ARCHANGEL 145 



rough roads, and I knelt on the cushions which we had 

 bought from the driver on the second stage, and held on 

 like grim death. We told him to drive fast, and promised 

 20 copecks = (6^ d.) to do so, as we hoped to catch a 

 steamer on the Dvina at Sjukia. We did the twenty-one 

 miles in two and a half hours. The driver encourages 

 his horses and comparatively seldom uses the whip, save 

 to wave it in circles round his head. There was sufficient 

 excitement in this wild gallop to give an interest to the 

 otherwise monotonous character of the road. 



On the tenth stage the road was better, but here and 

 there we had some ' big jumps ' over logs of wood laid 

 ' corduroy ' fashion, in the wet parts. 



June 14. 



On the eleventh stage, which brought us to Friday, the 

 14th of June, having some hours to spare, we slept at 

 Sjukia for three hours or so. 



The twelfth stage began at Sjukia at 9 a.m., when we 

 were ferried across the Dvina, a noble stream at least a 

 mile wide. During our morning's drive we saw Northern 

 Jays, Woodpeckers, Fieldfares, Bramblings, etc. At the 

 other side of the Dvina we had to wait for the steamboat 

 (parakhot) . 



The following are the stages and distances from 

 Kargopol to Sjukia : — 



