Works of A.P. Chekhov, Vol. 10: Sakhalin Island

To conclude the matter of the isthmus and the peninsula, I consider it not superfluous to provide a few more details. In 1710, missionaries in Beijing, on behalf of the Chinese emperor, drafted a map of Tartary; in compiling it, the missionaries utilized Japanese maps, and this is obvious, since at that time only the Japanese could have known about the navigability of the La Pérouse and Tatar Straits. The map was sent to France and became well known, as it was included in the atlas of the geographer d'Anville original: "Nouvel Atlas de la Chine, de la Tartarie, Chinoise et de Thibet." 1737.. This map gave rise to a minor misunderstanding to which Sakhalin owes its name. On the west coast of Sakhalin, directly opposite the mouth of the Amur, there is an inscription on the map made by the missionaries: "Saghalien-anga-hata," which in Mongolian means "rocks of the black river."

118This name likely referred to some cliff or cape at the mouth of the Amur, but in France, it was understood differently and attributed to the island itself. Hence the name Sakhalin, which was retained by Krusenstern and for Russian maps. The Japanese called Sakhalin Karafuto or Karafutu, which means "Chinese island."

Japanese works reached Europe either too late, when they were no longer needed, or were subjected to unsuccessful corrections. On the missionaries' map, Sakhalin appeared as an island, but d'Anville viewed it with suspicion and placed an isthmus between the island and the mainland. The Japanese were the first to explore Sakhalin, beginning in 1613, but in Europe, so little importance was attached to this that when, subsequently, Russians and Japanese settled the question of to whom Sakhalin belonged, only the Russians spoke and wrote about the right of first exploration.

Her touching treatment of the Gilyaks is also mentioned by her husband in his notes. "Yekaterina Ivanovna," he writes, "would have them (the Gilyaks) sit in a circle on the floor, around a large cup of porridge or tea, in the only room we had in the annex, which served as a hall, living room, and dining room. Enjoying such a treat, they very often patted the hostess on the shoulder, sending her for tamchi tobacco or for tea."