Part 57 (1/2)
22). In 1752-53 the crew of a vessel belonging to the Irkutsk merchant, Nikifor Trapeznikoff, caught on Behring Island 5 sea-otters, 1,222 foxes (colour not stated), and 2,500 sea-bears (_loc. cit._ p. 32). It thus appears as if the eager hunting had an influence not only on the number of the animals but also on their colour, the variety in greatest demand becoming also _relatively_ less common than before. ]
[Footnote 363: From this little work, compiled from the original journals (Cf. c.o.xe, _Russian Discoveries_, 1780, p. vi.) we see that the undaunted courage and the resolution which, matched with other qualities not so praiseworthy, distinguished the _Promyschlenni_ during their expeditions of exploration, tribute-collecting, and plunder from the Ob to Kamchatka, did not fail them in the attempt to force their way across the sea to America. It happens yearly that a s.h.i.+p's crew save themselves from destruction in the most extraordinary craft, for necessity has no law. But it is perhaps not so common that an exploring expedition, wrecked on an uninhabited treeless island, builds for itself of fragments from its own vessel, indeed even of driftwood, a new one in order to sail out on the ocean to discover new fis.h.i.+ng-grounds or new wild tribes, willing to pay ”ja.s.sak” to the adventurers. This however happened very frequently during the Russian voyages of discovery and hunting to the Aleutian Islands from 1745 to 1770, and it was remarkable that the craft built in this way were used for years, even after the return from the first voyage. ]
[Footnote 364: The sea-cow does not appear to have ever occurred on the Aleutian Islands; on the other hand, according to Steller, dead sea-cows have sometimes been cast ash.o.r.e on Kamchatka, where they even obtained from the Russians a peculiar name _kapustnik_, derived from the large quant.i.ty of sea-weed found in their stomach. It appears to me that this name, specially distinctive of a graminivorous animal, appeals to indicate that on the first arrival of the Russians at Kamchatka the sea-cow actually visited occasionally the coasts of that peninsula. It is probable that in former times the sea-cow was to be met with as far south as the north part of j.a.pan. Some scientific men have even conjectured that the animal may have occurred north of Behring's Straits. This however is improbable. Among the ma.s.s of subfossil bones of marine animals which we examined at Pitlekaj the bones of the sea-cow did not appear to be present. ]
[Footnote 365: Von Baer's and Brandt's numerous writings on the sea-cow are to be found in the publications of the St. Petersburg Academy. ]
[Footnote 366: That the hide of the sea-cow was used for _baydars_ is evident from the short extract given from Korovin's voyage. On hearing this ”creole's” account I inquired whether there were not to be found remaining on the island any very old sea-cow skins that had been used for _baydars_, but the answer unfortunately was in the negative. ]
[Footnote 367: The number of these animals killed on Behring Island is shown by the following statement given me by Mr. Henry. W.
Elliot:
In the Year In the Year In the Year 1867 27,500 1872 29,318 1877 21,532 1868 12,000 1873 30,396 1878 31,340 1869 24,000 1874 31,292 1879 42,752 1870 24,000 1875 36,274 1880 48,504 1871 3,614 1876 26,960
During the eighteen years from 1862 to 1880 there have thus been s.h.i.+pped from Behring Island 389,462 skins. The catch on the Pribylov Islands has been still larger. These islands were discovered in 1786, but the number of animals killed there is not known for the first ten years; it is only known that it was enormously large. In the years 1797-1880--that is in eighty-four years--over three-and-a-half millions of skins have been exported from these islands. In recent years the catch has increased so that in each of the years from 1872 to 1880, 99,000 animals might have been killed without inconvenience. ]
[Footnote 368: The traits here given of the sea-bear's mode of life are mainly taken from Henry W. Elliot's work quoted above. ]
[Footnote 369: Elliott (_loc. cit._ p. 150) remarks that not a single self-dead seal is to be found in the ”rookery,” where there are so many animals that they probably die of old age in thousands.
This may be explained by the seals, when they become sick, withdrawing to the sea, and forms another contribution to the question of the finding of self-dead animals to which I have already referred (vol. i. p. 322). ]
[Footnote 370: According to a statement by Mr. Giebnitski, tertiary fossils and coal seams are also to be found on Behring Island, the former north of the colony in the interior, the latter at the beach south of Behring's grave. Also in the neighbourhood of the colony the volcanic rock-ma.s.ses are under-stratified by thick sandy beds. ]
[Footnote 371: The first European who welcomed us after the completion of the North-east pa.s.sage was a Fin now settled in California, from Bjorkboda works in Kimito parish, in which I had lived a great deal when a youth. He was sent by the Alaska Company to do some work on Behring Island. As we steamed towards the colony he rowed to meet us, and saluted us with the cry ”ar det Nordenskiold?” (”Is it Nordenskiold?”) His name was Isak Andersson. ]
CHAPTER XVI.
Arrival at Yokohama--A Telegram sent to Europe--The stranding of the steamer _A.E. Nordenskiold_--_Fetes_ in j.a.pan-- The Minister of Marine, Kawamura--Prince Kito-s.h.i.+ra-Kava-- Audience of the Mikado--Graves of the Shoguns--Imperial Garden at Tokio--The Exhibition there--Visit to Enos.h.i.+ma-- j.a.panese manners and customs--Thunberg and Kampfer.
