286 SIBERIA IN EUROPE. CHAP. xxn. 



we had. This party consisted, of Cocksure, the Samoyede, 

 and the half-bred. They had gone on what we firmly felt 

 might be called, in a double sense, a wild-goose chase, in 

 pursuit of the flock of geese I had seen the day before 

 migrating across the water into the tundra. We went to 

 bed hoping against hope, and were woke up towards four by 

 the noisy arrival of our envoys, carrying back in triumph 

 eleven old geese and five young ones. One of the party had 

 taken the boat up the river upon which I had seen the 

 flock. The other two followed, each keeping upon opposite 

 banks. They came upon the geese a few versts higher up 

 than the spot at which I had sepn them, and falling upon 

 them had made a grand haul of birds. The laying in of this 

 stock of provisions lifted a burden off our minds. We now 

 proceeded to administer, with better grace than we could 

 have done before, a sound rating to our two lazy, good-for- 

 nothing Russian servants. They were the only two who had 

 grumbled during this time of perplexity ; for ever muttering 

 that if the storm did not abate, and the steamer come to our 

 rescue, we should surely all be "propal" (lost). We had 

 ordered one to join the forlorn-hope party, but he had soon 

 returned, and all the night he had done little but kneel in a 

 state of abject fear, trembling, crossing himself, and crying, 

 " Hospodee, Hospodee, di kleb " (Lord, Lord, give us bread). 

 These poor dupes of the miserable Greek Church have not 

 learnt the wholesome doctrine Cromwell taught his soldiers, 

 "To trust in the Lord and keep their powder dry." Like 

 many other fanatics at home and abroad, they close their 

 eyes to the truth that God may bless their work, but will 



