably attended with snow. Scarcely a week passed, even to the month of January, without our experiencing two or three violent tempests; they commonly proceeded from the north-west. These gales of wind lasted always a day or two, and sometimes seven or eight days. It would have been the height of imprudence to venture out at such a season. The sky was completely obscured, and the snow, supported by these whirlwinds, formed in the air a thick fog, that prevented us from seeing at the distance of six yards. Woe to all travellers who are exposed to this terrible weather! necessity compels them to stop, or they run the risk of losing themselves, or of falling every moment into some abyss; for how is it possible they should find their way, or advance a step, when they have to resist the impetuosity of the wind, and to disengage themselves from the heaps of snow that suddenly encompass them? If such be the dangers encountered by the men, what must we suppose the poor dogs to suffer. Nothing is more common, when overtaken by these hurricanes, than to find ourselves separated from the sledges of our companions, to the distance of two wersts or upwards from each other, and proceeding in an opposite direction[62].

The frequency of these tempests, and the deplorable accidents they occasion, convinced us of the necessity of deferring our departure. M. Kasloff was equally as impatient to arrive at the place of his destination, as I was to continue my journey, that I might execute my commission with the diligence that had been recommended to me; but every one whose advice we asked, condemned our eagerness, and proved particularly as to myself, that, entrusted with such important dispatches, it would be rashness to proceed. This reflection pacified me. M. Kasloff anticipated my wishes, by giving me a certificate, accounting for my long residence at Bolcheretsk, by a relation of the circumstances that had occasioned it. The gales of wind having at length ceased towards the middle of January, we eagerly set about preparing for our departure, which was fixed for the 27 of that month.