ARCHANGEL I59 



of the IJma, the men having rowed all the way, the wind 

 being right ahead. The distance from Archangel to 

 where we landed on the Ijma Keaka is 24 versts. We 

 shot specimens, and saw many others, of the Common 

 Sandpiper — the first we have seen on the Dvina. [Also 

 seen at Suja, up the river.] They are very common on 

 the Ijma. 



We had stopped at Talaga village, on the Dvina, about 

 halfway on our journey, where we obtained some milk 

 and had our dinner. We promised copecks to boys to 

 gather eggs, or find nests and show them to us on our 

 return in three or four days' time. 



We arrived about 9 o'clock p.m. at the point on the 

 Ijma where we were to leave the boat. Whilst a man 

 went to the village — five versts — for a horse and cart, we 

 boiled water, and had ' tchai ' and dinner. 



Large quantities of firewood, cut in pieces about one 

 and half feet long, were floating down stream or 

 stacked along the banks, and many men, women, and 

 children were working at splitting and setting them 

 afloat. Where we landed was an encampment of the 

 people from the village, and a road leads from here to 

 the village. We left the encampment about 10.30 p.m. 



On the way we captured young Wild Ducks. We 

 heard ' whit, whit, whit,' in the marshes, and from the 

 description w^e received of the bird we concluded it was 

 the Spotted Crake. This sound we had previously heard 

 all along the banks of the Onega Canal and the Swir 

 Keaka. Piottuch saw one bird and described it as a 

 * poulet au I'eau.' (His French is no better than our 

 own, but we get on fairly well.) 



July 4. 



It was about two o'clock in the morning of the 4th of 

 July when we arrived at Ijma village. After an hour's 



