P ETC HO R A 229 



inconvenience whatever from the cold, and found the 

 ' maHtsa,' or Samoyede ' shoub,' a perfect protection. 

 The boots were admirable, and so also is the cap for use 

 during the night, but during the day I preferred my otter- 

 skin cap, made from the pelts of otters killed at Dunipace. 



Marcli 19. 



On Friday, the 19th of March, we saw some 80 birds 

 of Piottuch's, none of which, however, were very valuable. 

 We then called and saw my old friends, Nathalie 

 Andrevna Leitsoff and Mr. Shergold, and met Mrs. 

 Craemers. 



We had an interview with Graf Wilczek's guide, 

 Katzoff by name, whom we hope to engage for our trip. 

 He told us that we must go to Mezen, and take the south 

 route after to Ust Zylma, as in going direct from Piilega 

 there is difficulty in procuring horses. He says that 

 about the middle of May the snow melts at the Petchora, 

 and that the ice breaks up on the river at the same time. 

 This is the average time (Old Style). It takes four days 

 (of twenty-four hours) to go down the river in a boat, and 

 eight days back with contrary wind, by towing. From 

 Ust Zylma to Pustozersk is 220 versts, and to Kuja 

 80 versts further — 300 versts. The islands up the river 

 are never flooded. Birds breed on all the islands of the 

 Petchora and on the Ussa from the beginning of June. 

 Trees follow the course of the rivers and their tributaries 

 all the way to their mouths. On the islands are smaller 

 trees and brushwood-willow. On the Timanski Tundra 

 there are plenty of Samoyedes in summer. Small boats 

 can go from Kuja to the islands of the delta in the 

 beginning of June, but vessels do not enter the Petchora 

 till the beginning of July. There are horses and winter 

 roads all the way from Ust Zylma to Kuja — two days' 

 journey. He advised us that the latest time to start 



