[56] The snow began to fall 5 November, and so heavily, that the country was covered almost immediately. But the frost being later, and gusts of wind continuing almost without cessation, the sledges could not conveniently be used till a considerable time after, as will be seen in the sequel.
[57] These rackets are called ligi. In the northern part of the peninsula they use another sort of racket, called lapki, which are shorter, and made of leathern thorns twisted, like the firings of a tennis racket; two small sharp pointed bones are fixed in the bottom, which penetrate the ice, and are a preservative against sliding.
[58] A kind of close coach to sleep in, and which is fitted to the sledge. It is like a carriage very common in Russia, called vezok; mine was lined with bear's skin, and covered with the skin of the sea wolf.
[59] In an ostrog at some distance from Bolcheretsk, I had afterwards an opportunity of considering this subject more fully, and my observations will be found in their proper place.
[60] The revolution which took place in Kamtschatka respecting the chamans, is the precise history of all our mountebanks. Similar in their impostures, their reign and their fall are similar. Various reflections might be made on this subject. That a people equally simple and uninformed, like the Kamtschadales, should for a time have been the dupes of the impostures of their magicians, is not astonishing, and will admit of an excuse: but that such extreme ignorance and credulity should be made sensible of their error, and blush at it, is a matter of surprise and congratulation; for even with the most enlightened nations of Europe, do not some kinds of chamans spring up every day, equally perfidious and destructive! They have all in the mean time their apostles, their proselytes, and a prodigious number of martyrs.
[61] A Russian weight equal to about thirty-three pounds.
[62] These hurricanes prevail chiefly in the months of November, December, and January.
[63] They were chiefly common sledges, such as we have already described, page 118. Some were closed in the manner of vezocks or kibicks; mine was of this description, as I have mentioned, page [127]. In the thirty-five sledges do not include those of the inhabitants of Bolcheretsk, who accompanied us as far as Apatchin.
[64] Forty-five dogs were harnessed to M. Kasloff's sledge, and thirty-seven to mine.
[65] I had passed through this village on my road to Bolcheretsk, and have described it, page [65].