228 ICE-BOUND ON KOLGUEV 
But before we returned there was a little ceremony 
whose quaintness struck me much. Five men came up 
to me one behind the other, with old Yelisei at their head. 
In each hand they carried four brent geese. Old Yelisei 
laid four down on the right of me, four on the left, 
saying solemnly in Russian this, ‘Yelisei’s gift to Ahnglia. 
Little goose, very good, very good.’ 
So I shook him by the hand. ‘Thank you, Yelisei— 
very kind,’ I said. 
And the next man came with ‘Yugora’s gift to Ahnglia. 
Little goose, very good, very good,’ and Yugora retired. 
After him came the rest in order, each with the same 
formula as he delivered over his load. It was quaint to 
see and quaint to hear. No doubt they had agreed 
beforehand what they would say—and it was quite a big 
speech for them. 
So I now had forty geese. But I was struck by the 
fact that old Marrk had not come. 
Then we left and had great fun going home. For the 
women said they would be home before us, so that the 
fire should be ready. With that they left and started 
racing, the children urging on their four reindeer to their 
utmost speed; and as they were the lightest they dis- 
tanced the women altogether as far as we could see. 
When they were out of sight Mekolka, son of Uano, 
beckoned to me. ‘Come,’ he said, ‘Mekolka’s reindeer 
very quick.’ So we jumped on our sleighs and went off 
first at a trot. No sooner, however, had we risen the 
