152 TRAVELS OF A NATURALIST 



Returning in the boat past the island of Kashieminski, 

 we saw a fine Sea-Eagle perched on top of a bare pine- 

 tree. On this island there are Willow Grouse. 



"We arrived at the hut on Tscheike Ostrov, blew our eggs, 

 and started again about 2 p.m. The tide being out, the 

 boat had to be shoved over the mud about thirty yards, 

 and Nicholai carried us on his back into it afterwards. 

 He said in his curious broken ' harbour ' English that I 

 was 'four pood' (i.e., four times 36 Ibs. avoirdupois, 

 144 Ibs.). 



With a gentle breeze we sailed all the way to Archangel, 

 and when within 15 versts we landed on Cholopyain 

 Ostrov, where the savage said the Little Gulls had been, 

 but none were to be seen. We had a great hunt after 

 young Ducks, Shovellers, and Pintails. We secured a 

 female of each, with four young Shovellers and six young 

 Pintails, all of which were at once skinned. We reached 

 Archangel about 7 p.m. 



June 24. 

 On the 24th we were occupied indoors, skinning, etc. 



June 25. 



On the 25th, being Tuesday, we were again at the 

 market, but got no birds, as the peasants are now busy 

 with farm work. We saw Grey Lag Geese with the 

 left wing cut off at the first joint, which the market 

 woman said was always done when they were shot, but 

 she either could not or would not give any reason for its 

 being done, whether from superstitious motives or not. 

 The cut wings are used as brushes by the villagers. 



About 7.30 in the evening we started for our second 

 trip, the party being the same as on the first. Ernst got 

 a gun at a village called Maimux, and then we sailed to 

 the extreme point of Goletz, sleeping on the way. 



