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5

heavy fall of snow made our further travel still more precarious. Under these circumstances and foreseeing an unusually early winter, I decided it prudent to adopt some measures of precaution in case we should be detained on the road. 

I wrote to the Ispravni of Shijiga, informing him that we were on the way to his district, making every exertion to arrive as fast as possible, but that the appearance of the weather being threatening, I felt some anxiety for our horses. I informed him also that a party had probably been landed at the mouth of Anadyr river and asked him to assist them.

This letter could be sent in comparative safety, by express from one settlement to another, as far as the last Kamchadal village Lessnoi, 350 versts north of Tigil, but it was questionable whether it would be done in the same way by the wandering Koriaks of the plains. Having no other means of corresponding, I had to try it, and told the man who left Tigil that if the letter would be carried by the Koriaks from camp to camp and reach Ghijiga in due time, I would on my passage over the plains be very generous towards those who took good care of my message.  Later I heard, much to my satisfaction, that the

Transcription Notes:
Ghijiga appears to be an accepted alternate for Shijiga according to reference in contemporary books.