XXViii ICE-BOUND ON KOLGUEV 
‘Now we must be very careful to prevent the leading goose to direct 
his steps towards the mountain instead of our snares. If he goes 
there all will follow him, and in that case you will not catch him even 
with the help of deer. They run very fast. From dogs and men they 
run into water. We know this and go about carefully, not hurryingly 
like children. If one goose gets into the gate all will follow him there, 
and become an easy capture.’ 
‘And if they do not enter your gate, what then?’ 
‘Then we must make him enter; for this we are endowed with 
reason. But it is also true there are geese and geese, and some of 
them are exceedingly cunning. They like to hide themselves, and it 
is not easy to find them out, and even then it is not easy to catch them. 
Such geese we try to drive into the gate by going in boats to the middle 
of the small lake, but it is not easy task to do. Geese know men to be 
their enemies, and are careful. Though of course there are geese and 
geese. Some are very stupid and easy to be caught, especially the 
brent goose, who walks of its own accord into our huts. We export 
from Kolguev about one hundred thousand birds, and could get even 
more.’ 
It will be seen later on how excellently this agrees on the whole with 
the goose-taking as done to-day by the Samoyeds. 
This brings to an end all important references to Kolguev Island, 
which I have been able so far to collect. Very possibly there is more 
in the Russian, and possibly something still in our own libraries not 
readily accessible. I shall be very grateful to any informant who may 
be able to help in this respect. 
