His distinguished Services as an Arctic Explorer.--From Petersburg to Jakutsk in 1820.--Trade of Jakutsk.--From Jakutsk to Nishne-Kolymsk.--The Badarany.--Dreadful Climate of Nishne-Kolymsk.--Summer Plagues.--Vegetation.--Animal Life.--Reindeer-hunting.--Famine.--Inundations.--The Siberian Dog.--First Journeys over the Ice of the Polar Sea, and Exploration of the Coast beyond Cape Shelagskoi in 1821.-- Dreadful Dangers and Hardships.--Matiuschkin’s Sledge-journey over the Polar Sea in 1822.--Last Adventures on the Polar Sea.--A Run for Life.--Return to St. Petersburg. 233 CHAPTER XXI. THE TUNGUSI. Their Relationship to the Mantchou.--Dreadful Condition of the outcast Nomads.--Character of the Tungusi.--Their Outfit for the Chase.--Bear-hunting.--Dwellings.--Diet.--A Night’s Halt with Tungusi in the Forest.--Ochotsk. 244 CHAPTER XXII. GEORGE WILLIAM STELLER. His Birth.--Enters the Russian Service.--Scientific Journey to Kamchatka.--Accompanies Bering on his second Voyage of Discovery.--Lands on the Island of Kaiak.--Shameful Conduct of Bering.--Shipwreck on Bering Island.--Bering’s Death.-- Return to Kamchatka.--Loss of Property.--Persecutions of the Siberian Authorities.--Frozen to Death at Tjumen. 248 CHAPTER XXIII. KAMCHATKA. Climate.--Fertility.--Luxuriant Vegetation.--Fish.-- Sea-birds.--Kamchatkan Bird-catchers.--The Bay of Avatscha.-- Petropavlosk.--The Kamchatkans.--Their physical and moral Qualities.--The _Fritillaria Sarrana_.--The Muchamor.-- Bears.--Dogs. 254 CHAPTER XXIV. THE TCHUKTCHI. The Land of the Tchuktchi.--Their independent Spirit and commercial Enterprise.--Perpetual Migrations.--The Fair of Ostrownoje.--Visit in a Tchuktch Polog.--Races.--Tchuktch Bayaderes.--The Tennygk, or Reindeer Tchuktchi.--The Onkilon, or Sedentary Tchuktchi.--Their Mode of Life. 262 CHAPTER XXV. BERING SEA--THE RUSSIAN FUR COMPANY--THE ALEUTS. Bering Sea.--Unalaska.--The Pribilow Islands.--St. Matthew.-- St. Laurence.--Bering’s Straits.--The Russian Fur Company.-- The Aleuts.--Their Character.--Their Skill and Intrepidity in hunting the Sea-otter.--The Sea-bear.--Whale-chasing.-- Walrus-slaughter.--The Sea-lion. 268 CHAPTER XXVI. ALASKA.