242 ICE-BOUND ON KOLGUEV 



that I can see is that the uric acid which passes off 

 the ground in such places is not agreeable to the fly. 

 There they stand, heads down, feet stamping and hoofs 

 clicking. Their heads are all one way, their tails to 

 the wind. They leave an open avenue at intervals 

 which runs the whole length of the herd. Into this 

 avenue a beast will move when he can't restrain himself 

 any longer, and then re-enter the herd at another point. 

 I think this formation in columns is perhaps peculiar 

 to the reindeer. Does the cariboo, I wonder, do the 

 same ? I wish some hunter would tell me. 



I went nearly mad myself with the musquitoes while 

 I was skinning my white brent. 



One unpleasant result of the reindeer herd coming up 

 so close was that the whole camp was smothered in 

 hair which flies off the beasts with every twitch of 

 their skins ; and when the fly is about they are always 

 twitching-. 



In the evening we moved off, going up with the idea 

 of crossing- the Pesanka and reaching- a new goose- 

 ground. Verrmyah had been off in the morning to visit 

 his choom and get some necessaries. 



And when we reached, after some hours, a hill some 

 three miles from the river, we waited for him. Here I 

 first gathered some plants of the pretty Arctic raspberry 

 (Rubus arcticus). And here occurred one of those small 

 simple scenes which well illustrate the happy, good- 

 tempered character of these child-like people. 



