220 ICE-BOUND ON KOLGUEV 
Round this, now that the tide was out, sand or shallow 
water, which deepened to a wide creek against the island’s 
southern bank. Beyond this again sand or mud in 
ridges, and creek after creek. Further yet, perhaps 
three miles to seaward, the long line of the outer sand- 
bank with its piled-up ice—and then the sea. 
So bad. was the day that only now and then as the 
mist lifted could you see the farthest ridges and the 
higher banks of mud. But when the banks appeared 
they were crested with a cheveux de frise, which you 
knew were serried lines of geese. 
Seven boats under the command of the younger men 
were soon slipping down the creeks; for they were to get 
behind the geese. 
Then the reindeer teams were driven out, three on 
one side and four on the other, remaining as near as 
possible equidistant, to prevent escape by the flanks. 
All were now away except Uano, his wife, Katrina, 
two or three small girls, the littke boy Wanka, and 
myself. Katrina nursed her baby. 
Before half an hour was gone by the geese began 
to rise. We could see them through the rain getting 
up in hundreds off the sands, 
Uano sat by my side and muttered. * Bad big geese,’ 
he said, ‘big geese no good. Little geese good. Big 
geese fly,’ and he flapped his arms like flying. 
Yes, the grey geese were evidently not yet moulting. 
In his hands Uano held his ‘ parlka’; so they called 
