338 



ICE-BOUND ON KOLGUEV 



his father's father had owned it, and he did not know 

 who first had made it ; but it was so very old, ' oh, more 

 than a hundred years ! ' 'A hundred ' with these people 



means some immense in- 

 definite age, past all calcu- 

 lation. He said it had had 

 many dresses, so many had 

 worn out. 1 could believe 

 it all ; it looked like some 

 little dirty old mummy. 

 Well, they struck a bargain, 

 they were so hard up, and 

 I got my bolvan, and my 

 friends left. The picture 

 the old personal bolvan : in and gives a fairer idea of this 



o 



OUT ITS CLOTHES . 



than any words. 

 At tea this evening Alexander offered me as a bonne 

 bouche the boiled eye of a reindeer. He was astonished 

 when I refused it, but not disappointed, for he ate it 

 instead. 



Sunday, September 2nd. — At last a six days' gale has 

 moderated. As it is Sunday, the Russians lit up candles 

 in the chapel and burnt much incense ; the poor muddled 

 old Samoyeds going through most wonderful contortions 

 and genuflections behind Alexander's back, for he 

 officiated. Then we cooked pancakes of flour and water, 

 and thought them very good. 



