244 TRAVELS OF A NATURALIST 



drinking, we found to play much mischief with our 

 digestions. 



April 4. 



On Sunday, the 4th of April, the thaw still continued. 

 We got a carpenter to fit up the sledge with rings and 

 pockets, the former to pass ropes through to lash down 

 our heavy baggage, as it is dangerous to travel without 

 doing so. 



Dr. Erschoff, Government Inspector of the Medical and 

 Surgical Department of the Archangel Government, called 

 to-day and gave us letters to his subordinates, a doctor at 

 Cholmogory, and surgeon-assistants at Mezen and at 

 Pinega, with directions to lend us every aid we may 

 desire, and in case of illness to take most particular care 

 of us. 



Dr. Erschoff has also kindly undertaken to procure as 

 much medical information about the Samoyedes as 

 possible. He said that had he known beforehand of 

 our going to Petchora, he would have applied to the 

 Government for a grant of money specially to be laid out 

 in collecting all information on the Samoyedes. Seebohm 

 and I to-day received a letter from Mr. Dresser, enclosing 

 one from Mr. Henry H. P. Ho worth, of Eccles, Man- 

 chester, asking for information about the Samoyedes, and 

 for any collection of rude implements made and used by 

 them. 



Dr. Erschoff also gave us some medical advice, and a 

 prescription for cholera or diarrhoea medicine. 



Some White Sea fishermen came to-day to speak to 

 Mr. Birse about getting English rifle-barrels for their 

 seal-hunting. They were also interested in the ' pem- 

 mican ' supplied to the Arctic Expedition, and one of 

 them, who has considerable wealth in Keindeer and 

 roubles, said he would go as far as one hundred roubles 

 in experimenting if he could get a bag of it, 





