2S8 TRAVELS OF A NATURALIST 



to side, or the up-and-down motion, most closely 

 resembled the noise and unsteady heaving of the bows as 

 they fall from the crest of one wave on to the side of the 

 next, whilst the ' scrunching ' of the outriggers finds its 

 parallel in the rushing noise of the water under or along 

 the sides of the boat. Shut one's eyes and imagine a 

 great sea instead of a forest, and the deceptive feeling is 

 complete. 



The men in the hut-stations seem to occupy their spare 

 time in making nets and playing draughts on rude boards 

 made by themselves on their wooden benches. These 

 huts are dirty unwashed places, and some of the men 

 appear to be the very types of dirty Kussians. Only four 

 horses are kept at these forest-huts, and in consequence 

 we had some difficulty in getting on, especially as the 

 post from Ust Zylma was already en route. 



The 2.0-3.30 p.m. stage was a laughable one. One of 

 the horses in Piottuch's sledge jibbed a good deal, and at 

 last got off the hard track into the deep snow. I awoke 

 from a nap, and beheld poor Piottuch's sledge prostrate, 

 and Piottuch and the men struggling in the snow up to 

 their waists. Piottuch, who sleeps immoderately, looked 

 completely as if he had been caught napping. After the 

 sledge was righted the horse managed to pitch its rider 

 head first again into the soft snow. No one was seriously 

 hurt, and Seebohm and I laughed until tears ran freely. 



Shortly after this episode we crossed the Jam Lake, 

 from which, I believe, both the Pischma rivers flow (?) . It 

 is a pretty extensive sheet of water, about three versts 

 long by two wide. The sunset at its far end was fine. 



The next stage, over tundra and through forest in 

 alternate belts, the former rather exceeding the latter, we 

 sledged at a merry pace. Fifteen degrees Eeaum. had 

 rendered the roads wonderfully firm, and we had a clear 

 moon — and star-lit sky. 



