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26

I shall not trouble you with the description of the topography of the country, my detailed reports to the Engineer in Chief contain the narrative of the immense difficulties I had to overcome and by what means and in what directions I have located the route of the telegraph line between Aklan river, Ghijega and Okhotsk on a distance of twenty two hundred versts - I am even afraid of having used too many Kamtchadal, Koriak and Tchuktchi names,  when speaking of our travel in Kamchatka.

In January, a special courier from Port Petropavlowksy reached us in a small settlement fifty versts north of Okhotsk and brought a packet of letters from Col. Buckley and other persons of his expedition. Nothing could do me more pleasure at that moment. The Engineer in Chief informed me of the successful result of his explorations and approved unreservedly all my arrangements and plans.

The party we were so anxious to meet had been landed at the mouth of Anadyr River late in September, when the ice was already forming.

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