ARCHANGEL 149 



June 20. 



On Thursday, the 20th, after making all needful pre- 

 parations, we started on our first trip about 7 p.m., the 

 party consisting of Alston and myself, Ernst Craemers, 

 Piottuch, and the three peasants. 



On the first island we landed on — Vosnusainski — we 

 found Terek Sandpipers in a marshy wood, constantly 

 perching on the trees, which we were hardly prepared 

 for. Three were shot, and a nest of four young ones 

 was found. We then had tea, Nicholai's wife bringing 

 out samovar and a small table. 



June 21. 



About midnight on the 21st we proceeded down among 

 the islands, skinning the birds in the boat as we went, 

 for which purpose we had a couple of boards conveniently 

 placed across the thwarts. About half-past four we 

 landed on a large, bare, marshy island, heather-clad 

 and covered with reindeer-moss, called Tinevati Ostrov. 

 Here we found that Great Black-backed Gulls, Red- and 

 Black-throated Divers were breeding, and Nicholai 

 brought us a nest of four Temminck's Stints. 



We made a fire, had more tea, and slept for an hour 

 or so rolled up in our fur coats and waterproof sheets. 

 ' Kumarei ' (Mosquitos) were very unendurable. 



Waking up about 8 a.m. we resumed our voyage, and 

 at ten we landed two of our men on an island, Borke 

 Ostrov, we ourselves proceeding up a long, narrow 

 creek about 10 versts in length ; but we had to wait five 

 or six hours for the tide, and stuck fast in the mud 

 several times, the which accidents and delays told upon 

 our tempers ! 



When we again picked up our men they had shot a 

 couple of Teal, two Great Grey Shrikes, Green Sandpipers, 

 etc. The wind now became fresh. 



