There is little land fit for agriculture east of the Yenisei River except for Dauria, the land between the Stanovoy Mountains and the Amur River, which is nominally controlled by China.
Vassili Poyarkov, sent to explore this land, had in 1640 been in Yakutsk as pismenyy golova (roughly, in charge of records and correspondence).
Poyarkov with one hundred and thirty-three men had started out in June of 1643 from Yakutsk, sent by the voevoda of Yakutsk, Peter Golovin.
Having no idea of the proper route, Poyarkov has traveled up the rivers Lena, Aldan, Uchur, Gonam.
Delayed by sixty-four portages, it is early winter before he reaches the Stanovoy watershed.
Leaving forty-nine men to overwinter, he pushes south over the mountains in December to reach the upper Zeya River in Daur country, where he finds a land of farmers with domestic animals, proper houses and Chinese trade goods who pay tribute to the Manchus, who are just starting their conquest of China.
He builds a winter fort near the mouth of the Umelkan river.
He employs excessive brutality to extract supplies from the natives, thereby provoking their hostility and making supplies harder to get.
His men survive on a diet of pine bark, stolen food, stray forest animals and native captives whom they cannibalize.
