A Trip to Pilawin, the Deer-Park of Count Joseph Potocki in Volhynia, Russia

Part 1

A TRIP TO PILAWIN

A TRIP TO PILAWIN

THE DEER-PARK OF COUNT JOSEPH POTOCKI IN VOLHYNIA RUSSIA

BY R. LYDEKKER

LONDON ROWLAND WARD, LIMITED “THE JUNGLE,” 167 PICCADILLY, W. 1908

All rights reserved

PREFACE

When founding the Pilawin preserve in 1901 my intention was limited to the breeding of elk, which still have their native haunts not very far away to the north, but have for many years ceased to inhabit these forests. No one, to my knowledge, has hitherto attempted to naturalise these splendid deer in enclosed parks; but the fact that Pilawin forms a part of their original habitat induced me to try the experiment, which has thus far proved an unqualified success. The first big game introduced in Pilawin were thus elk; but soon after their introduction I had the opportunity when in England of visiting the famous park of the Duke of Bedford at Woburn, and the wonders there seen enlarged my ideas with regard to Pilawin. Without any thought of rivalling the marvels of Woburn, I accordingly decided to add to the Pilawin park such of the deer of North America and Asia as appeared likely to thrive in Russia. Consequently I lost no time in obtaining specimens of American and Siberian wapiti, as well as of Caucasian red deer and the Manchurian Dybowski’s deer, after which I continued to add other new inhabitants to the park as opportunity occurred. In 1905, thanks to the kind intervention of Prince Victor Kotchoubey, who is at the head of the Imperial estates, I received from H.M. the Emperor of Russia the valuable gift of three bison from the Imperial preserves of Bielowicz; while in the following year a pair of their American relations, imported by Hagenbeck, was added to the herd.

Much work still remains to be done before Pilawin is placed on such a level that will make it of real interest and importance to the study of natural history. If possible, I should like to make it the home of all such species of big game to which the climate and other local conditions prove suitable. And when established, I want them to live practically in their wild and natural state, breeding freely, and lacking any sense of confinement and limitation. I want, in fact, to see Pilawin, not a zoological garden, but a wild forest, where the noblest kinds of game may enjoy the largest possible amount of freedom, and where the sportsman may find the enjoyment of real sport and the naturalist a great field for study.

Before concluding, I may avail myself of the opportunity of tendering my best thanks to all who have so kindly assisted me in the enterprise. My first thanks are due to H.M. the Emperor; and I have next to thank the Duke of Bedford for the promise of a young American bison, which I hope will reach Pilawin during the spring. To the Princes A. S. and F. Radziwill, to Count Constantin Potocki, and to Mr. Zalenski I am indebted for elk. To Mr. Poklewski-Roziell my acknowledgments are due for Siberian roe; while I have to thank Madame Ouwaroff for the valuable gift of a couple of beavers. I have likewise the pleasure of acknowledging the valuable services of the firm of Hagenbeck of Hamburg, who carried out to my entire satisfaction all orders regarding the importation of living animals into Pilawin.

To the author of this little volume I desire to express my deepest gratitude and warmest thanks; and I am both proud and pleased that the first description of Pilawin should come from the pen of such a well-known naturalist as Mr. Lydekker.

Last, but not least, my gratitude is due to the publisher for the manner in which this account of Pilawin is presented to the world.

JOSEPH POTOCKI.

ANTONINY, January 1908.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE A FOREST SCENE Frontispiece THE BIG LAKE IN PILAWIN 3 EUROPEAN BISON IN THE OPEN 5 THE MAIN ENTRANCE OF THE ANTONINY PALACE 9 BEARS KILLED BY THE COUNT 13 WAPITI STAGS TRYING FOR THE MASTERY 15 AMERICAN BISON IN THE SNOW 17 WAPITI IN THE SNOW 19 WAPITI CALLING 23 EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN BISON IN THE PILAWIN PARK 27 A TYPICAL PILAWIN SCENE 30 MAP OF PILAWIN 31 THE SHOOTING-LODGE AT PILAWIN 33 OURSELVES STARTING FROM THE SHOOTING-LODGE 35 YOUNG ELK AND WAPITI 39 WAPITI IN AUTUMN 43 WOLF KILLED NEAR ANTONINY IN 1907 46 THE PILAWIN BEAVER 47 ELK IN WINTER 51 AN ASIATIC (? SAYANSK) WAPITI 56 WAPITI STAG AND HIND 57 THE DEAD BISON 60 WAPITI STAG REPOSING 61 A BULL ELK 65 THE PEKIN OR DYBOWSKI BUCKS 67 ELK CALVES IN THE SNOW 68 THE AMERICAN BISON 70 THE EUROPEAN BISON HERD 71 AMERICAN BISON BY THE STAGE IN THE FOREST 73 WAPITI BY THE LAKE 77 A BULL ELK 79 WAPITI IN WINTER 82 ONE OF THE BEST WAPITI, WITH THE ANTLERS IN VELVET 87 A VIEW IN PILAWIN WITH ASIATIC WAPITI IN THE FOREGROUND 91 CAUCASIAN RED DEER 92 A PEKIN OR DYBOWSKI STAG 97 A BIG WAPITI 99 EUROPEAN BISON IN A FOREST RIDE 103 A GOOD WAPITI 111 A WAPITI AT GAZE 115

