re, six are too weak to hunt or fish."

But the ship that would do the most good to Kamkatka, is a missionary
ship. The Greek church is the religion; but _no_ religion is much thought
of in Kamkatka; hunting and fishing only are cared for. Yet I fear if
missionaries were to go to Kamkatka, the emperor of Russia would send
them away.

Where there are few men, there are generally many beasts and birds; this
is the case in Kamkatka.

One of the most curious animals in Siberia, is the Argalis, or mountain
sheep. It is remarkable for its enormous horns, curled in a very curious
manner. Think not it is like one of our quiet, foolish sheep; there is no
animal at once so strong and so active. It is such a climber, that no
wolf or bear can follow it to the high places, hanging over awful
precipices, where it walks as firmly as you do upon the pavement.
Sometimes a hunter finds it among the mountains, and just as he is going
to shoot it, the creature disappears:--it has thrown itself down a
precipice! Is it dashed to pieces? No, it fell unhurt, and has escaped
without a bruise; for its bones are very strong, and its skin very thick.

The bears of Kamkatka live chiefly upon fish and berries, and seldom
attack men. Yet men hunt them for their skins, and for their fat. The
skins make cloaks, and the fat is used for lamps; but their flesh is
thrown to the dogs. Many of the bears are very thin. It is only _fat_
bears that can sleep all the winter in their dens without food; _thin_
bears cannot sleep long, and even in winter they prowl about for food.
Dogs are very much afraid of them. A large party of travellers, who were
riding in sledges, drawn by dogs, observed the dogs suddenly begin to
snuff the air, and lo! immediately afterwards, a bear at full speed
crossed the road, and ran towards a forest. Great confusion took place
among the dogs; they set off with all their might; some broke their
harness, others got entangled among the trees, and overturned their
sledges. But the bear did not escape; for the travellers shot him through
the leg, and afterwards through the body; and the dogs feasted on _his_
flesh, instead of the bear feasting on _theirs_.

Hunting seals is one of the occupations of the Kamkatdales. Three men in
sledges, each sledge drawn by five dogs, once got upon a large piece of
ice, near the shore. They had killed two seals upon the ice, when they
suddenly perceived that the ice was moving, and carrying them out t