186 Mr. H. J. Pearson on Birds 



stragglers may reach it from the east of the Ural Mountains; 

 so that I hoped to meet with a large variety of species^ even 

 to find a pair of Curlew- Sandpipers there ! — although I ought 

 to say that this hope was discouraged by all my ornithological 

 friends. 



I believe the only Englishmen who have crossed this 

 country are Mr. G. H. Pophara, Captain Wiggins, and 

 Mr. F. G. Jackson (of the Jackson-Harmsworth Expedition). 

 They passed over it while the ground was under snow ; 

 but it had been visited in summer by Alexander Gustav 

 Schrenk in 1837, as well as by Herr Keyserling, who pub- 

 lished an account of his journey in ' Reise in das Petschora- 

 Land'' (St. Petersburg), 1846. Both of them examined the 

 botany of the district very carefully, but gave few details 

 respecting ornithology. 



Sledging appeared impossible in summer-time, considering 

 the large amount of food and collecting-outfit which would 

 be necessary, so the sea-route was chosen. Both English and 

 Russian charts gave very scanty information ; but, from the 

 few soundings marked on them, it seemed that a ship of light 

 draught could approach the land sufficiently to enable us to 

 reach the rivers in a steam-launch. I therefore chartered the 

 ss. ' Laura ' from Herr Gisever, of Tromso, and Colonel H. 

 W. Feilden and Mr. Frederick Curtis accompanied me. The 

 ship proved very suitable for our purpose in most respects, 

 her chief fault being a slight deficiency in steam-power; 

 but it is difficult to combine this with good sailing qualities 

 in a wooden vessel, and for cruising in these seas high speed 

 is not essential. 



After many delays we finally left the North Cape, Norway, 

 on June 20tli, ten days later than we had intended; and, 

 owing to constant head-winds, Kolguev was sighted only 

 on the 25th ; in fact, during the first two months of our 

 voyage we were able to sail without steam for three hours ! 

 We expected to meet the ice at Kolguev, but none being 

 seen as we advanced to the east of the island, and the tem- 

 perature continuing high — June 27th, 8 a.m., thermometer 

 in shade 50°, surface water of sea 50° Fahr. — we began to 



