DAN MEINERTZHAGEN'S DIARY. 17 



which was just beginning to thaw, and we 

 were only just in time ; a week later and we 

 should have had to have pack ponies, which 

 would have been slower work and considerably 

 more expensive, considering the amount of 

 luggage we are taking. 



We passed a Black-bellied Northern Dipper 

 sitting by a bit of open water. The 

 weather was beautiful, the sun very hot and the 

 snow very dazzling, and consequently I broke 

 my snow spectacles in first putting them on. On 

 the way I shot a Rypa and missed another ; 

 at about five o'clock we arrived at a hut on the 

 top of the pass, inhabited by an old Finn and 

 his wife, having accomplished 27 miles of our 

 journey, all up hill. 



The name of the hut is Helligscoran, and 

 here we put up for the night. With the help 

 of our guide we made some excellent soup from 

 the Rypa, and some Liebig's and vegetable 

 chips, and we also ate some biscuits and 

 sausages. The only thing we could get in the 

 hut was some milk, so we made some coffee 

 and went to bed immediately, about seven 

 o'clock. It was snowing terribly outside and 

 very cold, so we feared a bad to-morrow. 



Although the room was very small and there 

 was a good stove, and we kept our clothes on, 



