for the purpose, as hath been above-mentioned, of both eating and sleeping upon.  Out of this is a door into the kitchen; one half of which is taken up by the oven or fire-place, so contrived, by being let into the wall that separates the kitchen and the middle apartment, as to warm both at the same time.  Over the middle apartment and kitchen are two lofts, to which they ascend by a ladder placed in the entry.  There are two small windows in each apartment, made of talc, and in the houses of the poorer sort of fish-skin.  The beams and boards of the cieling are dubbed smooth with a hatchet (for they are unacquainted with the plane), and from the effects of the smoke are as black and shining as jet.

A town of Kamtschatka is called an ostrog, and consists of several of the three sorts of houses above described; but of which balagans are much the most numerous; and I must observe, that I never met with a house of any kind detached from an ostrog.  Saint Peter and Saint Paul consists of seven loghouses, or isbas, nineteen balagans, and three jourts.  Paratounca is of about the same size.  Karatchin and Natcheekin contain fewer loghouses, but full as many jourts and balagans as the former; from whence I conclude, that such is the usual size of the ostrogs.[87]

Having already had occasion to mention the dress of the Kamtschadale women, I shall here confine myself to a description of that of the men.

The outermost garment is of the shape of a carter’s frock.  Those worn in summer are of nankeen; in winter they are made of skins, most commonly of the deer or dog, tanned on one side, the hair being left on the other, which is worn innermost.  Under this is a close jacket of nankeen, or other cotton stuffs; and beneath that a shirt of thin Persian silk, of a blue, red, or yellow colour.  The remaining part of their dress consists of a pair of tight trowsers, or long breeches, of leather, reaching down to the calf of the leg; of a pair of dog or deer-skin boots, with the hair innermost; and of a fur-cap, with two flaps, which are generally tied up close to the head, but in bad weather are let to fall round the shoulders.

The fur-dress presented to me by a son of Major Behm (as already mentioned), is one of those worn by the Toions, on ceremonious occasions.  The form exactly resembles that of the common exterior garment just described.  It is made of small triangular pieces of fur, chequered brown and white, and joined so neatly as to appear to be one skin.  A border of six inches breadth, wrought with threads of different coloured leather, and producing a rich effect, surrounds the bottom, to which is suspended a broad edging of the sea-otter skin.  The sleeves are turned up with the same materials; and there is likewise an edging of it round the neck, and down the opening at the breast.  The lining is of a smooth white skin.  A cap, a pair of gloves, and boots, wrought with the utmost degree of neatness, and made of the same materials, constitute the remainder of this suit.  The Russians in Kamtschatka wear the European dress; and the uniform of the troops quartered here, is of a dark-green, faced with red.