The government established among them by the Rus sians, when considered as of a military character, is re markably mild and equitable ; and the trihute exacted from individuals, though rendered heavy by a change of circum stances, was very inconsiderable as originally established. In every ostrog a magistrate is elected by the inhabitants, who is named tayon, and whose authority resembles that of a starost, or elder, in the Russian villages. This person has power to settle all inferior di-putes, and to inflict cor poral punishment to the extent of twenty lashes; but all intricate cases, and flagitious offences, are referred to the governor of Kamtschatka. The tayon has another officer under him, bearing the title of Jcssaul, who executes the orders of his superior, and fills his place in his absence ; while, in like manner, the eldest Kamtschadale in the vil lage assumes the office of tessaul, when the actual holder of that station is not present. The tayon, besides attend ing to the internal regulations of his ostrog, collects the sables paid by the inhabitants as tribute, and carries them scaled up to the town, where they are examined and va lued in the presence of certain magistrates, by a person authorised by the crown ; and the surplus above the duties is paid in money to the tayon, to he proportionally divided among the inhabitants. The annual taxes of a Kamtscha dale, exclusive of the capitation tax, amounts to three ru bles ; hut these being paid in sables. and the government valuation of these articles being considerably lower than the price of the merchant, he may be considered as paying at least double that sum. The capitation tax also, being levied always in Russia according to the last census, which is taken only every twentieth year,bears hard upon the de creasing villages of Kamtschatka, many of which are now diminished from 30 of 40 to 8 or 10 householders, who must nevertheless make up among them the old capitation as sessment upon the whole osttog. This error, however, is said to have been recently rectified ; and more attention has, in many respects, been paid by the government, to promote the prosperity both of the natives and Russian set tlers. Free schools have long been established in many of the ostrogs ; and all the inhabitants have been led to adopt the Christian religion. But by the most recent accounts, it appears that most of the Greek priests sent among them, are very inattentive to the duties of their office, and have very generally forfeited the respect of the natives. No correct estimate can be formed of the population of the country. When first subdued by the Russians, it was de scribed as full of inhabitants; but, in 1768, many thousands were swept away by the small-pox ; and, in 1780, the num ber of persons who paid tribute was only 3000. Krusen stern states, that in 1800 and 1801, 5000 or 6000 perished by another epidemic disorder ; and, supposing one-fourth of the number to have been householders, liable in pay ment of tribute, tbis would reduce the above number of taxable persons to one-half, viz. 1500, and (allowing to each a wife and three children) the whole population to be tween 7000 and 8000 souls. Their number has been ra pidly decreasing, even without the aid of epidemics ; and apprehensions are entertained, that the native race of inha bitants will soon become extinct. One principal cause of this progressive desolation, is to be sought in the perni cious effects of ardent spirits, which have hitherto been made the chief article of barter for their furs, and in the use of which the Kamtschadale villager is utterly incapa ble of practising the smallest self-denial. The agents of the American Company, and the other merchants, have long been in the habit of traversing the country with no other wares than a quantity of the worst kind of gin. As soon as one of them arrived at an ostrog, he treats his host with a glass of the liquor, who, as soon as he has swallow ed one mouthful, which he receives for nothing, instantly begs for another, for which, however, he must pay per haps with one of his best sables; and so on for a second and a third, till he begins to be intoxicated, when the tra der contrives to give him spirit mixed with water, still charging higher for every glass, as the unhappy peasant becomes the more urgent in his demands for more of the poison. The usual result is, that the merchant carries off the whole stock of furs in the house as the price of the spi rits drunk ; 'and that the infatuated Kamtschadale finds himself deprived of all his wealth, without having provid ed the powder and shot, and the other articles which are indispensable for his support. The debilitating effect of the liquor on his frame, the depression of spirits into which he sinks, and the want of those comforts, which, by his misconduct, he has lost the means of procuring, speedily exhausts his strength, and sinks him prematurely to the grave. The governor, however, has recently prohitmed the traders from carrying spirits into the country ; and by such regulations only, can the natives be preserved from extirpation. They are, in other respects, a very estimable race, " not easily to be surpassed," says Krusenstern, " for kindness of heart, fidelity, obedience, hospitality, persever ance, and attachment to their superiors." In spite of their extreme poverty, they are patterns of honesty. " In this respect," says the last mentioned voyager, " it is impossi ble to exceed them ; and it is as rare to find a cheat among the Kamtschadales as a man of property." Travellers, on their arrival at any ostrog, usually give their money, pa pers, and valuables, even their stock of brandy, tea, sugar, tobacco, Ste. into the hands of the tayon ; and there is no in
stance of any one having been robbed to the smallest ex tent. In many respects, the Russian settlements could not exist without the services of the natives. They serve as guides through the country, and as carriers of the mail, which they are required to do without pay ; and, of their own accord, they engage to lodge every traveller, and to supply his dogs with provisions, without demanding any remuneration. In every ostrog, there is a supply of fish set apart for this purpose. They are more barbarous in their manners than in their minds, and have made very lit tle progress in the arts of civilized life. 'they never inha bit the towns built by the Russians, but reside in small vil lages scattered over the interior districts. These os trogs rarely contain more than fifteen or twenty inhabi tants.
