1.If you look at a map of Siberia，you will notice a peninsula jutting southward from its north-eastern corner.This is Kamtchatka.A great range of mountains runs through the entire length of the peninsula，andcontains five or six active volcanoes.The central and southern parts of the country are broken up bythe spursof the great mountain range into deep，picturesquevalleys，and the scenery is perhaps themost beautiful in all Northern Asia.
2.We sailed from America across the Pacific to this northern land.The very name of Kamtchatka had always called up to ourminds everything barrenand inhospitable.We didnot think for a moment that such a country could ha ve beautiful scener yand luxuriantvegetation.
But it was summer when we arrived，and to our surprise and delight we looked upon grassy hills covered with trees and green bushes，and valleys white with clover and having little groves of silver-barked birch.Even the rocks nodded with wild roses and columbine，which had taken root in their clefts.
3.The vegetation everywhere，untouched as yet by the autumn frosts，seemed to have an almost tropicalluxuriance.High，wild grass，mingled with flowers，extended to the brinks of the rivers ；alpine roses grew in dense thickets along the banks，and dropped their pink and yellow petals like fairy boats upon the sur-face of the still，clear water；yellow columbine drooped low over the river；and strange black lilies，with down-cast looks，stood here and there in sad loneliness.
4.Nor was animal life wanting to complete the picture.Wild ducks with long outstretched necks shot past us continually in their swift，level flight，uttering hoarse “quacks”of curiosity and alarm.The cries of geese came to us，softened by the distance，from the higher slopes of the mountains；and now and then a magnificent eagle，startled from his solitary watch on some jutting rock，expanded his broad-barred wings，launched himself into the air，and soared upward inever-widening circles，until he became a mere moving speck against the white，snowy crater of the nearest volcano.
5.The population of the country is made up of three distinct races-the Russians，the Kamtchadals or settled natives，and the wandering Koraks.The Kamtchadals，who are the most numerous，are principally occupied in fishing and trapping，and in the cultivation of rye，turnips，cabbages，and potatoes.They live in little logvillages，which are built near the mouth of some river orstream，or inland among scattered clumps of poplar and yellow birch，and are protected by high hills from the cold northern winds.The houses，which are clustered irregularly together near the beach，are very low，and are made of logs squared and notched at the ends，and having the chinks stuffed with masses of dry moss.
6.Here and there between the houses stand a few curious buildings which are used as fish storehouses.They are simply conical log-tents raised from the ground to secure their contents from the dogs.They resemble small haystacks standing on four legs.High，square frames of horizontal poles stand beside everyhouse，filled with thousands of drying salmon；and the smell which fills the air all around betrays the nature of the Kamtchadals’occupation，and of the food upon which they live.Half a dozen dug-out canoes lie bottom upward on the sandy beach，covered with large neatly-tied nets；two or three long，narrow dog-sledges stand up on their ends against every house；and a hundred or more sharp-eared dogs，tied at intervals to long，heavy poles，lie panting in the sun，snapping viciously at the flies and mosquitoes which disturb their rest.
7.In the centre of the village，facing the west，in allthe glory of red paint and glittering domes，stands theGreek church，contrasting strangely with the rude log houses over which it lifts its shining golden cross.It is generally built of carefully-hewn logs，painted a deepbrick-red，covered with a green sheet-iron roof，andsurmountedby two onion-shaped domes of tin，whichare sometimes coloured sky-blue and spangled with golden stars.
8.The settled natives of Northern Kamtchatka have generally two different residences，in which they live at different seasons of the year-a winter settlemen and a summer fishing-station.In the former，which is generally situated under the shelter of timbered hills several miles from the sea-coast，they reside from September until June.The fishing-station is always built near the mouth of a river or stream，and consists of a few earth-covered huts，and a great number of wooden frames on which fish are hung to dry.To this fishing-station the inhabitants all remove early in June，leaving their winter settlement entirely deserted.
9.The wandering Koraks of Kamtchatka，who are divided into about forty different bands，roam over thegreat steppesin the northern part of the peninsula.
They wander almost constantly with their great herds of reindeer，and so unsettled and restless are they intheir habits，that they seldom camp longer than a week in any one place.
10.This，however，is not altogether due to love of change.A herd of four or five thousand reindeer will，in a few days，paw up the snow and eat all the moss within a radius of a mile from the encampment，and then，of course，the band must move to fresh ground.They must wander，or their deer will starve，and then their own starvation follows as a natural consequence.
11.The restless habits thus produced have now become part of the Korak‘s very nature，so that he could hardly live in any other way.This wandering，freelife has made the Koraks bold，impatient of restraint ，and perfectly self-reliant.Give them a small herd ofreindeer，and a moss steppe to wander over，and they ask nothing more from all the world.