A Trip to Pilawin

Towards the close of the year 1906 I received an invitation from Count Joseph Potocki to pay him a visit in the following August in order to see his collection of deer at Pilawin, in the Russian province of Volhynia. After some preliminary correspondence, an invitation was also sent by Countess Potocki to my eldest daughter; and on receipt of this I finally decided to undertake the trip.

We started by the 8.35 P.M. boat-train from Victoria on Monday, August 19, and reached Warsaw in time for breakfast on the following Wednesday. Breakfast at the Hotel Bristol (where, for the first time, we tasted fresh Russian caviare) was a welcome preliminary to an inspection of Warsaw, under the guidance of the Count’s agent, who had kindly come to meet us on arrival at the station. The city can be seen easily and quickly by means of the excellent service of horse-trams, now in course of replacement by electric cars on the overhead-wire system.

Our attention was first attracted by the magnificent new Greek church, built of white bricks, with its golden cupola and lofty, detached campanile. The church faces the “Bristol,” and behind it are the beautiful public gardens, which claimed a full share of our admiration. We also visited several of the fine old Catholic churches, including the famous cathedral. The striking and lofty monument to the Polish King Sigismund, as well as the fine statue of the astronomer Copernicus, were likewise inspected and admired. Perhaps, however, the portion of the city which chiefly impressed us was the fine old market-place, with its irregular, picturesque buildings, its numerous stalls, and the people of diverse nationalities by whom it was thronged, all busy in either buying or selling.

By good luck, we also enjoyed the opportunity of seeing one of the Czar’s Tcherkess cavalry regiments marching through the city; the sable uniforms and tall black astrachan papakhas (busbies) of the troopers forming a striking contrast to the white jackets of the Cossacks, who are to be seen everywhere in the streets.

After returning to our hotel, by 3.30 P.M. we were on our way to Terespol station, the terminus of the Kieff line, which we had to leave for Schepetowka, our destination, at five o’clock. We were somewhat delayed on our way by a great crush of vehicles at the bridge over the Vistula; and owing to the crowd of passengers at the station itself, taking tickets and registering the baggage was no easy matter; but it was eventually accomplished (by the hotel porter), and we were soon comfortably established in a sleeping compartment of the train ready for the start.

Here a word may be said in commendation of the railway service in this part of the Russian Empire; that is to say, when you are once in the train. The first-class sleeping compartments are comfortable and convenient; the cuisine is excellent; and the attendants are civil, attentive, and expert at interpreting the wants of those passengers to whom Russian and Polish are unknown tongues. Punctuality is, however, a virtue which on some occasions might be more cultivated.

At 5.10 A.M. on Thursday (only ten minutes behind our scheduled time) we reached Schepetowka station, where we found an open carriage, drawn by four horses abreast, in waiting; and in five minutes we were on our way to Antoniny, the country seat of the Count and Countess Potocki. Small strongly-built phaetons with varnished wood-work are used for travelling. They are built at Vienna, and can be driven either with a four-in-hand or four abreast. A four-horse team is always kept ready at each changing-station. When travelling at night a smaller vehicle goes in front with torches. For baggage a second carriage is provided.

As there had been a deluge of rain during the night, the road, which for the greater part of the way formed a mere track across the yielding black alluvial soil, was very bad going, being in places indeed little better than lakes of mud, and almost everywhere cut up into deep ruts. Despite this (and the bad state of the track, as well as the condition of several of the wooden bridges, would have well-nigh broken the heart of an English coachman), with only a single change of horses, the journey of some fifty kilometres was safely accomplished in a little over four hours; and by half-past nine, that is to say, about sixty-one hours from London, we were heartily welcomed by our kind host and hostess and their family. It should be added that a metalled road is in course of construction, which, when completed, will render the journey from Schepetowka to Antoniny much easier.

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