PE r CHORA 299 



ward on both sides the tree, and thus two keels are made 

 from the same tree. Other trees are sawn by the peasants 

 into planks, the heavy stem being first hoisted into posi- 

 tion, or worked up by leverage, upon a support high 

 enough to allow a man to stand and use the long saw 

 underneath, the other man standing upon the spar itself. 



Fishing-nets are now hung out to air, and the boats, up 

 to this time all but buried in the snow, are being dug out, 

 so that they may be easily removed out of the way of the 

 water when the flood comes. 



The town has the appearance of one large carpenter's 

 yard, built upon a great dung-hill. 



May 13. 



Thursday, the 13th of May, the wind was north, but it 

 thaws hard with rain. It cleared about ten o'clock, and 

 Seebohm and I tried along the shore to the south. We 

 fired ineffectually at Shore Larks, two Merlins, and a ? 

 Hen Harrier. 



We are now thoroughly convinced that our cartridges 

 are too lightly loaded, or, what is also very probable, that 



RUSSIAN BONE POWDER MEASURE. 



the powder has deteriorated in the cartridges during the 

 journey when the frost was keenest. Our guns were 

 covered with frost, and sweated abundantly when brought 

 into a warm room, and in all probability the frost has 

 penetrated to the powder in the cartridges also. 



Piottuch returned in the evening with a fine Snowy 



