July 10th. Rained all the fore part of the day. Our route was through a gorge between high ridges of mountains. Distance travelled, 50 versts.
July 11th. The weather was pleasant and warm, the country rugged and mountainous. At four in the afternoon we came to the foot of a high and steep mountain, and halted to make preparations for the ascent. Our horses had already become so weak and travel-worn, that it was doubtful whether they would succeed in crossing it. My Yakutschian guides lifted their tails to ascertain their strength. On those that had limber tails the weight of the baggage was reduced, and increased on those that had stiff tails. I noticed them also pulling hair from the manes, and tying it to the branches of trees; whether this was done to invoke the good, or propitiate the evil spirits, I could not make out. After they had adjusted things to suit them, we took off our coats, and started, leading our beasts. The ground was so very springy that it was with great difficulty that we could pick our way. Two of the baggage horses mired before we reached the top, and we were obliged to unload in order to extricate them. We finally gained the summit,—which after all was not so very high,—and, having rested a little, descended. Continuing our course through a narrow valley, at 6 P. M. we crossed the river Allakum, and stopped at a small cluster of shanties on its left bank. There was a ferry for bipeds, but such of the poor horses as were able were obliged to swim. The stream was so rapid, that mine had a hard tug to get across. Distance this day, 50 versts.
It was necessary to make a halt soon for a day or two to recruit, and this was a favorable place. The government had a station and postilion here. Four of my horses were completely broken down, and I left them, and hired six fresh ones. We also replenished our stock of provisions.
July 14th. Mounted at 5 A. M., and passed over a very high mountain, and descended into a narrow, serpentine valley, in which we travelled the better part of the day. We passed several caravans and droves of beef cattle. Distance, 55 versts.
July 15th. Our route this day over boggy ground again, and the travelling was therefore as poor as ever. Our horses’ backs were very sore, and they were all nearly exhausted. We pitched our tent early in the afternoon at a good grazing-place, to give them a little rest. Distance, 40 versts.
July 16th. The weather this day was warm and pleasant, and road not so mountainous as it had been. At 5 P. M., one of our horses gave out, and we left him. Continuing on until seven, we pitched our tent on the banks of the White River. Distance, 50 versts.
July 17th. At 6 A. M. we mustered together our horses, and found that four were missing. We spent half the day in a fruitless search for them, and then concluded that they were either killed or frightened away by the bears, which are very plentiful in this region. We pursued our journey, much of the way through mud and water up to the saddle-girths. Distance, 30 versts.
July 18th. Struck our tent at 7 A. M., and at nine crossed the White River. All the early part of the day, until within twenty versts of the Aldan, we found the road very good. Here we saw before us an extensive morass, to avoid which it would be necessary to go the distance of thirty versts. This morass was about a quarter of a mile in breadth, and partially covered with water, interspersed with little grass knolls, which were soft and unsteady. Disagreeable as the prospect was, we concluded to go straight across. We accordingly fastened on the baggage tighter, stripped off all our clothes but shirt and pants, and secured them to the saddles, and started, leading our horses, each one picking out the way for himself. In about half an hour we succeeded in flouncing through without accident; but it was a tiresome job, and we got well plastered with mud. Putting ourselves and luggage in order, we proceeded until 10 P. M., when we reached the government station on the right bank of the Aldan, having left two of our horses on the road exhausted.
We had now reached the principal station on the route, which was about two thirds the distance to Yakutsk; and I determined to halt for a day or two to recruit, after passing fifteen in the saddle. At first I was quite pleased with the idea of this land excursion, but I found in a very little while that it was no joke. I was sore all over, from head to foot. The clumsy saddles we rode were anything but convenient. The pommels were of wood and raised about six inches, and in the hollow between sat the rider. There was just space enough for an ordinary-sized man; and being myself light and spare of person, there was plenty of room for me to shake in my seat. I soon hit upon an expedient, however, to alleviate my suffering. I bolstered up with pillows, so that by the fourth day my pains and aches subsided, and afterward I was tolerably comfortable. Still the incessant torments of the mosquitos and miry roads were hard to bear. I soon grew sick of this horse-marine navigation, and came to the conclusion that the spray of the sea was far preferable to a mud bath. We made up as well as we could for the annoyance of bad roads, bogs, and small rivers, by taking reasonable care of the inner man. I mentioned before, that we took our cooking apparatus and provisions with us. We had bread and sugar, and the tea-kettle was in constant requisition morning and evening. Sometimes at the shanties on the route we obtained a little milk. At noon we generally had a substantial lunch of Bologna sausage or corned meat, and a glass of schnapps.
Having rested and refreshed ourselves sufficiently, I made an arrangement with the postilion of the station to take us through the remainder of the distance, as from here to the banks of the Lena there were relays of horses at points twenty-five or thirty versts asunder.