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begins to be navigable - runs over mountains intercepted by moss "tundras" and bends frequently through thick woods of poplars and birch trees not proper for telegraph purposes.

River Kamtchatka is exceedingly crooked and bears the character of the greater part of streams in Eastern Siberia- wide and navigable in some places, it becomes frequently shallow to such a degree that in spite of the small draught of our canoes, we could hardly get along. The banks of the river are covered with dense forests of crooked birch and poplar; different kinds of bushes growing as high as the lower branches  of the trees render the woods impenetrable. The winter road is straighter but cannot be used in summer on account of its swampy soil.

In one place, about half way from Sherom to Kluchi, the banks of the river are covered with very fine fir trees - growing thickly, though on a short distance, they could furnish a great number of telegraph poles. The banks of the river, where fir woods begin to appear become suddenly of considerable elevation; in some places they are from two to three hundred feet high. Trunks of trees under water make the navigation dangerous in many places.

We frequently travelled a good part of the

Transcription Notes:
Note on Sheron/Sherom village: a "Sharon" village is mentioned in Whymper's 1869 book on Kamchatka.