PET CHORA 333 



Certain parts of the shore, off which the fishing is good, 

 is also allotted every five years along with the ground, 

 and four, five, six, or seven peasants usually join together 

 and divide the produce. 



May 31. 



Monday, the 31st of May, the new arrival was the 

 Little Bunting. 



We searched in vain for the Siberian Chiffchaff, and 

 did not even hear a single note. Seebohm shot our first 

 Little Bunting, and I our first female Bluethroat. 



This was a beautiful w T arm day, with balmy, soft west 

 wind ; one of those sleepy, still days warm, but with 

 light fleecy clouds which we have on the west coast of 

 'bonny Scotland.' 



Seebohm shot another Little Bunting and a few other 

 birds. We saw a couple of Wheatears perch on the top 

 of the dome of the Church of the Old Believers, a some- 

 what unusual choice of a resting-place. 



The steamer arrived this evening from Habarika, and 

 after the ceremony of blessing her is gone through 

 to-morrow, she returns again to-morrow evening, when 

 we shall accompany her. She comes again to Ust Zylma 

 the next day. 



June 1. 



On Tuesday, the 1st of June, we were present at the 

 ceremony of blessing the steamer, not at all an impressive 

 scene. The priests read and chanted on the quarter- 

 deck, and then paraded the vessel, followed by Arendt 

 and Captain Engel, sprinkling the deck, cabin, etc., with 

 the holy water. Then after more chanting, etc., Arendt, 

 the Captain, and all the crew were blessed, and their 

 foreheads sprinkled with the water from a brush, and all 

 the party then descended to the cabin and drank each a 

 glass or two of wine, and smoked cigars. Thereafter we 

 had an excellent breakfast at Arendt's house, at which 



