Travels in Kamtschatka, During the Years 1787 and 1788, Volume 1

In Short

This volume is a detailed travel journal documenting a diplomatic journey across the late-eighteenth-century Kamchatka Peninsula. Author Jean-Baptiste-Barthélemy de Lesseps records his trek across harsh terrain alongside Russian officials, navigating tiny native villages, volatile winter weather, and severe logistical failures. What begins as a routine inspection tour turns into a desperate struggle for survival as starvation and extreme cold decimate their transport dogs. The narrative endures as a rare, meticulous eye-witness record of indigenous life, colonial administration, and raw human endurance on Russia's far-eastern frontier.

The Story

The narrative follows Jean-Baptiste-Barthélemy de Lesseps as he accompanies Governor M. Kasloff across the isolated Kamchatka Peninsula in late 1787 and early 1788. Beginning in the coastal settlement of Petropavlovsk—the port of St. Peter and St. Paul—Lesseps observes a modest outpost of roughly one hundred residents, guarded by a tiny garrison of Cossacks and surrounded by the ruins of earlier expeditions. From here, the expedition moves inland toward Bolcheretsk, halting along the way at thermal springs near Natchikin where Kasloff has built hot baths for the local inhabitants.

Traveling via connected wooden canoes down the Bolchaïa-reka river, the party suffers immediate mishaps, including flooded supply boats and damaged rafts, before reaching Bolcheretsk. Once the capital of the region, Bolcheretsk reveals a fragile blend of European manners and rough frontier reality. Lesseps spends weeks here taking notes on local diseases, currency, and government structures while learning the tricky art of hunting on wooden rackets in deep snow and driving dog sledges.

As winter sets in, the party presses northward toward Tiguil, traveling between scattered native villages called ostrogs. Lesseps describes the smoke-filled subterranean or wooden habitations, the local customs, and the active volcanoes of Klutchefskaïa and Tolbatchina that loom over the icy landscape. The trek grows increasingly grueling as blizzard conditions blind their guides and obscure all trails.

Disaster strikes near Poustaretsk. Deep snows and an absolute lack of dried fish reduce their massive pack of nearly three hundred dogs to a handful of starving, dying animals. Exhausted by the incessant howling of famished dogs and facing the very real threat of dying in the wilderness, the expedition halts in despair. Even news of Kasloff’s promotion to the governorship of Yakutsk cannot lift the gloom. Realizing that remaining together will consume their last remaining supplies, Lesseps makes the crucial decision to split from the main party. Provisioned at the final hour with whale blubber brought by an express messenger, Lesseps prepares to venture out on his own to complete the journey.

How It Unfolds

Departure from the eastern port Lesseps and Governor Kasloff survey the small, fortified harbor of St. Peter and St. Paul before setting off inland, noting its garrison of Cossacks and indigenous Kamtschadale habitations.

River accidents on the way to Bolcheretsk The party embarks on linked canoe-floats along the Bolchaïa-reka, suffering delays when baggage-craft sink and require immediate repair on the riverbank.

Wintering and hunting in the capital While waiting in Bolcheretsk, Lesseps learns to navigate deep drifts on foot using skin-covered rackets, hunts local game, and documents the social decay and mixed cultures of the town.

Volcanoes and northern settlements Traveling north through Klutchefskaïa, the expedition marvels at towering active volcanoes emitting thick smoke and flames directly out of snow-covered peaks.

Encounters with nomadic herders Near Karagui, the travelers negotiate through interpreters with rein-deer Koriacs, purchasing livestock to feed the party when local fish supplies begin to fail.

Blizzards and deadly famine Severe winter storms blind the guides near Poustaretsk, leading to lost paths, the death of scores of sled dogs from starvation, and extreme desperation among the men.

A desperate separation Faced with total ruin, Lesseps convinces Kasloff to let him split off alone with the remaining viable dogs, saved at the last moment by a delivery of whale fat.

The People

Jean-Baptiste-Barthélemy de Lesseps A young, observant French traveler who seeks to document every detail of his journey to satisfy his own curiosity and inform his friends. He adapts quickly to local survival methods, learning to hunt on wooden rackets, drive dog sledges, and sleep through the nightly howling of pack animals. Faced with starvation, he displays sharp pragmatism by insisting on separating from the main expedition to save resources.

Governor M. Kasloff The newly appointed regional governor who leads the expedition across the peninsula to inspect settlements and establish civil administration. He demonstrates genuine concern for the locals by constructing public hot baths at his own expense. However, when faced with blizzard conditions and the loss of his transport animals, he lapses into deep despondency despite receiving a major promotion to Yakutsk.

The Toyons Local native chiefs who manage the small ostrogs along the route. They cede their wooden homes to Kasloff’s party and supply food, though some—like the chief of Karagui—exhibit lingering rebellious tendencies and resist providing supplies.

The Rein-Deer Koriacs Nomadic pastoralists who wander the northern moss-pastures with large herds. Speaking neither Russian nor Kamtschadale, they trade vital livestock to the starving expedition through local interpreters.

In Its Own Voice

"I may therefore, not undeservedly, be reproached with having spoken too much of myself: but this is the prevailing sin of travellers of my age."

Lesseps reflects candidly in his preface on his tendency to weave his personal misadventures into his official observation journal.

"The shrill and incessant howlings of these cursed animals, seemed close at my ears, and prevented me from sleeping during the whole night."

After arriving at the ostrog of Malkin, the author describes the overwhelming noise made by the exhausted pack dogs awaiting their daily meal of dried salmon.

"In a moment thus critical, I can only ascribe to the inspiration of heaven, the idea that suddenly occurred to me of separating myself from M. Kasloff."

Lesseps recalls the sudden realization that splitting the party was the only logical way to prevent everyone from starving in the snow near Poustaretsk.

What It's Really About

Beneath its narrative of daily travel hazards, the book examines the friction between European imperial ambitions and the raw reality of an untamed wilderness. Lesseps observes how Russian civilizing efforts often falter when transmitted across vast distances. Instead of elevating the native population, European arrival frequently introduces licentiousness and commercial exploitation, leaving both settlers and indigenous groups struggling equally against the environment.

The text also probes the fragility of human organization when confronted by extreme nature. Imperial titles, administrative promotions, and military rank hold no weight when blizzards erase the trails and there are no dried fish left to feed the dogs. In the end, survival depends entirely on indigenous technology—sledges, skin boots, whale blubber, and local guides—rather than European sophistication.

Why Read It Today

This volume appeals directly to readers who enjoy authentic exploration literature, historic arctic travel, and unvarnished survival stories. Lesseps writes with an engaging, straightforward directness that avoids theoretical posturing in favor of clear, concrete detail. Readers gain a vivid, immediate sense of what it felt like to travel across eighteenth-century Siberia, from the biting cold that freezes ink mid-sentence to the suffocating smoke of subterranean winter huts.

The narrative does present some period-typical hurdles. Modern readers must navigate archaic transliterations of Russian and indigenous places, detailed counts of distances in wersts, and occasional lists of regional administrative posts. Furthermore, the early chapters move at a deliberate pace, weighted down by geographic inspections and descriptions of local housing.

What stays with the reader, however, is the sheer physical grit of the narrative. The sudden shift from routine diplomatic touring to a terrifying battle against wilderness famine creates genuine suspense. Watching a young diplomat adapt to heavy deer-skin clothing, master snowshoes, and make life-or-death decisions in a blizzard makes for a memorable portrait of historical endurance.