FETCH OR A 271 



containing many fossil shells, one piece of madrepore- 

 like fossil not unlike the madrepore found on the 

 Devonshire coast, and another large piece of coarser 

 madrepore-like fossil which we could not break in order 

 to bring away a specimen. We picked up also a fossil 

 bivalve shell like a mussel and several others. Then 

 there was also hsematite-like ironstone and flints, and a 

 soft stone upon which I successfully sharpened my knife, 

 and various others which we could not identify. 



We climbed up through soft mud and snow to the top 

 of the bank — between fifty and a hundred feet — and went 

 still further along the river, which here makes a noble 

 semicircular sweep before pursuing its northerly course. 

 Beaching a commanding point we looked away far up 

 the great river on its east and west course, the road on its 

 surface winding, and marked out, as on most of the 

 winter roads, with small spruce-trees and bushes pushed 

 into the snow. 



We passed through one or two small villages and past 

 a few scattered farmhouses, crossed several deep gullies 

 and one broader valley, and reached the above-mentioned 

 point, where the thinly-scattered forest of small spruce 

 comes down close to the river-bank. 



Of birds we saw very few indeed — Redpolls, Snow 

 Buntings, etc., and a small party of Yellowhammers, of 

 which we shot one. 



We had a sharp walk back of some five versts, which 

 repeated every day will, we hoped, soon prepare us for 

 harder work. 



In the morning, before we started, Herr Arendt and 

 the man whom we engaged last night as our steersman 

 came, and we together went to the Ispravnik's office and 

 had the agreement formally drawn up and signed. 



We arranged to pay him at the rate of 16 roubles per 

 month, and he to find himself in food. He goes with us 



