146 TRAVELS OF A NATURALIST 



277 versts, or 187 miles, in 45^ hours. 



While waiting — twelve hours — at Sjukia we took out 

 the gun, and shot and skinned three birds, Garden 

 Warbler, Whinchat, and Hooded Crow. 



We saw two or three birds which we took to be Pine 

 Grosbeaks, but they were so shy that we could not get a 

 right sight of them. 



We also bought a Sterlet for 30 copecks, and Alston 

 skinned it. Sterlets first entered the Dvina about 1861, 

 through the canal from the Volga. 



We got on board the steamer about 10 p.m. The 

 captain, a German, who speaks a little English, and an 

 Irishman who was on board named Smith, manager of a 

 flax-mill up the river, gave us much information. 



The steamer is flat-bottomed, with two great barges 

 lashed one on each side. We got a small cabin for two, 

 and slept well. 



June 15. 



Saturday, the 15th of June, a warm day, we arrived at 

 Archangel about 1.30 p.m. We had passed Cholmogory 

 during the night. 



We had quite a couple of hundred pilgrims on board 

 on their way to Solovetsk. They sleep like herrings in 

 a barrel, packed close side by side. Fancy the insect 

 life! 



The scenery of the Dvina is not interesting. 



On landing we went to the Tarapof (inn, or rather, 

 lodging-house), had some lunch, and then called upon 

 Mr. Shergold. We shall never be able to forget this 



