haps, in its defign, for fome fuch purpose. In each of the leffer caves, there are feveral chapels.

On the fides of the porticoes, and in compartments at the further end, are, in baffo relievo, pieces of fculpture, moft of their figures being Coloffian, and all reprefenting parts of the Gentoo mythology; the centre is an image of the quadruple-faced Brimha, the god of the Bedas. These ftatues, fuch as we see them, grotefque and fanciful, are to us the

objects of eaftern adoration, and' in their prefent mutilated ftate, prove the artift neither unfkilful, or unacquainted with animal proportions, which are well preserved, even in those which extend the height of the excavation, or which the hieroglyphic doctrines of the Bramins represent most whimsically; for, indeed, the acquaintance with nature and fymmetry may as well be displayed in the Ratues of a Silenus or Medea, as in those of an Apollo or Venus."

MISCELLANEOUS

Account of a curious Mode of travel ling in Kamtfchatka, by means of Sledges drawn by Dogs, as defcribed in the Journey taken by Captains Gore and King, from the Harbour of St. Peter and St. Paul to Bolcheretik, the Kefidence of the Governor of the Province of Kamtfchatka; from Captain King's Continuation of Captain Cook's laft Voyage. Vol. II.

Ame evening, we
BOUT nine o'clock the

were awakened by the melancholy howlings of the dogs, which continued all the time our baggage was lafhing upon the f⚫dges; but as foon as they were yoked, and we were all prepared to fet out, this changed into a light cheerful yelping, which intirely ceafed the inftant they marched off But before we set out, the reader may expect to be made more particularly acquainted with this curious mode of travelling.

The body is about four feet and a half long, and a foot wide, made in the form of a crefcent, of light tough wood, ftrongly bound together with wicker work; which in thofe belonging to the

better fort of people is elegantly ftained of a red and blue colour, and the feat covered with bear fkins, or other furs. It is fupported by four legs, about two feet high, which reft on two long flat pieces of wood, five or fix inches broad, extending a foot at each end beyond the body of the fledge. Thefe are turned up before, in the manner of a fkate, and fhod with the bone of fome fea animal. The fore part of the carriage is ornamented with thongs of leather and taffels of coloured cloth; and from the cros bar, to which the harness is joined, are hung links of iron, or small bells, the jingling of which they conceive to be encouraging to the dogs. They are feldom ufed to carry more than one perfon at a time, who fits aside, refting his feet on the lower part of the fledge, and carrying his provifions and other neceffaries, wrapped up in a bundle, behind him. The dogs are ufually five in number, yoked two and two, with a leader. The reins not being faftened to the head of the dogs, but to the collar, have little power over them, and are therefore generally hung upon

the

the fledge, whilft the driver depends 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; fome of them rifing to a moft extra. ordinary value on account of their docility and fteadiness; infomuch, that for one of thefe, I am well affured, forty roubles (or ten pounds) was no unufual price. The driver is alfo provided with a crooked stick, which anfwers the purpose both of whip and reins; as by ftriking it into the fnow, he is enabled to moderate the fpeed of the dogs, or even to flop them entirely; and when they are lazy, or otherwife inattentive to his voice, he chaftifes them by throwing it at them. Upon the fe occafions, their dexterity in picking it up again is very remarkable, and forms the principal difficulty of their art. But it is indeed not furprifing, that they fhould labour to be fkilful in a practice upon which their fafety fo materially depends. For they fay, that if the driver fhould happen to lofe his ftick, the dogs will inftantly perceive it; and unless their leader be of the most fober and refolute kind, they will immediately run a-head full fpeed, and never ftop till they are quite fpent. But as that will not be the cafe foon, it

generally happens, that either the carriage is overturned, and daflied to pieces against the trees, or they hurry down fome precipice, and are all buried in the fnow. The accounts that were given us of the fpeed of thefe dogs, and of their extraordinary patience of hunger and fatigue, were scarcely credible, if they had not been fupported by the best authority. We were indeed ourselves witneffes of the great expedition with which the meffengers, who had been dispatched to Bolcheretfk with the news of our arrival, returned to the harbour of St. Peter and St. Paul, though the fnow was, at that time, exceedingly foft. But I was informed, by the Commander of Kamtfchatka, that this journey was generally performed in two days and a half; and that he had once received an exprefs from the latter place in twenty

three hours.

The dogs are fed during the winter, on the offals of dried and ftinking fifh; but are always deprived of this miferable food, a day before they fet out on a journey, and never fuffered to eat before they reach the end of it. We were alio told, that it was not unufual for them to continue thus fafting two entire days, in which time they would perform a journey of one hundred and twenty miles*. Thefe dogs

are,

are, in shape, fomewhat like the Pomeranian breed, but confiderably larger.

