n our part we were highly satisfied that we were rid of
them so soon and, after they were gone, I imparted to my friend the
information gleaned from Bobroff the evening before.

CHAPTER XXIII

ON A VOLCANO

The following evening we arrived at Khathyl, a small Russian settlement
of ten scattered houses in the valley of the Egingol or Yaga, which here
takes its waters from the Kosogol half a mile above the village. The
Kosogol is a huge Alpine lake, deep and cold, eighty-five miles in
length and from ten to thirty in width. On the western shore live the
Darkhat Soyots, who call it Hubsugul, the Mongols, Kosogol. Both the
Soyots and Mongols consider this a terrible and sacred lake. It is very
easy to understand this prejudice because the lake lies in a region of
present volcanic activity, where in the summer on perfectly calm sunny
days it sometimes lashes itself into great waves that are dangerous not
only to the native fishing boats but also to the large Russian passenger
steamers that ply on the lake. In winter also it sometimes entirely
breaks up its covering of ice and gives off great clouds of steam.
Evidently the bottom of the lake is sporadically pierced by discharging
hot springs or, perhaps, by streams of lava. Evidence of some great
underground convulsion like this is afforded by the mass of killed fish
which at times dams the outlet river in its shallow places. The lake is
exceedingly rich in fish, chiefly varieties of trout and salmon, and
is famous for its wonderful "white fish," which was previously sent all
over Siberia and even down into Manchuria so far as Moukden. It is fat
and remarkably tender and produces fine caviar. Another variety in
the lake is the white khayrus or trout, which in the migration season,
contrary to the customs of most fish, goes down stream into the Yaga,
where it sometimes fills the river from bank to bank with swarms of
backs breaking the surface of the water. However, this fish is not
caught, because it is infested with worms and is unfit for food. Even
cats and dogs will not touch it. This is a very interesting phemonenon
and was being investigated and studied by Professor Dorogostaisky of the
University at Irkutsk when the coming of the Bolsheviki interrupted his
work.

In Khathyl we found a panic. The Russian detachment of Colonel
Kazagrandi, after having twice defeated the Bolsheviki and well on its
march against Irkutsk, was suddenly rendered impotent and scattered