entirely on their obedience to his voice for the direction of them. With
this view, the leader is always trained up with a particular degree of care
and attention; some of them rising to a most extraordinary value on account
of their docility and steadiness; insomuch, that for one of these, I am
well assured, forty roubles (or ten pounds) was no unusual price. The
driver is also provided with a crooked stick, which answers the purpose
both of whip and reins; as, by striking it into the snow, he is enabled to
moderate the speed of the dogs, or even to stop them entirely; and when
they are lazy, or otherwise inattentive to his voice, he chastises them by
throwing it at them. Upon these occasions their dexterity in picking it up
again is very remarkable, and forms the principal difficulty of their art.
But it is indeed not surprising that they should labour to be skilful in a
practice upon which their safety so materially depends. For they say, that
if the driver should happen to lose his stick, the dogs will instantly
perceive it; and unless their leader be of the most sober and resolute
kind, they will immediately run a-head full speed, and never stop till they
are quite spent. But as that will not be the case soon, it generally
happens that either the carriage is overturned, and dashed to pieces
against the trees, or they hurry down some precipice, and are all buried in
the snow. The accounts that were given us of the speed of these dogs, and
of their extraordinary patience of hunger and fatigue, were scarcely
credible, if they had not been supported by the best authority. We were
indeed ourselves witnesses of the great expedition with which the
messenger, who had been dispatched to Bolcheretsk with the news of our
arrival, returned to the harbour of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, though the
snow was at this time exceedingly soft. But I was informed, by the
commander of Kamtschatka, that this journey was generally performed in two
days and a half; and that he had once received an express from the latter
place in twenty-three hours.