338 ICE-BOUND ON KOLGUEV 
his father’s father had owned it, and he did not know 
who first had made it; but it was so very old, ‘oh, more 
than a hundred years!’ ‘A hundred’ with these people 
means some immense in- 
definite age, past all calcu- 
lation. He said it had had 
many dresses, so many had 
worn out. 1 could believe 
it all; it looked like some 
little dirty old mummy. 
Well, they struck a bargain, 
they were so hard up, and 
I got my bolvan, and my 
friends left. The picture 
THE OLD PERSONAL BOLVAN: IN AND gives a fairer idea of this 
OUT ITS CLOTHES 
than any words. 
At tea this evening Alexander offered me as a donne 
bouche the boiled eye of a reindeer. He was astonished 
when I refused it, but not disappointed, for he ate it 
instead. 
Sunday, September 2nd.—At last a six days’ gale has 
moderated. As it is Sunday, the Russians lit up candles 
in the chapel and burnt much incense ; the poor muddled 
old Samoyeds going through most wonderful contortions 
and genuflections behind Alexander’s back, for he 
officiated. Then we cooked pancakes of flour and water, 
and thought them very good. 
