Farewell to Norway. 107 



death, two had got hung fast and had been strangled 

 while passing through a forest, etc., etc. One, more- 

 over, had been taken ill a few days before, and was 

 still on the sick list ; but the remaining thirty-four were 

 in good condition ; we could hear them howling and 

 barkino-. During this conversation we had come as 



e> o 



near to Khabarova as we dared venture, and at seven 

 in the evening cast anchor in about 3 fathoms of water. 



Over the supper table Trontheim told us his adven- 

 tures. On the way from Sopvaand Ural to the Pechora 

 he heard that there was a dog epidemic in that locality ; 

 consequently he did not think it advisable to go to the 

 Pechora as he had intended, but laid his course instead 

 direct from Ural to Yugor Strait. Towards the end of 

 the journey the snow had disappeared, and, in company 

 with a reindeer caravan, he drove on with his clogs over 

 the bare plain, stocks and stones and all, using the 

 sledges none the less. The Samoyedes and natives of 

 Northern Siberia have no vehicles but sledges. The 

 summer sledge is somewhat higher than the winter 

 sledge, in order that it may not hang fast upon stones 

 and stumps. As may be supposed, however, summer 

 sledging is anything but smooth work. 



After supper we went ashore, and were soon on the 

 flat beach of Khabarova, the Russians and Samoyedes 

 regarding us with the utmost curiosity. The first 

 objects to attract our attention were the two churches 

 an old venerable-lookinof wooden shed of an oblong 



