156 ICE-BOUND ON KOLGUEV 
myself were seated, would slide away sideways down the 
decline, until it really seemed that we must be shot or 
dropped into the stream of the ravine itself. And the 
heavy-laden sleighs were often in difficulties, especially 
that which carried our big barrel. However, all ended 
well. 
We slept soundly enough till a little past mid-day, 
and though we would have had the tent larger had that 
been possible, we were a little better used to our com- 
pany. 
We had tea with ham and figs, and again gave the 
Samoyeds pork, which they seemed to like better than 
before. 
We found them very averse to making a fire; indeed 
they said that as they had no wood it could not be done, 
and that we must hurry on. But I started picking 
moss, and Hyland did the same. And when they saw 
our game, and that a fire we would have, they made 
a virtue of necessity, and soon had brought us much 
moss and creeping birch. 
I let them have the lighting of it, for I hoped that 
we should see some curious way of obtaining fire or 
sparks, but was disappointed; for out of their clothes 
they brought Russian matches, and used them. 
Long before we left Kolguev we had to all intents 
and purposes become, in the matter of patience and the 
readiness to delay, three-parts Samoyed. But in these 
first days of our pilgrimage we found them very trying, 
