244 ICE-BOUND ON KOLGUEV 
sleighs and were off in a bunch, amid great laughter and 
shoutings from the men, and loud cries of ‘ Arkhoh, 
arkhoh ’—‘ Deep, deep.’ 
This trivial incident is worth mentioning because it 
shows so well the absolute equality and freedom of the 
Samoyed women. Just fancy, if you can, an Indian 
squaw taking an independent line like this! 
We waited perhaps an hour for Verrmyah, and then 
after a short journey suddenly there arose a roar of 
shouts and laughter 
from the men, for there 
re , were all the women on 
ae ac a little hill at whose 
eae y Of course they had 
7 
ae 
+t foot the Pesanka ran. 
not been able to cross. 
Only poor Ustynia, who 
had really tried the 
passage, was drying her things at the fire, for they 
were very wet. 
Nothing could have been more good-humoured than 
the way the women took the joke which was now turned 
against themselves. I am not so sure about the duchess, 
who was fat, and I fancy was a bit disgusted at having 
been bustled for nothing. 
I sketched a little ‘psi-itz’ or blue fox ; and was much 
amused at the way it behaved to the dogs. They quite 
understood that they must not touch it. But old 
