172 ICE-BOUND ON KOLGUEV 



plovers' eggs had broken in the botanical case where I 

 had packed them when the bacon was done. 



We were not more than ten yards from the 'mya,' so 

 I could keep an eye on anything of interest there. Me- 

 kolka, one of the most ingenious fellows I have ever 

 come across, was making a ring for his finger. Round 

 a stick he cut a groove, fitted a bit of paper over it, and 

 then ran in some white-looking metal which he had 

 heated on the fire in a hollowed piece of wood. What 

 this metal is I do not know ; it is not lead, but evidently 

 some alloy which melts at a low temperature. The ring 

 had a fine big stop like a signet-ring. The wood was 

 cut awav, the rin^r removed, finished with the knife and 

 with sand. He went on working until he had a fine 

 heavy metal ring, as well and accurately shaped and as 

 well finished as any plain gold signet-ring which you can 

 see. 



The Samoyecls are very clever at this work. Their 

 chisel-edged knives, of which I have told, have handles 

 ornamented with metal by the same plan. Some of 

 these patterns are quite intricate in character, and we 

 never saw two alike. Every man, woman, and child 

 carries one of these knives. We had not a single case 

 of accident from them while we were on the island. I 

 wonder how many English mothers would like to trust 

 their children of five and six with long, sharp knives like 

 these. But the use is, with the Samoyeds, a case of 

 heredity. They use the axe, too, wonderfully. A little 



