PESANKA TO SCHAROK 181 



when, as the governor of Archangel had said, the gun- 

 boat would be going on its first trip to Novaya Zemblya, 

 and could set me ashore on Kolguev. 



But it was pleasant here, and I was loth to go. 

 Philipo was quite a good-looking fellow, with a frank 

 laugh that caught me much. Athletic and well-built he 

 was also, if you except the bowed legs which nearly all 

 these people have. Philipo was his Russian name ; his 

 proper name was Verr-my-ah, just as Uano's was 

 Stins-koh. 



They skinned a dog to-day. 



A young reindeer (not the little one) had died last 

 night. They didn't in the least know the cause of death, 

 and yet they let it lie about until all the dogs had gorged 

 themselves upon it. As a consequence of this there was 

 an epidemic of swelled throats, all the dogs looking as if 

 they had mumps, and had them badly. And one, Huilka, 

 died. You remember Huilka, the old women's pet, how 

 handsome I said he was, and how he bit Hyland's leg. 

 I never had reason to dislike him myself, but was relieved 

 when he was taken from us, for he and Hyland had 

 never made it up. He was a wonderful catcher of birds. 



I saw to-day many red-necked phalaropes, a pair of 

 scaups, and several long-tailed ducks in the pools. All 

 the male long-tailed ducks had lost their tails. 



July 9. — To-day, with a south-west and warm wind 

 (the thermometer in the tent at 10 a.m. stood at 50°), 



