THE MAINLAND 371 



round the mast. And all day, with three anchors out,, 

 we could only just hold our position. 



So Sunday came, and with it the gale from the north 

 continued, but with a furious blizzard of small hard snow. 

 The fire was usually made in an iron pan on the deck, 

 and as it couldn't be lit, we, Hyland and I, came badly 

 off for food. For, unlike the Russians and Samoyeds^ 

 we did not care for raw stale reindeer flesh. 



Also, as it was Sunday, little candles were lit in 

 front of each ikon, and before the pictures of saints, of 

 which there were three. They were one candle short : 

 and it was very funny to hear Alexander calling" to 

 his men, 'Hurry, hurry, Yakoff, get a candle! All the 

 others have their candles, but big Nicholas has not got 

 his. That is not good, not good. More storm.' 



Monday broke with rather less of a gale, though the 

 snow continued unabated and the sea ran nearly as high 

 as ever. 



Again we worked at warping. Hyland, whom I 

 would not allow to work yesterday because of the snow, 

 took it in turns with me to-day, for we had only one 

 tarpaulin coat between us. He worked spendidly, and 

 his weig'ht and strength were of the greatest service to 

 them. In that respect he was of far more use than I, 

 who cannot pretend to much strength of that kind. The 

 plucky little Samoyeds were beyond all praise, for the 

 decks were slippery with snow and wet, and their seal- 

 skin malitsas and their soviks were soaking- through. 



