THE DELTA OF THE PETCHORA 



CHAPTER XIV. 



OUR VOYAGE TO THE DELTA, 



Return to Ust-Zylraa— Wedding of the Engineer's Son — Scarlet Bullfinch 

 —Last Days at Ust-Zylnaa— Our Boat— We Sail to Habariki— Birds' Eggs 

 —Smew's Eggs— Snipes in Trees— Down the Petchora— Sedge-warbler— 

 Blackcock— Arctic Tern— Willow Swamps— We Cross the Arctic Circle 

 —A New Bird— Arrival at Viski— The Delta— Double Snipe— Pustozersk 

 — The Tundra — Arrival at Alexievka. 



We returned to Ust-Zylma on Sunday, the 6th of June, 

 and attended the wedding of the son of the engineer of 

 Sideroff's steamer. It took place in the church of the 

 Old Believers, but the ritual did not differ much from 

 that of the orthodox ceremonial. The bridal party after- 

 wards sat in state in the house of SiderofFs manager. 

 Coffee was first served, then sherry, afterwards cham- 

 pagne. All the quality, as an Irishman would say, were 

 present, except the public prosecutor. It was an exceed- 



