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32

[[Tamsk?]] and had postponed his departure on purpose to meet me. I did not want to detain him any length of time, and he soon left Okhotsk leaving me master of his office and its archives which I wanted to examine.
 
I knew before that Commodore Behring's and Capt. Billings' arctic expedition in the last century had been fitted out in Okhotsk, this place being at that time the only sea port of some consequence we had in eastern Siberia, now Okhotsk is a pile of ruins. I thought I could perhaps find some useful information in looking over some piles of old documents and I was not mistaken. I learnt that that the expeditions have been supplied from Takoutsk, supplies being brought in boats over rivers Lena, Alda, Mail and [[Judom?]] to a point called [[Judom?]] cross and from this place conveyed in winter on dogs to Okhotsk.

It was a difficult mode for transportation - boats going down stream only on the Lena, had to go up the other rivers, which are exceedingly rapid. Supplies sent from Takoutsk in spring had to winter on the road before they could reach [[Judom?]] cross.

I enclose a map, which I succeeded to manufacture very badly. Imperfect as it is it may perhaps help you to understand my broken English.
 
The mountain range is always in