196 A SUMMER ON THE YENESEI 



offering ; but whether this was really a kind of wayside 

 sacrifice to the spirits of the flood and fell, I cannot say. 



Close to where we sat, a large pool discharged its 

 water into the river by an outlet which descended the 

 bank in three cascades. Presently Vassilli discovered 

 that three fair-sized fish were lurking in the stream, and 

 he and Sylkin began a hunt, with the idea of driving 

 the fish into the shallows, where they might be shot. 

 They both became wildly excited and thoroughly wet, 

 while their shouts must assuredly have scared away any 

 birds that may have been roosting in the neighbour- 

 hood. They would have continued their sport until 

 the sun was high, had I not called them away at last. 



Half a mile farther on, a pair of white-fronted geese 

 crashed up from some willow bushes. The goose had 

 been covering five hard-set eggs, and the gander was 

 standing beside her. Mr. Popham also remarks that in 

 this species, contrary to the usual custom of the duck 

 and goose tribe, the male bird visits the nest with the 

 female. I shot the goose, and as she fell, I heard a 

 delighted cry of " Horroshie myaso " ^ from my hench- 

 man, who was panting up the hill behind. He wavered 

 for a minute, custom warring with his desire to pick up 

 the bird. Then custom conquered, and out came the 

 inevitable pocket-book. 



** Pa Russki, myaso ; pa Angliski ? " 



" Oh — goose ! " said I. 



The goose eggs were photographed in situ, a process 

 that both Sylkin and Vassilli thought a mere waste of 

 time ; and considering that the makers of exposure 



» Good meat. 



