288 A SUMMER OISI THE YENESEI 



cannot be carried on in the same leisurely way that is 

 permissible in the south. The mouth of the river is 

 open only during a few weeks of the year, and by the 

 end of September the polar ice again drifts southwards, 

 and closes the estuary as if by frozen gates. Therefore 

 every man on board worked against time, for each day's 

 delay lessened the chance of accomplishing the return 

 journey safely. 



With so much work going on, Miss Curtis and I 

 were not able to go ashore much, for whenever the 

 weather was fine enough for a boat to land, every man 

 was needed to help with the cargo. I was sorry for 

 this, for I had hoped to make some observations on the 

 autumn migration at Nosonovsky. As it was, my 

 notes were too scanty and disjointed to be of much 

 value. The waders had all disappeared by the second 

 week in September. The last seen were a turnstone 

 and a ruff. One day a couple of little merlins hawked 

 round the ship. I did not observe this species north of 

 Pustoy. Wheatears were the last of the passerine 

 birds to go south, and, like the waders, they had all 

 disappeared by 12th September. The geese, ducks, and 

 divers were seen up to the day of our departure ; but 

 perhaps owing to the cold spring, they were said to 

 have lingered later than usual. Sometimes a flock of 

 swans went up the river. It was magnificent to see 

 the great birds, with their wings outspread white and 

 cruciform against the sky, barking solemnly to one 

 another as they flew southwards. 



But the time spent on the ship was never irksome, 

 for there was so much to see. Eight lighters had come 



