436 TRAVELS OF A NATURALIST 



the Ino complained of being detained by much ice and of 

 being unable to find the channel between islands Nos. 3 

 and 4. He beat about for three or four days, and had to 

 come round by the East Passage between the islands and 

 Varandai. Captain Taylor, of the Triad, saw no ice. 



The Captain of the Ino produced a translation of 

 directions professing to be from the original signed by 

 Mattieson, in which it is stated that the pilot-cutter will 

 cruise about between the bar and Dvoinik Cape, which 

 fact seems to be quite unknown to Arendt or to Engel ! 



The Captain, who speaks a curious ' hoigh ' English, 

 called the ' whole concern ' a ' bloody foine swindle.' 

 There is no date upon the paper with the translation. 

 Cette tres pauvre Compagnie, as Piottuch calls it, certainly 

 seems in a rickety condition. 



About 4 p.m. we landed near Cape Dvoinik, close to 

 the wreck of a sloop, which lies on an even keel high and 

 dry on the beach, and which we shall make our head- 

 quarters for the next week. The steamer is to return 

 for us on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday next week. 



After getting all our baggage carried on board, we filled 

 our pockets with cartridges and started for the brackish 

 arm of the sea, where Seebohm shot the Stints and Cur- 

 lew Sandpiper on the 14th instant. 



Along the coast near this inlet, and between it and the 

 sea, stretches a low range of sand-hills covered with what 

 Seebohm recognises as Esparto grass a tapering flat 

 grass. This does not grow here thickly enough, however, 

 to prevent the sand from drifting. 



The only birds I saw frequenting these sand-hills to-day 

 were Ring Dotterels, but Seebohm, on the 14th, shot a 

 young Shore Lark and Red- throated Pipit. 



A few Terns were hovering over the water of a shallow 

 lake close to them, and several Buffon's Skuas flew over, 

 one of which I shot. Piottuch also shot one Temminck's 

 Stint. 