Yokohama, the first harbour, telegraph station, and commercial town at which the _Vega_ anch.o.r.ed after circ.u.mnavigating the north coast of Asia, is one of the j.a.panese coast cities which were opened to the commerce of the world after the treaty between the United States of America and j.a.pan negotiated by Commodore PERRY.[372] At this place there was formerly only a little fis.h.i.+ng village, whose inhabitants had never seen Europeans and were forbidden under severe punishments from entering into communication or trading with the crews of the foreign vessels that might possibly visit the coast.
The former village is now, twenty years later, changed into a town of nearly 70,000 inhabitants, and consists not only of j.a.panese, but also of very fine European houses, shops, hotels, &c. It is also the residence of the governor of Kanagava _Ken_. It is in communication by rail with the neighbouring capital Tokio, by regular weekly steams.h.i.+p sailings with San Francisco on the one hand, and Hong Kong, India, &c., on the other, and finally by telegraph not only with the princ.i.p.al cities of j.a.pan but also with all the lands that have got entangled in the threads of the world's telegraph net.
The situation of the town on the western sh.o.r.e of the Yedo or Tokio Bay, which is perhaps rather large for a haven, is not particularly fine. But on sailing in we see in the west, if the weather be fine, Fusiyama's snow-clad, incomparably beautiful volcanic cone raise itself from a cultivated forest-clad region. When one has seen it, he is no longer astonished that the j.a.panese reproduce with such affection on their varnished wares, porcelain, cloth, paper, sword-ornaments, &c., the form of their highest, stateliest, and also grimmest mountain. For the number of the men who have perished by its eruptions is reckoned by hundreds of thousands, and if tradition speaks truth the whole mountain in a far distant antiquity was formed in a single night. Before we enter Yedo Bay we pa.s.s a volcano, active during last year, situated on the volcanic island Os.h.i.+ma, known in j.a.panese history as the place of exile of several of the heroes in the many internal struggles of the country.
While we sailed, or more correctly, steamed--for we had still sufficient coal remaining to permit the engine to be used--up the Bay of Yedo, the coasts were for the most part concealed with mist, so that the summit of Fusiyama and the contours of the sh.o.r.e only now and then gleamed forth from the fog and cloud. The wind besides was against us, on which account it was 9.30 in the evening of the 2nd September before we could anchor in the haven that had been longed-for for such a length of time. I immediately hastened on land, along with Captain Palander, in order to send home a telegram across Siberia about the fortunate issue of the voyage of the _Vega_. At the telegraph station I was informed that the Siberian line was interrupted by inundations for a s.p.a.ce of 600 versts, and that the telegram must therefore be sent by India, whereby the cost was nearly doubled. The telegraph officials also made difficulties about taking the foreign gold coin of various kinds which I had about me. Fortunately the latter difficulty was immediately removed by the accidental presence of the Russian consul, Mr. PELIKAN, while I was treating with the telegraph officials. When he heard that it concerned the sending home of a telegram from the much-talked-of _Vega_ expedition, he immediately offered to arrange the affair until I had time to operate on the letter of credit I carried with me from Messrs. James d.i.c.kson &c. Co. of Gothenburg. Soon after I met with the Swedish consul, Mr. VAN OORDT, who gave us a large parcel of letters from home. It was very gladly received by most of us, as, so far as I know, it did not bring the thirty members of the expedition a single unexpected sorrowful message. I got, however, soon after landing, an unpleasant piece of news, viz that the steamer _A.E. Nordenskiold_, which Mr. Sibiriakoff had sent to Behring's Straits and the Lena to our relief, had stranded on the east coast of Yesso. The s.h.i.+pwreck fortunately had not been attended with any loss of human life, and the vessel lay stranded on a sandbank in circ.u.mstances which made it probable that it would be got off without too great cost.
As the report of our arrival spread, I was immediately waited upon by various deputations with addresses of welcome, invitations to _fetes_, clubs, &c. A series of entertainments and festivities now began, which occupied a great part of the time we remained in this splendid and remarkable country. Perhaps a sketch of these festivities may yield a picture of j.a.pan during the state of transition, which still prevails there, and which in a decade or two will undoubtedly belong to a past and to a great extent forgotten period, a picture which to future writers may possibly form a not unwelcome contribution to the knowledge of the j.a.pan that now (1879) is. Such a sketch would however carry me too far beyond the subject of this narrative of travel, and require too much s.p.a.ce, on which account I must confine myself to an enumeration of the festivities at the head of which were public authorities, learned societies, or clubs.
[Ill.u.s.tration: FUSIYAMA. ]
On the 10th September a grand dinner was given at the Grand Hotel, the princ.i.p.al European hotel--and very well kept--of Yokohama, by the Dutch minister, Chevalier VAN STOETWEGEN, who at the same time represents Sweden and Norway in j.a.pan.
[Ill.u.s.tration: THE STEAMER ”A.E. NORDENSKIoLD,” STRANDED ON THE EAST COAST OF YEZO. (After a j.a.panese photograph.) ]
The members of the Expedition were here introduced to several members of the j.a.panese Government.
[Ill.u.s.tration: KAWAMURA SUMIYOs.h.i.+. j.a.panese Minister of Marine. ]