Viewing page 7 of 95

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

in supplying deer, either for food or to assist in the construction of the line. We camped for the night upon the Return River, and started at 3.30 AM the next morning, following it to its junction with the Myan, where we arrived at 10 o'clock AM. Both streams are timbered at this point with "Tolpolova", "Usinova" etc, but no Larch.
 
From this place, I afterward learned, we followed the same route, that Lieut Kennan did until we arrived at the mouth of the "Orlofka", where he left the Myan and took a direct course for Markova.
   
We estimated the distance from the mouth of the Return River, to the Orlofka at about 75 versts. The route, is well adapted to telegraph purposes, and is well protected [[left margin]](20)[[/left margin]] from strong winds, by ranges of hills on each side. We were favored with clear weather, but the sun shone so hot, that it was almost impossible to travel for 3 or 4 hours in the heat of the day, as the dogs and narts sank [[strikethrough]] sank [[/strikethrough]] too deep in the snow. It is cus^[[tomary]] to travel nights, this season of the year, but as our object was to explore the country, we had to choose daylight in preference.