ld sway. In a bloody
engagement Iermak put them to flight on the shores of a lake; and the
annalist reports that at his time many human bones were still to be seen
there. But the timid inhabitants of the cantons of Koschutz and of
Tabarin paid the tribute demanded by the Cossack leader without a
murmur. These peaceful savages lived in an absolute independence, having
neither princes nor chiefs. They only gave their respect to certain rich
men, whose wisdom was generally recognized, and took them as judges in
their quarrels. They yielded an equal esteem to some pretended
soothsayers. One of these, gazing upon Iermak with a holy terror,
predicted long glory for him, but kept silence about his approaching
death. Here fable creates new giants among the dwarfs of Vogulie, who
are scarcely two archines in height. According to one of these stories,
the Russians saw with surprise, near the town of Tabarin, a giant two
fathoms tall, who seized a dozen men at a time and smothered them in his
arms. Not being able to take him alive, they killed him with gunshots.

On the whole, the relation of this latter expedition is not very
authentic, and is only found in the supplement to the _Chronicles of
Siberia_. One may also read there that, after having reached the
marshes and forests of Pelim, dispersed the Vogulitches, and made
numerous prisoners, Iermak sought to gather from the latter certain
information regarding the roads which lead from the banks of the Upper
Tavda to Perm, across a chain of rocky mountains, in order to discover a
less dangerous and less difficult communication with Russia, but that it
was impossible to open a road in deserts swampy in summer and buried
under deep snows in winter. Iermak succeeded in increasing the number of
his tributaries, and in extending his domains as far as the shore of
Sosva, in the ancient country of Yugorie. He had enclosed in their
limits the country of Kondinie, little known up to that time, although
long placed among the titles of the Muscovite sovereigns. He then
returned to the capital of Siberia, where he awaited the recompense of
his glorious works.

John Koltzo had arrived at Isker, charged with the bounties of the Czar,
followed by Prince Bolkovsky with his warriors. The former gave rich
presents to the leaders as well as to the soldiers. He was the bearer,
for Iermak, of two cuirasses, a cup of silver, and a cloak which the
Czar had worn himself. In a letter full of goodness, I