TO THE HOLY HILLS 347 



'To-day we cleared out of Alexis' isba (dwelling- 

 hut) into a little ombara (storage-hut). A certain 

 amount of wet is kept out by a polar bear-skin stretched 

 over the top, but still the wet comes in so that the 

 planks or beds are all wet. However, we did our best 

 by packing the cracks to keep it out. There is no 

 window, but a hole over the door, and the approach is 

 filthy ; guts, blood, etc., lying all round the door, so 

 that Yakoff and I slipped and fell as we entered. 

 But I have brought a lot of moss, and have paved 

 the front with this, so that it is better. Yet the 

 smell is most unpleasant, and I am thankful the 

 weather is not hot. Supporting the planks of our beds 

 are barrels filled with I don't know what, but it smells 

 horribly. The tent is still standing all wet. I spent a 

 good deal of time down there to-day, trying to get things 

 straight and emptying water out, but it rained hard all 

 the time. Alexis Samarokoff was towed in to-day. He 

 is a fine-looking Russian. He tells me the Governor 

 of Archangel, travelling to the Petchora in June, was 

 stopped by ice at Mezen and compelled to abandon his 

 ship and travel overland to Pustosersk, and that Sibiria- 

 koff brought him thence in his steamer. 1 



' Gave Alexis the last drop of whisky, which has 

 remained all this time in my flask. He said it was 

 wonderful, and rubbed his stomach long after it had 

 gone down.' 



1 Which I found afterwards was a fact. 



