CHAPTER XCIII

FLAG IN _SALAMIS_

[Sidenote: 1868. Flag in _Salamis_, July 27. Nicholai.]

6 P.M.--Arrived off Nicholai, 120 miles from Castries Bay; current strong against us. On anchoring, was waited on by officers from the two vessels-of-war, offering services; also an officer, in full dress, from the Commandant, wishing to know at what time I should land. Having arranged for 11 A.M. on the morrow, was received on landing by the Commandant, Captain Fukevitche, of the Navy; numerous decorations. We landed, a large party; besides self and staff, Commodore, Conolly and Stephenson. Proceeded in the first place to call on Madame Furnhjelm, wife of the Governor, who was also an admiral; daily expected from the southward. Nothing could be kinder or more cordial than my reception.

[Sidenote: Nicholai, July 28.]

A small detached house, evidently the Governor’s office, was placed at my disposal, everything convenient, clean and comfortable for “one party”--a guard and orderlies outside, a note from Madame stating that I should be daily expected at dinner, breakfast and luncheon being sent to my room. The Commandant then showed all the public establishments, hospital, dockyards, etc., which were all very well and wonderful for so distant a settlement.

But nothing bores me so much as this official sight-seeing, so took advantage of the first opportunity to excuse myself, as I had friends on board _Salamis_ to luncheon, and then returned to my allotted quarters, where my things had been conveyed. While putting on my “citizen’s dress,” a luxury in which no Russian officer ever indulges, a rather good-looking but powerful Russian girl walked in, and placed a salmon, fresh butter, caviare, cheese, sherry and port on the table.

The Commodore, Garnier, and Dob Crosbie rather liking the appearance of things, we changed our minds about luncheon on board. Afterwards took a stroll with Conolly. Plan of future city well laid out. Streets wide, although stumps of forest trees still retain their places. Population said to be five thousand, of which three thousand are military. The club was kindly placed at the disposal of our officers, but most of the Russians being here on punishment, much was not expected of them, and collision rather avoided.

The rooms offered were unfurnished, but speedily filled with pillows, blankets, saddles, carpet-bags, etc. A little later, party of a dozen were mounted on hired ponies galloping into the country, headed by good-natured lieutenant Peakroff of the Russian Navy.

There are several stores kept by Germans and Americans, full of “notions,” in which furs and skins may be picked up, but no criterion of the proper price of things could be formed from what was asked of us, supposed, “rich English.” Small parties of unclean natives, with hair uncombed, wearing their shirts outside, fastened at the waist, and sealskin boots, prowled about the streets jungle fashion. They generally have sables concealed on their persons for barter, which does not diminish the offensive smell of the uncured skins.

[Sidenote: Flag in _Salamis_.]

Their mode of dealing is curious. A party of five or six walk into a room without uttering a word or appearing to take notice of anything. They squat down in an extended ring according to the size of the room, and commence smoking. After a lapse of some minutes one of them draws a sable from under his clothes with the fur inside, and chucks it into the middle of the circle. The owner of the house, who has been attending to other things with a studied indifference has (by accident of course!) to pass through the room, takes up the skin, examines the fur inside, and makes an offer, generally of cloth or tobacco. If it comes up to their idea they take it and walk off. If not the skin is returned to its savoury berth. They separate without comment.

When back to my quarters there was another note from Madame Furnhjelm, inviting Conolly and Pusey to dine there every evening during our stay.

Conolly went to answer in person, proposing that during the absence of the Admiral, her husband, we might be allowed to avail ourselves of the use of the club, dine at the _table d’hôte_, and wait on her in the evening. Such an arrangement this kind lady would not hear of. She is a fine handsome woman, of English parents, full of anecdote and information, with a family of three or four: a wonderful performer on the piano. Her husband had been Governor of Russian America, since sold to the United States. The tea she gave us was excellent, and, as I had often heard of Russian tea, superior to anything we got in China.

