20 



ARCHANGEL 



wings asked eight roubles a pair, so, of course, we did 

 not buy them. We were told that these birds were 

 common near Archangel until towards the end of No- 

 vember, when they disappear as the weather becomes 

 more severe. 



During our stay in Archangel we had considerable 

 changes in the weather. Soon after our arrival it was 

 very cold, and on one or two occasions we noticed the 

 thermometer as low as 27 below zero. If the weather 

 was windy we felt the cold keenly, but at the lowest 

 point there was not a breath of wind, and wrapped up in 

 our furs we suffered from nothing but an attack of icicles 

 on the moustache. Occasionally we had slight snow- 

 storms, but brilliant sunshine was the rule, and we found 

 the clear, dry air most invigorating. After April had set 

 in the weather became more cloudy, and the thermometer 

 once registered 37 in the shade. No signs of frost 

 having been visible by the 6th, we made hot haste to be 

 off before our winter road should break up, taking leave 

 of our kind friends, Mr. and Mrs. Birse, with great 

 regret. It has rarely been our lot to be received with 

 such genuine hospitality as was shown us by this es- 

 timable gentleman and his wife. 



SAMOYEDE KNIVES 



