368 ICE-BOUND ON KOLGUEV 



considerations also weighed in his case, but these I will 

 leave to the reader's fancy. Old Sailor, too, though he 

 had had the run of the boat and had slept at night in our 

 cabin, was in high feather at the smell of land. His 

 stump of a tail wagged incessantly, and, poking his old 

 nose out of every hole in the gunwale, he indulged in 

 sniffs as prolonged and sounding" as though he were 

 some old snuff-taker. 



Though we were now within two miles of the land, we 

 were not to reach it till six days later. 



The gale blew hard all day, and we could do nothing. 

 This was very trying, because if we could not get quickly 

 to the Petchora (and we are now lying only a hundred 

 and twenty versts from Okshin) w r e might there find a 

 salmon-boat which would run us to Archangel in time to 

 take the last English trader before it left the port on 

 October ist. 



The gale died out towards 9 p.m., and then, as to- 

 morrow is a feast-day of St. Mary, Alexander filled the 

 cabin with incense till we all choked aerain. 



The next day was quiet but disappointing'. For two 

 Samoyeds crossed in a little boat from the left bank and 

 told us we should find water enough higher up, so that 

 we could land on the right or southern side of the gulf, 

 find chooms and reindeer, and Qfo straight to Okshin. 



We sent the boat out to take soundings, and they 

 returned to report plenty of water. So at noon, with the 

 rising tide, we began to punt the karbass up one of the river 