The Governor of Eastern Siberia is General Korsakof, a young man who commanded at Petropauloviski at the time of our absurd expedition in 1855. He rode night and day to St. Petersburg, which he reached in an extraordinary short time, with the account of our defeat. He went into the presence of Nicholas I. a captain, and left it a general. I regret we are not to see him here, he having returned inland from Port Vladivostock.

[Sidenote: July 29.]

While dressing, my servant informed me that a fine ham and two eggs had been sent for my breakfast. The ham was of the wild boar, excellent, but of immense size.

Pusey had sent the boats of the _Salamis_ about five miles down to the mouth of a small river on the north bank with the seines: a good excuse for a picnic. The Commodore, Conolly, Crosbie, Garnier, and self, were kindly mounted by the Commandant; we went by a tolerably good road. They had had two good hauls, taking about three hundred fish before we got there; after luncheon the net, a small one with a bag, was laid out a few yards higher up the river, and in less than ten minutes upwards of a thousand salmon and trout were landed, independently of about three hundred returned to the river, said to be spawning. They were distinguished by an extraordinary rounding of the back.

Our dinners with Madame Furnhjelm were excellent--some strange Russian dishes, intended for our edification, but everything in English style. In the evening some ladies dropped in, mostly speaking English, and we had singing and music. The days were long, and between dinner and tea Madame took me a drive in her carriage, ponies rough, but strong and fat.

[Sidenote: The Amoor, July 30.]

A small iron steamer about sixty feet long, and drawing only two feet water, was placed at our disposal for a trip up the Amoor. Some hopes of wild fowl were held out. We started a large party; two Russian officers speaking French accompanied us. The vessel was named the Russian for “Courier,” and attached to the telegraph department, the line taking the right bank of the river. She was kept with the apparatus on board ready for repairing accidents to the wire. She could go 1500 miles up the Amoor, which river was of a red muddy colour, rendering the contrast great as the white, silvery backs of the fish showed above as they tumbled over.

We kept up the right bank, which rose precipitately, except at the ravines, which occurred every quarter of a mile, where there was a rivulet, a small Russian hut, a settlement, a place for drying fish or the cutting up of timber for fire or building purposes. About 12 miles up we came to a Russian village; a picnic being the principal object, a shady spot was selected, and fire lighted.

After the songs were expended, only three sportsmen could be found to proceed up the river in a canoe in search of wild fowl, while none could be found to face the wood, so well guarded by mosquitoes. Grouse were said to abound, but in all probability looking after their young broods. The remainder of us proceeded in the steamer, another mile up, to a Gilak village called Kaki. It was the season for drying fish, and anything more offensive than the smell could not be.

There were bears in different parts of the village: one, an immensely powerful brute, confined in a log-hut, from whom it took three men to draw a stick one of them had thrust through the bars, which Bruin had seized in his paw. There were two smaller ones in separate cages, and in one of the houses we saw two young ones, which had been caught as cubs, and with the natives were quite tame, although fully aware of the presence of strangers.

Dogs for winter sleighs were innumerable, all apparently in good condition, and with few exceptions secured in irons. The inside of the houses had fires in the centre for cooking, and a raised platform about five feet wide attached to the wall. The interiors were not inviting; the drinking and cooking utensils were of the most primitive description, made out of the bark of the white beech.

In one hut there was the only pretty native we had seen, a young creature with an infant, whom she rocked in the most ingenious of cradles. A Russian officer, struck with the young lady’s charms, purchased her on the spot, and arranged her transport to his quarters with as much _sang-froid_ as if he had been ordering a case of champagne to be sent there. Conolly bought a cradle similar to the one we had just seen, but not the kid which was lying in it!

Returned to the Russian village to pick up the sportsmen. Return of game, nil. It is said this race of Gilaks is fast becoming extinct, through the ravages of small-pox.

[Sidenote: July 31.]

According to previous arrangement Madame Furnhjelm came to see the ships, bringing with her the wife of Captain Riskoff of the Russian Navy, she also speaking English. We steamed up the river; but the afternoon setting in rainy, after going some 15 miles with little variety of scene, we anchored and had tiffin and then back, having recourse to whist, Madame Riskoff playing a remarkably good game.

