172 ICE-BOUND ON KOLGUEV 
plovers’ eggs had broken in the botanical case where I 
had packed them when the bacon was done. 
We were not more than ten yards from the ‘mya,’ so 
I could keep an eye on anything of interest there. Me- 
kolka, one of the most ingenious fellows I have ever 
come across, was making a ring for his finger. Round 
a stick he cut a groove, fitted a bit of paper over it, and 
then ran in some white-looking metal which he had 
heated on the fire in a hollowed piece of wood. What 
this metal is I do not know;; it is not lead, but evidently 
some alloy which melts at a low temperature. The ring 
had a fine big stop like a signet-ring. The wood was 
cut away, the ring removed, finished with the knife and 
with sand. He went on working until he had a fine 
heavy metal ring, as well and accurately shaped and as 
well finished as any plain gold signet-ring which you can 
see. 
The Samoyeds are very clever at this work. Their 
chisel-edged knives, of which I have told, have handles 
ornamented with metal by the same plan. Some of 
these patterns are quite intricate in character, and we 
never saw two alike. Every man, woman, and child 
carries one of these knives. We had not a single case 
of accident from them while we were on the island. I 
wonder how many English mothers would like to trust 
their children of five and six with long, sharp knives like 
these. But the use is, with the Samoyeds, a case of 
heredity. They use the axe, too, wonderfully. A little 
