ARCHANGEL 177 



July 28. 



- On Sunday, the 28th, Nicholai and his wife came in, 

 bringing us presents, including two or three Yellow- 

 breasted Buntings, a Golden Plover, and a Sedge Warbler, 

 all skinned, and a Pipit in the flesh, as well as a bicker 

 full of milk, Eussian bread, etc. 



We afterwards went to Shergold's, to see the collection 

 left with him by Heinke, who collected for Hoffmansegg. 

 There were four large chests, one of stuffed birds beauti- 

 fully done, one of skins and furs in good condition, and 

 two of large horns. They are not very valuable from a 

 scientific point of view, though in a monetary sense they 

 are. 



There were ten splendid skins of Eagle Owl, and as 

 many of the Snowy Owl, Red-necked Grebe, Brent 

 Goose, and one or two more were the only ones we 

 had not before identified at Archangel. Of Warblers 

 there were none, though we had been led to understand 

 from Mr. Dresser that there were. 



Mr. Shergold has had them in his keeping for twelve 

 years, and as he pays insurance and cannot hear from 

 Heinke, he has decided to send the whole lot to Dresser 

 to be disposed of in London, where we assured him they 

 would fetch a good price. 



Carl dined with us at five o'clock, and then we went 

 to visit the Samoyedes, who live near the slaughter- 

 houses, about a verst and a half behind the town. We 

 certainly were not prepared to see such savages anywhere 

 in Europe. There are two families of them, living in 

 conical-shaped wigwams, exactly like those of North 

 American Indians, covered with squares of birch-bark 

 sewed together, and the door closed with the same. 

 Inside the huts were strewed with filthy pieces of fur, 

 logs of woods, casks, and in the centre burned a wood 

 fire, on either side of which sat a Samoyede woman, 



VOL. i. 13 



