MOSQUITOES 



171 



and were of the lowest grade of intellect we had 

 hitherto met with. The river current at Ganal is 

 unusually rapid, as indeed its name denotes (tor 

 Bystraia in Russian means swift), and no wider than 

 the Bolshaia at Natchiki. The water is clear and 

 shallow, and separating there into several channels, 

 forms two or three small islands. Here mosquitoes 



VIEW OPPOSITE GANAL. 



swarmed in myriads ; their numbers were so great that 

 the walls of almost every hut were covered and con- 

 cealed by them to the depth of half an inch. The 

 natives carried brown gauze over their faces ; we could 

 only protect ourselves by lighting fires round the tents 

 and filling them with smoke. As soon as we had 

 settled down in only comparative comfort, accom- 



