372 ICE-BOUND ON KOLGUEV 



It was well on into the afternoon w T hen, having at last 

 cleared one long- straight channel in the teeth of the 

 wind, we were able to set our foresail and mizzen, and in 

 fifteen minutes we had run in under the lee of the land. 

 Then the hands went ashore, and Hyland with them to 

 tow, while Alexander took the 'pomorrna,' I the helm, 

 and so we moved up a mile until we were under Pronia's 

 choom, in deep water close to land. We took the poor 

 little fox ashore, who straightway made himself a capital 

 kennel in the bank. Old Sailor, too, was mad with 

 delight, recklessly rolling into the deepest snow-drifts he 

 could find. 



We remained on shore three days, and then moving 

 up in a boat we walked over the tundra till we found 

 more reindeer, with which we went to Okshin on the 

 Petchora. The journey was full of incidents. Among 

 other things, I may mention that I found my fame as a 

 doctor had spread, I suppose because I had dosed them 

 with ginger and pills on Kolguev. One of my cases was 

 that of a poor old man who had badly cut his knee with 

 an axe. And after making him a poultice I turned to 

 go, when there came a voice behind me, ' This is for 

 him who came to us in our trouble, this is for our friend,' 

 with which pretty speech his son offered me a blue fox's 

 skin. 



But I set out with the object of telling you about 

 Kolguev Island, and had certainly no idea it would take 

 so long in the telling. 



