48 A SUMMER ON THE YENESEI 



the most northerly in range of the Yenesei thrushes. 

 I found it at the BreokofFsky islands, beyond the limit 

 of forest growth. 



At this firewood station a Tungus came down to the 

 steamer to sell red foxskins. The Tungus inhabit the 

 taiga on the east bank of the Yenesei round the basins 

 of the Nishni Tunguska and Kamina Tunguska, as far 

 east as the watershed of the Lena. It is said that, 

 unlike the more northerly races, the Tungus, even when 

 offered unlimited vodka, seldom become helplessly 

 drunk. However, this Tungus must have been a 

 decadent specimen, for, unluckily for himself, as soon 

 as he came on board, he fell into the clutches of a 

 merchant from Yenesiesk, who plied him with drink 

 until he was quite stupid, and then persuaded him to 

 barter all his winter's catch of foxskins in exchange for 

 a bottle of vodka. This Tungus had brought a little 

 girl with him, and while he was carousing on the deck of 

 the Oryol, the poor child crouched in the canoe, staring 

 bewildered at the files of shouting woodmen who ran 

 between the gangway and the forest. Evidently she 

 had never before seen so much bustle and confusion on 

 the river bank, and when I tried to photograph her as 

 she sat in the boat, the poor little thing covered her 

 face timidly. When we last saw the pair, the man was 

 waving his bottle and shouting lustily, while the child 

 in the bows tugged patiently at the oars and rowed him 

 out of sight round a promontory. 



In the course of the evening we passed Platina. 

 At this settlement there was one house which was of 

 much better appearance than the rest. It stood in a 



