PET CHORA 469 



chased by crowds of mosquitoes, and slept soundly all the 

 way to Alexievka, which we reached about noon. 



July 31. 



Saturday, the 31st of July, we are now only awaiting 

 the good, ship Triad to finish stowing her cargo and 

 getting ready for sea. She will have a cargo of 8,000 

 cubic feet of squared larch. 



The heat and the mosquitoes are dreadful, and the 

 ship's crew are suffering considerably, especially Captain 

 Taylor and the mate. 



August 1. 



On Sunday, the 1st of August, bills of lading having 

 been made out, Seebohm assisting, we were towed out 

 round the south end of the island and down the river 

 by the steamer. 



Piottuch, who had fallen asleep on board the steamer, 

 was not aware of the movement for some time after 

 and was considerably put out, as the light wind was 

 northerly and would have suited our old tub well for 

 his return voyage to Ust Zylma. Engel, however, hailed 

 a boat bound for up the river, and Piottuch, with a 

 hurried adieu, went over the side, and we saw him 

 waving his mosquito-net on board the smack. He 

 carries letters from us to Archangel, but we hope to 

 reach home before they do. 



We have just missed a good chance of getting furs, 

 etc., from Varandai. The smack which Piottuch re- 

 turned by, and several others we passed, were bound 

 from Varandai to different towns on the Petchora, laden 

 with the winter's produce of bear-skins, seals, etc., 

 and the owners are usually very wealthy men, who 

 also own numbers of Reindeer. The Captain of the 

 steamer supposed that they must have left Varandai 

 the night before. 



