OUR OLD QUARTERS AGAIN 441 



to take a cup of tea with old Jacob, the Starrosta. The 

 trees being now in full leaf, the short grass having grown 

 to a height of two feet or more, and the level of the 

 rivers and lakes having fallen five or six feet, the aspect 

 of the place was utterly changed. The Arctic willow- 

 warbler was very common, and still in full song. 

 Wagtails appeared to be less numerous, but the redpolls 

 and the lesser whitethroats still frequented the birches. 

 Young fieldfares were abundant, and I heard the song of 

 the scarlet bullfinch. The double snipe was also there, 

 and must have been breeding. The house-martins were 

 swarming in countless numbers. We seemed to have 



o 



almost got below the mosquito region, for the weather 

 was warm, and yet we scarcely saw any of these insects. 

 On the other hand, a small midge was occasionally 

 abundant, and irritating. 



It was interesting to see the familiar place once again, 

 every feature of which was stamped upon our memories 

 by the monotony of our long, weary waiting for summer. 

 It was almost impossible to believe that only two months 

 ago the banks of the Kureika were still white with snow, 

 and the possibility of the shipwreck of the Thames 

 scarcely dreamed of. So much had happened in the 

 interval that it seemed to be years ago. 