The Kamtschatka hamlets arc surrounded by an earthen wall, or by pallisades, (as the Russian name ostrog im ports.) and contain two sorts of habitations, one kind, call co balagans, for summer, and another, named yoursts, for winter. The balagan is constructed, by erecting nine posts in three regular rows, at equal distances from each other, and about thirteen feet in height. About ten feet from the ground, rafters are laid from post to post, and firmly fast ened with strong ropes or thongs; and upon these rafters are laid joists, which being covered with turf, complete the floor of the apartment. Upon this platform, a roof of a conical figure is raised by means of strong poles, fastened to the rafters at one end, and meeting together in a point at the other. The whole is covered with a thatching of coarse grass, except an opening in the centre, to serve the purpose of a chimney. There are two low entrances di rectly opposite to each other, to which they ascend by means of a ladder or staircase, which is merely a large beam or tree, with rough notches on the upper surface, by way of steps, with one end on the ground, and the other resting on the corner of the door. When they wish to in timate that there is nobody at home, they merely turn the tree, with the steps downwards. In the lower part of the balagan, which is left open, they dry their fish, and other articles, intended for winter stores ; and sometimes employ the upper apartment as a magazine for holding their pro visions. Their dogs, also, are frequently tied to the posts below, and find their kennel under the floor of the build ing. In forming a yourst, or winter habitation, an oblong square hole is dug in the earth to the depth of six feet, and of such dimensions as the number of families intended to occupy it may require. Strong wooden posts are then fix ed in the ground at equal distances, on which are extended the beams for supporting the roof, the rafters of which rest with one end on these beams, and the other on the ground ; and the interstices between them being filled up with wicker n ork, a covering of tut f is laid over the whole. The external appearance of these dwellings resembles the roof of an ice-house, or a round squat hillock. A hole in the centre of the roof serves the purpose of chimney, window, and door ; and the inmates pass through it by means of notched trees, as already described. There is another entrance on one side level with the ground, appro priated for the use of the women, and through which none of the men could go out or in without incurring ridicule and disgrace. The inside of this subterraneons abode forms only one apartment, with the fire-place on one side, and the utensils and provisions on the other. Broad plat forms of boards are extended along the sides; and, being well covered with mats and skins, serve the put-pose of seats and beds. These houses are generally kept so warm, as to be intolerable to a stranger; and the hotter they are made, the greater honour is supposed to be done to their guests. They reside in these winter recesses from the mid dle of October to the middle of May. Instead of these yoursts, isbas have been introduced by the Russians; and the natives have been prohibited, especially in the southern districts, from constructing their accustomed subterranean habitations. The isbas resemble the dwellings of the Rus sian peasantry, except that they arc seldom so large in Kamtschatka. The walls are formed, by piling long trees (smoothed only with the hatchet) horizontally upon one another, and filling up the interstices with clay or moss. The roof is of a sloping form, like the thatched cottages of Europe, and is coveted with coarse grass, rushes, or sometimes with boards. Each of these log-houses has three apartments, one of which may be considered rather as a kind of entrance, which extends the whole width and height of the house, and serves as a receptacle for die sledges, harness, and other bulky articles. This place communicates with the principal apartment, which occu pies the middle space, and around the sides of which are fixed broad benches, used both as tables and beds. From this there is a door into the kitchen, where a large stone or oven is fixed in the wall, which separates it from the mid dle apartment, so as to warm both rooms at the same time. In each apartment are two small windows, the panes of which art made of fish skins, or gullets of sea wolves, or the bladders of various animals; but sometimes in more opulent dwellings of plates of talc. Above the kitchen and middle room are lofts or garrets, to which there is access, by a ladder placed in the entrance.