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CHAPTER¡¡XXIII
ON¡¡A¡¡VOLCANO
The¡¡following¡¡evening¡¡we¡¡arrived¡¡at¡¡Khathyl£»¡¡a¡¡small¡¡Russian¡¡settlement¡¡of¡¡ten¡¡scattered¡¡houses¡¡in¡¡the¡¡valley¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Egingol¡¡or¡¡Yaga£»¡¡which¡¡here¡¡takes¡¡its¡¡waters¡¡from¡¡the¡¡Kosogol¡¡half¡¡a¡¡mile¡¡above¡¡the¡¡village¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡Kosogol¡¡is¡¡a¡¡huge¡¡Alpine¡¡lake£»¡¡deep¡¡and¡¡cold£»¡¡eighty¡five¡¡miles¡¡in¡¡length¡¡and¡¡from¡¡ten¡¡to¡¡thirty¡¡in¡¡width¡£¡¡On¡¡the¡¡western¡¡shore¡¡live¡¡the¡¡Darkhat¡¡Soyots£»¡¡who¡¡call¡¡it¡¡Hubsugul£»¡¡the¡¡Mongols£»¡¡Kosogol¡£¡¡¡¡Both¡¡the¡¡Soyots¡¡and¡¡Mongols¡¡consider¡¡this¡¡a¡¡terrible¡¡and¡¡sacred¡¡lake¡£¡¡¡¡It¡¡is¡¡very¡¡easy¡¡to¡¡understand¡¡this¡¡prejudice¡¡because¡¡the¡¡lake¡¡lies¡¡in¡¡a¡¡region¡¡of¡¡present¡¡volcanic¡¡activity£»¡¡where¡¡in¡¡the¡¡summer¡¡on¡¡perfectly¡¡calm¡¡sunny¡¡days¡¡it¡¡sometimes¡¡lashes¡¡itself¡¡into¡¡great¡¡waves¡¡that¡¡are¡¡dangerous¡¡not¡¡only¡¡to¡¡the¡¡native¡¡fishing¡¡boats¡¡but¡¡also¡¡to¡¡the¡¡large¡¡Russian¡¡passenger¡¡steamers¡¡that¡¡ply¡¡on¡¡the¡¡lake¡£¡¡¡¡In¡¡winter¡¡also¡¡it¡¡sometimes¡¡entirely¡¡breaks¡¡up¡¡its¡¡covering¡¡of¡¡ice¡¡and¡¡gives¡¡off¡¡great¡¡clouds¡¡of¡¡steam¡£¡¡¡¡Evidently¡¡the¡¡bottom¡¡of¡¡the¡¡lake¡¡is¡¡sporadically¡¡pierced¡¡by¡¡discharging¡¡hot¡¡springs¡¡or£»¡¡perhaps£»¡¡by¡¡streams¡¡of¡¡lava¡£¡¡¡¡Evidence¡¡of¡¡some¡¡great¡¡underground¡¡convulsion¡¡like¡¡this¡¡is¡¡afforded¡¡by¡¡the¡¡mass¡¡of¡¡killed¡¡fish¡¡which¡¡at¡¡times¡¡dams¡¡the¡¡outlet¡¡river¡¡in¡¡its¡¡shallow¡¡places¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡lake¡¡is¡¡exceedingly¡¡rich¡¡in¡¡fish£»¡¡chiefly¡¡varieties¡¡of¡¡trout¡¡and¡¡salmon£»¡¡and¡¡is¡¡famous¡¡for¡¡its¡¡wonderful¡¡¡¨white¡¡fish£»¡¨¡¡which¡¡was¡¡previously¡¡sent¡¡all¡¡over¡¡Siberia¡¡and¡¡even¡¡down¡¡into¡¡Manchuria¡¡so¡¡far¡¡as¡¡Moukden¡£¡¡¡¡It¡¡is¡¡fat¡¡and¡¡remarkably¡¡tender¡¡and¡¡produces¡¡fine¡¡caviar¡£¡¡Another¡¡variety¡¡in¡¡the¡¡lake¡¡is¡¡the¡¡white¡¡khayrus¡¡or¡¡trout£»¡¡which¡¡in¡¡the¡¡migration¡¡season£»¡¡contrary¡¡to¡¡the¡¡customs¡¡of¡¡most¡¡fish£»¡¡goes¡¡down¡¡stream¡¡into¡¡the¡¡Yaga£»¡¡where¡¡it¡¡sometimes¡¡fills¡¡the¡¡river¡¡from¡¡bank¡¡to¡¡bank¡¡with¡¡swarms¡¡of¡¡backs¡¡breaking¡¡the¡¡surface¡¡of¡¡the¡¡water¡£¡¡¡¡However£»¡¡this¡¡fish¡¡is¡¡not¡¡caught£»¡¡because¡¡it¡¡is¡¡infested¡¡with¡¡worms¡¡and¡¡is¡¡unfit¡¡for¡¡food¡£¡¡¡¡Even¡¡cats¡¡and¡¡dogs¡¡will¡¡not¡¡touch¡¡it¡£¡¡¡¡This¡¡is¡¡a¡¡very¡¡interesting¡¡phemonenon¡¡and¡¡was¡¡being¡¡investigated¡¡and¡¡studied¡¡by¡¡Professor¡¡Dorogostaisky¡¡of¡¡the¡¡University¡¡at¡¡Irkutsk¡¡when¡¡the¡¡coming¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Bolsheviki¡¡interrupted¡¡his¡¡work¡£
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