Viewing page 15 of 76

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

15

and gave me some very interesting information about the country and its inhabitants.

Nothing whatever had been heard of McCrae's party, much to my disappointment. People from Anadyrsk, who left this place in middle of October, had arrived to Shijiga, and knew nothing of the telegraph party. These men, traders and citizens, came with sixteen empty sleighs, had McCrae been in time, it was an excellent opportunity for him to reach Shijiga.

The Russian traders I met at [[Kamennoi/Kammenoi?]] were all people born in Eastern Siberia and knew well the country from Okhotsk to Shijiga and Anadyrsk. From the information they gave me, from all I knew before, I became certain that northern part of Siberia, namely the Anadyr district would give us the least trouble, but that the country between Shijiga, Okhotsk and Ajan would require the closest exploration.

McCrae's party being neither in Shijiga nor Anadyrsk it became evident that for the present I could not reckon on their co-operation. Except an addition to our numerical force, I expected to receive through this party supplies, provisions and above all, news. It was a moment of great disappointment, but only a moment, I felt the necessity to choose promptly some other plan and to urge its immediate execution.

We were five men - two of whom on the [[Armoor?]]

Transcription Notes:
There is a village Kammenoi. Perhaps that is it.