254 TRAVELS OF A NATURALIST 



At several points along the banks of the Mezen Eiver, 

 but perhaps most prominently between Jerdskaia and 

 Pogorelskaia, are singular red or dark purple cliffs of 

 what appears to me to be marl, crumbling into earth 

 in places and hardening into distinct rock-strata in others. 

 These cliffs are about a hundred feet high, more or less, 

 and are cut by gullies at regular intervals down to the 



water edge. Apparently these gullies are caused by 

 surface water. The strata do not dip at the gullies. 

 Seebohm is of opinion that it is a red chalk. 



Soon after leaving Pogorelskaia we came rather sud- 

 denly to grief. The thaw and fresh snow had softened 

 the upper crust on the road at places, and close under 

 a steep bank all three horses of our sledge broke through 

 and sank up to their bellies. Quite an hour was lost in 

 unharnessing them and getting the sledge on to a firmer 

 part of the road. We offered the four men each a small 

 drop of rum, and were somewhat surprised that two 

 of them refused to take it. According to all accounts 

 received we should judge that they are rare exceptions.* 



Along our day's route we have observed that the 

 crosses by the roadside are much more numerous, far 

 more conspicuous, and more elaborately carved than 

 those usually seen by us south of Mezen. We hope 

 to have time yet to sketch one or two along with the 

 elaborate carvings, letters, figures, etc. 



* They were probably " Old Believers." 



