SUMMER SPORT IN NOVA ZEMLA. 91 



There are plenty of geese and swans in the region 

 about Goose Land, but they do not seem to frequent 

 the neighbourhood of Karmakula much ; perhaps, 

 being shier birds than the eider-ducks, they have 

 been frightened away by the Samoyedes from the 

 settlement. Eider-duck are very fond of basking in 

 the sun on the surface of a piece of floating ice ; and 

 frequently, when returning to the ship after a day's 

 shooting, we materially added to our bag by just 

 running the boat past such a floe, and firing a volley 

 into the flock as it rose. It is always well to have a 

 cartridge ready in the arctic regions, for one never 

 knows what may turn up at any moment. 



Concerning the Samoyedes, much information was 

 collected by Professor Kordenskibld during his voyage 

 along the north coasts of Europe and Asia, from the 

 Xorth Sea to the Pacific. As these little people may 

 prove to be of great use to the sportsman or the ex- 

 plorer, it may perhaps not be out of place here to 

 repeat some particulars as to their mode of life. 



We encountered some half-dozen families at Kar- 

 makula, where, as I have previously mentioned, they 

 have been settled under the auspices of the Russian 

 Government, in wooden houses, which they inhabit 

 during the winter many of them moving in the 

 spring, by means of dog- sledges and boats, to other 

 parts of the country where they may more success- 

 fully pursue their occupations of fishing and hunting. 

 Occasional parties of Samoyedes also visit Xova 



