174 TRAVELS OF A NATURALIST 



house. So later in the day we had a good group of the 

 men taken in his garden, standing round a camp-fire. 

 This view appeared in perfect loveHness, especially old 

 Nicholai chopping wood for the fire, and Piottuch with 

 his multifarious instruments and sporting paraphernalia. 

 AVe secured the negative also and twelve plates, which, if 

 well printed, ought to be a complete success. Between 

 the two photographic attempts we lunched and spent some 

 time with Mr. Shergold. 



July 19. 



Friday, the 19th of July, was warm, with heavy 

 thunder showers. AVe had Mr. Birse to breakfast, and 

 afterwards we bathed with the two Craemers. Nicholai 

 and Jacof went home last night, and are to be back about 

 eleven o'clock to-night, in time for our early morning 

 start for Lya — twenty-five versts off — a journey on which 

 Ernst accompanies us, as Carl will be busy in the 

 office. 



In the afternoon, about three o'clock, Mr. Birse drove 

 us down to Solombola to dine with Captain Farfar, of the 

 ss. Joseph, of Montrose, a fine new vessel on her first trip, 

 and lading with flax. The captain gave us ' sea-pie,' a 

 most delightful soup made of potatoes, paste, meat, etc. 

 The captain — a Scotsman — told us that he could not tell 

 us what was ' in til't.' Alston described it as a cross- 

 breed between potato-soup and beefsteak pie. Of this we 

 ate till we could hardly stir, washing it down with plenty 

 of Allsopp's bitter beer and London stout. AVe after- 

 wards had plum-duff. I mention these ' trivials ' ; but 

 they were no ' trivials ' to us. 



Going on deck we watched the Russian labourers press- 

 ing the flax into the hold. Huge bales, worth £10 or £V2 

 each, are pressed by leverage by four or five men each 

 into a third of its bulk. AAHiile thus engaged the men 

 join in a rough chorus, working from six in the morn- 



