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24

Such a travel is certainly not without danger, especially as all means for rendering the road more practicable have been neglected through the carelessness of the inhabitants, who, themselves know but little about the country, when forty or fifty versts from their homes.

The settled population of the few small villages along the coast is a mixture of Russians, Koriaks and Yakoutes. There is also a floating or wandering population the Tunguzi or Lamuti, to the reverse of the reindeer Koriaks, who wander in preference over plains, the Tunguzi are inhabitants of woods and wander over the mountains extending from Kolyma to the Amoor. These tribes never use sleighs and their migrations are always done on rein-deer's back, a most uncomfortable mode of locomotion. They differ considerably from the Koriaks in regard to character and wealth.

The Tunguzi, are generally poor, owning a very limited number of deer, hardly sufficient for their necessities