Conolly and self had made up our minds, if we could get the use of a small steamer, to go up the Amoor and Usuri rivers so as to join the _Rodney_ at Vladivostock by going about 150 miles overland after leaving the Usuri.

[Sidenote: Flag in _Salamis_.]

As the time for the departure of the _Salamis_ to save the mail at Shanghai was at hand, and the Governor still absent, I wrote a private note to the Commandant, asking if he could provide me with a steamer; but in Russia a subordinate dare not take the slightest responsibility; so the reply, official, and written in the best of English, was vague. He could let me have a steamer as far as Hovorafka, the junction of the Usuri, but had no power to send her beyond, and that the post horses had been removed from Bonsey on account of the border war; this was the place we should have landed at, to cross over to Vladivostock. However, a telegram announced the arrival of the Admiral in Castries Bay, so I deferred the departure of _Salamis_ until noon of the 2nd, while I was prepared to depart at that hour by either route.

[Sidenote: Aug. 1.]

The Commodore, Conolly, Pusey, and self, dined with Madame Furnhjelm. Just before the dinner hour the steamer with Governor-Admiral hove in sight, but this kind lady declined to excuse us; she said two hours must elapse before the steamer could come up against the stream and anchor. We, however, withdrew in time not to be present at the first meeting after three months’ absence. The Admiral could not have been at home five minutes before he came in full costume to call on me, in his own house, after which we returned to tea with Madame. Admiral Furnhjelm is a hale, handsome man of about fifty, rather bald, gray hair, with very black eyebrows, manner most cordial and kind. I did not allude to the letter I had written relative to ascending the Usuri, but His Excellency remarked that he had heard of my visit, I suppose from his wife, and that there were many difficulties, but that he would give me an answer before ten o’clock the following morning.

[Sidenote: Aug. 2.]

We had made our arrangements for either route, but, I must confess, with some anxiety as to the result. No more novel or agreeable trip could be conceived than that we had proposed by river.

Precisely at the appointed time, the Admiral, with a large map, at once laid before us what he conceived to be great difficulties. The insurrection and invasion to the southward by these Chinese rebels had caused them to withdraw all the horses along the post road for the use of the troops; that the rebels, although dispersed, were not subdued, and might be marauding the country, and that beyond the point called Bonsey, he could not be responsible for our lives. Most of these difficulties could, he said, in a couple of weeks, be overcome, and an escort got ready.

However, kindly placed before us as it was, it was evident we were not wanted, so we put the best face on our disappointment, thanked him all the same, but declined attempting the journey.

A parting breakfast was prepared for us, and our party having embarked, _Salamis_ weighed, and soon was passing rapidly down the river, assisted by the current. The battery saluted with fifteen guns, _Rodney_ having fired a similar number on arrival of the Admiral in Castries Bay without a return.

Our pilot was an intelligent young officer who had himself planned and placed the numerous buoys and landmarks, without which no one, however experienced, could guide a vessel clear of the shoals. The landmarks are ingeniously arranged, being triangular whitewashed frames, showing the rear higher than the other. To place these the dark-looking fir-trees had been felled in the line, and the landmarks were seldom visible more than one pair at a time.

[Sidenote: Aug. 3.]

We anchored in Castries Bay a little after 1 A.M., and might have done the distance within the twelve hours had it not been for the dense fogs so prevalent in these seas, especially on the China side. The pilot, who had run for a high bluff, had a curious way of ascertaining its vicinity in a fog, or at night, by blowing the steam whistle; if near the high land there would be an echo.

With this assurance he suddenly put his helm hard-a-port and stood boldly in until within range of the _Rodney’s_ responding guns and the curious glare of the blue lights which could scarcely penetrate the fog.

[Sidenote: Flag in _Rodney_.]