As we did not choose to truft to our own skill, we had each of us a man to drive and guide the fledge, which, from the ftate the roads were now in, proved a very laborious bufinefs. For, as the thaw had advanced very confiderably in the vallies, through which our road lay, we were under the neceffity of keeping along the fides of the hills; and this obliged our guides, who were provided with fnow-fhoes for that purpose, to fupport the fledges, on the lower fide, with their fhoulders, for feveral miles together. I had a very good-humoured Coffack to attend me, who was, however, fo very unfkilful in his bufinefs, that we were overturn. ed almost every minute, to the great entertainment of the rest of the company. Our party confifted, in all, of ten fledges. That in which captain Gore was carried, was made of two lafhed together, and abundantly provided with furs and bear-skins; it had ten dogs, yoked four abreaft; as had allo fome of those that were heavy laden with baggage.

When we had proceeded about four miles, it began to rain; which, added to the darkness of the night, threw us all into confufion. It was at laft agreed, that we fhould remain, where we were, till day light; and accordingly we came to anchor in the fnow (for I cannot better exprefs the manner in which the fledges were fecured), and wrapping ourselves up in our furs, waited patiently for the morning. About three o'clock we were called on to fet out, our guides being apprehensive, that if we waited long

er, we might be ftopped by the thaw, and neither be able to proceed, nor to return. After encoun⚫ tering many difficulties, which were principally occafioned by the bad condition of the road, at two in the

afternoon, we got fafe to an offrog, called Natcheekin, fituated on the fide of a small stream, which falls into the Bolchoireka, a little way below the town. The distance between Karatchin and Natcheekin is thirty-eight werfts (or twentyfive miles); and had the hard froft continued, we should not, by their account, have been more than four hours in performing it; but the fnow was fo foft, that the dogs, almoft at every step, funk up to their bellies; and I was indeed much surprised at their being at all able to overcome the difficulties of fo fatiguing a journey."

An Account of the Manner of Bearhunting practifed by the Kamtfchadales; from the fame.

"THE

HE next day I fet on foot another hunting party, and put myself under the direction of the clerk of the parish, who was a celebrated bear-hunter. We arrived, by fun fet, at the fide of one of the larger lakes. The next ftep was to conceal ourselves as much as poffible; and this we were able to do very effectually, among fome long grafs and bruth-wood, that grew clofe to the water's edge. We had not lain long in ambush, before we had the pleasure to hear the growlings of bears in different parts round about us, and our expecta tions were foon gratified, by the fight of one of them in the water, which feemed to be fwimming di

realy

rectly to the place where we lay hid. The moon, at this time, gave a confiderable light; and when the animal had advanced about fifteen yards, three of us fired at it, pretty nearly at the fame time. The beaft immediately turned fhort on one fide, and fet up a noife, which could not properly be called roaring, nor growling, nor yelling, but was a mixture of all three, and horrible beyond defcription. We plainly faw that it was feverely wounded, and that with difficulty it gained the bank, and retreated to fome thick bushes at a little diftance. It ftill continued to make the fame loud and terrible noife; and though the Kamtfchadales were perfuaded it was mortally wounded, and could get no farther, yet they thought it moft advifeable not to roufe it again for the prefent. It was, at this time, paft nine o'clock; and the night becoming overcaft, and threatening a change of weather, we thought it molt prudent to return home, and defer the gratification of our curiofity till morning, when we returned to the spot, and found the bear dead in the place to which it had been watched. It proved to be a female, and beyond the common fize.

"As the account of our first hunting party will be apt to give the reader a wrong idea of the method in which this fport is ufually conducted; it may not be amifs to add a few more words on the fubject; and which I am the better able to do fince this laft expedition.

"When the natives come to the ground frequented by the bears, which they contrive to reach about fun-fet, the first step is to look for their tracks, to examine which are

the fresheft, and the best fituated with a view to concealment, and taking aim at the beaft, either as he is paffing by, or advancing in front, or going from them. These tracks are found in the greatest numbers, leading from the woods down to the lakes, and among the long fedgy grafs and brakes by the edge of the water. The place of ambufcade being determined upon, the hunters next fix in the ground the crutches, upon which their firelocks are made to reft, pointing them in the direction they mean to make their fhot. This done, they kneel or lie down, as the circumftances of the cover require; and, with their bear-fp ars by their fide, wait for their game. Thefe precautions, which are chiefly taken, in order to make fure of their mark, are, on several accounts, highly expedient. For, in the first place, ammunition is fo dear at Kamtfchatka, that the price of a bear will not purchafe more of it than is fufficient to load a mutk t four or five times; and, what is more material, if the bear be not rendered incapable of purfuit by the firft fhot, the confequences are often fatal. He immediately makes toward the place from whence the noife and fmoke iffue, and attacks his adverfary with great fury. It is impoffible for them to reload, as the animal is feldom at more than twelve or fifteen yards distance, when he is fired at: fo that if be does not fall, they immediately put themselves in a posture to receive him upon their fpears; and their fafety greatly depends on their giving him a mortal ftab, as he first comes upon them If he parries the thruft (which, by the extraordinary ftrength and agility of their paws, they are often enabled to do), and

thereby