P ETCH OR A 249 



prominent, and the spruce most plentiful. The road 

 winds sharply in and out among the trees and over or 

 round the undulations of the ground, becoming very 

 narrow at places, or, again, takes a straight course across 

 some open glade in the forest. In many places the river 

 was free of ice, and we could see that there was a con- 

 siderable current. A few Wild Ducks were haunting the 

 open water, and Piottuch made several vain attempts to 

 approach to within shot of them. We shot one Crossbill, 

 and found dead and partly eaten a Common Kedpoll. 



We can easily picture the enjoyment of floating down 

 the Kuloi Eiver in a boat, lazily lounging on mattresses 

 and spring seats, as described by Mr. Bae in his ' Land 

 of the North Wind.' In summer the banks of the Kuloi 

 Eiver must be doubly beautiful. 



Our next two stages to Berezovskaia, 20 versts, and 

 to Ginsegorskaia (Malo-Nemungskaia), 24 versts were 

 done in good time, and we slept soundly by the way. 



April 9. 



On Friday, the 9th of April, 1875, the runner of 

 Piottuch's sledge having been broken, we got it replaced 

 at Chejegorskaia, and breakfasted there. We left after 

 breakfast in company with a large number of Samoyedes, 

 doubtless en route for Kanin. We counted up to twenty 

 sledges, but more were still coming up as we drove out of 

 the town before them. It is possible that they may be 

 part of the same company that we saw at Pinega, but it 

 is, we think, scarcely likely that they could have overtaken 

 us with only the one complement of deer. 



We soon entered a great forest bearing the marks of an 

 old conflagration, the gaunt barkless stems rearing them- 

 selves high above the younger growth of pine. Wind, 

 too, had had its share in the destruction, as every here 

 and there through the forest the upright roots of over- 



