decline of all morals.  I do not remember to have seen more than five
    or six children at Kamtschatka, and these partly belonged to the
    officers, and partly to such of the inhabitants as had distinguished
    themselves by their exemplary conduct.  All the marriages, with the
    exception of three or four, were entirely unproductive.”  It is almost
    needless to remark, that if the suggestions which Krusenstern has
    given, have not been adopted and acted on, the superiority of the
    diminishing agents will have wrought such an effect since his visit,
    as may render it problematical whether or not this country ought to be
    reckoned amongst the inhabited regions of the earth.—­E.

[81] The Tayon, or Toyon, according to Krusenstern, is a person chosen from
    amongst the inhabitants, and has a character somewhat similar to that
    of starost, or elder, in the Russian villages.  He has an officer
    under him, who bears the title of jessaul, the corporal of the tent,
    who, properly speaking, holds the executive authority of the ostrog,
    as the tayon seldom does more than deliver orders to him.  When the
    tayon is absent, the jessaul assumes his place, and is supported by
    the eldest Kamtschadale in the ostrog, who, for the time being,
    becomes his substitute as jessaul.  The power of the tayon is said to
    be considerable, extending to the infliction of corporal punishment,
    not, however, exceeding twenty lashes; and his duty, in addition to
    the internal administration of his ostrog, consists in collecting the
    best sables as a tribute to the government, and carrying them to town,
    where they are examined by certain magistrates, appointed for the
    purpose, and afterwards taxed by a person authorised by the crown. 
    Enough has been already shewn, it may be thought, for calling in
    question the mildness, or at least the good policy, of the government
    established here.  A circumstance is mentioned by Krusenstern, which
    seems to imply something very different, though lately modified, we
    are told, and not without reason, as, to use his own words, it is
    surprising that people could have endured it for a single hour.  It may
    be explained in a few words.  The capitation tax, which is common
    throughout the Russian empire, is levied according to a census, or
    revision, which is generally taken every twenty years.  Where the
    population is on the increase, this is manifestly an advantage to the
    subjects, who would necessarily have more to pay, if the imposition
    were accurately adjusted to the annual augmentation of numbers.  But
    the operation of the principle becomes peculiarly oppressive, where,
    on the contrary, as in Kamtschatka, the population has been gradually
    diminishing, and, during some