222 TRAVELS OF A NATURALIST 



March 11. 



On Thursday, the 11th of March, we arrived at 

 Moscon at 11 a.m., and went to the Hotel Bedin. We 

 breakfasted, and with the Commissionaire ' did ' the 

 Kremhn and viewed the city from the bastions or belfry 

 of the highest church. 



The cold is 15° Keaum., but I am not oppressed with 

 it in the least. The dreadfully warm houses and heated 

 carriages on the railway easily account for the extra 

 muffling up of the Eussians. In Scotland or England, 

 with this cold, sportsmen would go out shooting at the 

 covert-sides simply in tweeds. I, as yet, have not worn 

 gloves, and I freely expose my hands and ears without 

 inconvenience. The air is very dry. 



At St. Petersbourg I got a paper upon Kolguev, which 

 gives all the information known at present. It is in 

 Russian, but we shall have it translated for us at Arch- 

 angel. 



We left at night for Jaroslav and Vologda. 



March 12. 



We arrived at Jaroslav at 4 a.m. on Friday morning, 

 12th March. The carriages were awfully stuffy and close, 

 and I got no sleep. We crossed the frozen Volga on a 

 sledge to the other station, and left at 10 a.m. We 

 arrived at Vologda at 12 p.m., two hours late, owing to 

 a breakdown. 



We telegraphed to M. Vorakin, at Vologda, that we 

 should be at the Golden Anchor (Zolotoi Lakor), and he 

 sent his man up and brought us to his own house, which 

 we did not immediately discover, as no one spoke any- 

 thing but Russ. 



We had some idea to-night of what fast sledging is on 

 a cold starry night. It is only the exposed skin that 

 feels it. 



