192 ICE-BOUND ON KOLGUEV 
You quite understand where we were now? At Stanavoi 
Scharok, z.e. Scharok harbour, the one and only harbour 
of Kolguev. For Uano had explained to me that the 
Waskina was no harbour at all, that they could not even 
get their little boats in there, and that, though there was 
one river—the Pugrinoy—without a bar, still (as was 
clear from his description) there was not enough water in 
this to float the Saxox or any other sizable boat. 
So now there seemed to be nothing for it but to wait 
within sight of this one entry for the ice to go. 
July 10.—We found it very hard work to get wood 
for the fire. No drift-wood is cast up on this side of the 
island except on the outer rim of the sand-banks. It 
was impossible for us to reach these, for there lay between 
ourselves and them a good two miles of water and mud. 
But we found the foundation timbers where a hut had 
stood, and managed, after much labour, for it was like 
iron, to cut some of this with our little axe. 
Hyland, who since during our stay with the Samoyeds 
had been very fairly well, was out of sorts to-day. He 
complained much of giddiness, and had to sit about. 
Our stock of medicine was not a large one, though, 
fortunately, in the end it proved enough. 
Last night as the tide was ebbing, nine-and-forty 
long-tailed ducks came down the creek with the stream 
and lay just below our tent. They were still there this 
morning, but well out of shot. 
