THE GOOSING 241 
yesterday. To-day Marrk good. Ahnglia five little 
geese. Little black goose very good. Yes, yes.’ 
His relief at getting this over was so great that before 
I could thank him fairly he had wheeled about and was 
on his sleigh. ‘ Now, all ready,’ he shouted and started 
off But the girls hallooed at him to ‘stop.’ It was 
anything but ready, for the geese were not covered 
up. So he came back looking very sheepish, among 
general laughter and jeers. I always fancied poor old 
Marrk was just a little bit touched in the head. 
The Samoyeds distinguish the brent (wurrah in 
their tongue) as the ‘little goose,’ and the ‘little black 
goose.’ 
July 20th.—After our return last night I improved my 
boat quarters very much by filling in the chinks with 
moss, so that neither the wind nor the prowling dogs 
could find an entry except by the front. 
The heat to-day was really considerable, and the 
musquitoes and reindeer-fly very trying. I felt that I 
had regained the confidence I lost yesterday over the 
cap incident. I am sure I deserved it; for I worked like 
a slave at reindeer-catching and various forms of labour. 
The reindeer when attacked by the fly behave very 
differently from cattle. Ordinarily, as I have said, they 
are scattered feeding all about, but now they draw up 
together to the accustomed place where the bucks are 
harnessed and picketed. The only explanation of this 
Q 
