28 THE FOREST LANDS OF NORTHERN RUSSIA. 



kinds of agricultural implements, made of wood alone, a 

 two-pronged and a three-pronged fork, cut from the 

 branching bough of a tree, and a harrow with smaller 

 branches inserted into the bars for teeth. The place was 

 lumbered with other encumbrances. On a wooden bed- 

 stead, under a covering like a mosquito net, but made of 

 coarse linen, the man lay awake. His wife showed us to 

 noble apartments in a wood built pavilion, erected by 

 the Government in connection with the zavod already 

 mentioned, and designed for the accommodation of visitors, 

 bringing as we did a permit from the authorities. It was 

 light, for at midsummer there is no night there, but it was 

 very cold, and we returned to the house, where, according 

 to our desire, she was preparing for us a supper of tea, 

 eggs, black bread and butter. Inside there was like con- 

 fusion ; but there was a plain deal table and bench, scrupu- 

 lously clean. Behind a temporary screen two daughters were 

 sleeping ; on the hearth was a blazing fire, on which our 

 eggs were being cooked ; of these there was being prepared 

 no stinted supply, and as soon as they were boiled 

 they were placed for a minute in cold water. Meanwhile, 

 with embers from the fire, the water in the samovar, or 

 Russian tea-urn, was made to boil, and tea was soon 

 infused. We intimated our preference to take it there 

 rather than in the pavilion. Bread and butter were soon 

 on the table, but no knife or spoon. My fellow traveller 

 at once produced his pocket-knife, and laid on thickly the 

 butter; seeing I had none, our hostess soon produced her 

 husband's forester's knife with which the bread had been 

 cut, and handed it to me, when I did likewise. Our only 

 light was that supplied by the little fire on which the eggs 

 were boiled, and a small window not above 18 inches 

 square, and though it was now only half an hour past mid- 

 night the light was all we could desire. There was no 

 chimney, but two holes in the roof, about a foot square, 

 one above the fire, the other near the centre of the room. 

 The higher half of the apartment was filled with smoke, 

 which irritated my eyes, and provoked a cough, upon 



