ANCIENT CHURCH OF THE OLD BELIEVERS 



CHAPTER V. 



UST-ZYLMA. 



Ust-Zylma Its Streets and Houses Its Manure Population of the 

 Town Its Churches Our Quarters The Banks of the River The 

 Old Believers Their Superstition Silver Crosses Hospitality of the 

 Officials Shooting-parties Captain Arendt and Captain Engel Snow- 

 shoes Scarcity of Birds The Snow-bunting Redpolls Winter. 



UST-ZYLMA* is a long, straggling village, lying on the 

 narrow strip of flat land on the north and east bank of 

 the Petchora, where that river makes a sudden bend 

 from west to north, about 300 miles from its mouth. 

 Each homestead is a farmhouse with outbuildings, 



* In " Purchas his Pilgrimes," the narrative of the voyage of Josias Logan, 

 who wintered in the valley of the Petchora in 1611, contains the following 

 description of this town : " Ust-Zylma is a village of some thirtie or fortie houses, 

 and standeth in the height of 66 and 30 minutes. They have come growing 

 there, both barley and rye, and their barley is passing faire and white almost as 

 rice." 



