A SUMMER ON THE YENESEl 51 



I did not visit the town (sic) of Dudinka. It is 

 said to contain thirteen houses, which annually consume 

 a hundred barrels of vodka between them. In fact, we 

 were told on good authority that there were only two 

 men in the place who did not drink, and both of these 

 were political exiles. Two of the merchants, following 

 what we found was the usual custom both here and at 

 Monastir, came into the saloon of the Oryol and ordered 

 dinner, but before the meal was half finished, both 

 worthies were lying fast asleep across the table. On 

 the Yenesei the women traders have the men at a dis- 

 advantage, for the former do not lose half of their wits 

 and their roubles in the vodka bottle. 



As we steamed on our way, we saw a smart little 

 motor-boat lying inshore. This was the patrol boat 

 Omul belonging to the Government. Dr. Nansen 

 travelled up the river in her in 1913. 



Next morning — 22nd June — I went ashore at 

 Krestova, and explored the marshy banks of a small 

 lake. Here for the first time I saw the Temminck's 

 stint. Numbers of these gay little waders were hover- 

 ing like butterflies overhead while they uttered their 

 gay trilling call. The willow bushes were full of chiff- 

 chaffs, but as far as I know there were no willow- 

 warblers to be seen. The specimens that I secured 

 were all Phylloscopus tristis. There were also a 

 number of redpolls, and I found two nests, containing 

 respectively one and two eggs. The nests were full of 

 snow, and of course the eggs were discoloured and 

 rotten, for they belonged to the previous summer. All 

 the redpoll skins that I brought back from the Yenesei 



