CHAPTER 11. 



A ramble in the forest — Verkne Imbatskaya — The Ostiaks of the Yenesei 

 — The black-throated ousel — The romance of the telegraph— Diffi- 

 culties on the voyage — Monastir — Bird's-nesting at Turukhansk — 

 The ]3ale thrush — The Kureika — The Yenesei cuckoos — Lost in 

 the forest — The willow island — Igarka. 



Between Yenesiesk and Turukhansk, the stoppages 

 of the steamer were much fewer and shorter than 

 those later on when we neared the river's mouth, 

 and this obliged me to leave a great deal of most 

 interesting country unexplored. It was very tantalis- 

 ing to see mile after mile of forest slipping past 

 with all its wealth of bird life, and not go ashore 

 there. 



On the following day, 13th June, I could not land 

 until the afternoon, when we stopped at a firewood 

 station. Vassilli came with me and brought his gun, 

 for the size of our weekly bill had startled us, and we 

 found that it was cheaper to furnish our own pot than 

 to live upon stchee from the steamer's kitchen. Before 

 leaving, I asked how long the steamer waited, and was 

 told one hour. 



Vassilli and I went along the waterside. Several 

 times we tried to penetrate into the forest, but the 

 trees here were saplings growing so closely together 

 that a man could scarcely force his body between them, 



?3 



