cr own readers

KA)ITCHATKA AND ITS PEOPLE. 35
4. Nor was animal life wanting to complete the
picture. Wild ducks with long outstretched necks
shot past us cont inually in their swift, level flight,
utt ering hoarse "quacks" of curi osity and alarm.
Th e cries of geese came to us, softened by th e distance,
from the higher "slopes of the mountains; and
now and then a magnificent eag le, startled from his
solita ry watch on some jutting rock , expanded his
broad-barred wings, launched himself into the air,
and soared upward in ever - widening circles, until
he became a mere moving speck ag l1inst. th e white,
snowy crater of the nearest volcano.
5. Th e population of th e country is made up of
three distinct races-the Russiuns, th e Knrnt chadals
or settled natives, and th e wandering Korak s, The
Kamtchaduls, who are th e most num erou s, ar e principally
occupied in fishing and trapping , and in the
cultivation of ry e, turnips, cabbages, and potatoes.
Th ey live in little log villages, which are built neal'
the mouth of some riv er or stream, or inland among
scattered clumps of poplar and yellow birch, and are
protected by high hills from th e cold northern
winds. Th e houses, which are clustered irrcgularly
tog eth er near th e beach, ar e very low, and
are made of logs squared and notched at th e ends,
and having th e chinks stuffed with ma es of dry
lIlO .
G. Here and th ere between th e houses stand a few
curi ous buildings which are used as fish storehouses.
Th ey are simply conical log-tents raised from th e
ground to secure th eir contents from th e dogs.
Th ey resemble small haystacks sta nding on four
legs. High, square frames of horizontal poles tand