During the two days here made several attempts to dredge for shells, but with trifling success. The steam launch being well adapted, fishing parties away catching large quantities of whiting, which were excellent. They seized at any bait with which the hook was covered; some rock cod were caught in same way--in the seine, off the mouths of three rivers, 435 salmon and trout and 1450 flat fish. Several broods of young grouse perched in trees were seen by walking parties. During our picnics, where our dredging parties landed, I had much difficulty in preventing the men from taking the numerous young birds that were found in the holes and crevices of rocks, Jack always fancying that because the small things opened their mouths he could feed and rear them.

The greatest number were a species of diver about the size of a widgeon, with the brightest orange-coloured legs and beak, with ornamental horns or plumes on each side of the head; the plumage black--eye, light green with small black spot in centre; narrow red edge to eyelid. The flight was rapid, like others of the species. We shot a few as specimens. Among them a bird, with a sharp-pointed bill, upper one slightly hooked, as if for extracting fish from shells, with still brighter red legs, same colour inside the mouth, plumage black, eye black.

[Sidenote: Aug. 4.]

_Rattler_ despatched to coal at Duè and then to stop _Basilisk_ with our mail at Possiette Bay.

[Sidenote: Duè, Aug. 5.]

Sailed soon after daylight for Duè, off which we arrived at 3 P.M. Observed _Salamis_ steaming to the southward, _Rattler_ at anchor--a Russian transport apparently in a hurry coaling, the lighters grounding at low water. It being spring tides, therefore dispatched _Rattler_ with what she had, and proceeded to coal ourselves, with the two lighters they had spared the _Rattler_. A convenient wooden pier enabled our people, with the use of the Russian carts that ran along a tramway, to coal pretty well. The village looked wretched and dirty. There were barracks, hospital, and storehouses.

On an eminence to the northward is a tolerable lighthouse--some small gardens up the two ravines, down which the village is watered. The population consisted chiefly of convicts. Coal appeared to crop out in all directions.

The Commandant was a sort of Cossack savage of low rank, but, although generally under the influence of drink, always treated me with military respect. His garrison consisted of about fifteen persons, distinguished from the villagers by being allowed, occasionally, to shave. The women were repulsive-looking, and all wore great boots. The Commandant always presented me with an official return of the state of his garrison, which no one could decipher. Drunkenness was the order of the day. A small log-shed with a hole about eighteen inches square was the only receptacle for such as could not stand. Into this they were thrust head foremost by those that could, and from which they came out, I suppose, when able to do so without help.

The evening before we sailed some of our officers assembled for a convivial evening at the Commandant’s. In the middle of a song his wife withdrew behind a screen that divided the apartment, and a few minutes afterwards a noise, as from a kid, announced the birth of a child, which proved to be the son and heir. Instead of retiring and leaving the lady in her trouble, a toast was drunk and an impromptu song in honour of the little stranger. I had called on the lady two days before and observed nothing particular except that she looked like a Cossack without a beard.

[Sidenote: Aug. 8.]

Having completed coaling (coal six roubles per ton), and settled accounts, we weighed. Some twelve miles to the southward we had heard of a place, “Adnginoo,” with a river, and fish and crystals to be picked up; we came to abreast of it. The river, like all others along the coast, has a bar entrance--a short distance up it is exceedingly picturesque.

Some of our party ascended in the light boats of the Gelyaks. There were the usual small villages at the mouth, with dried fish, sleigh dogs, confined bears, smell and dirt. Natives, a quiet inoffensive race, their only weapon a fish spear. One seining party had several good hauls, getting, besides salmon, what our fishermen called cucumber smelts; they certainly smelt of cucumber, and were good eating. Several fish were also taken. I pinned one down in the river with a boat-hook. With the dense wood and covert along the coast and mountains the nearly total absence of any living thing was remarkable. High up the river, a rather peculiar mussel was found, so thick and firmly implanted that the bottom of the river had the appearance of pavement. I obtained specimens. A fresh breeze having sprung up from the westward, we hurried our sportsmen on board and weighed under sail. There might have been crystal caves in the neighbourhood, but we found nothing beyond broken stones with small pieces of crystal attached. With the dredge I had no success.

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