230 HOMEWARD BOUND 



The Triad was making ready to start on the morrow ; 

 her cargo was to be about 8000 cubic feet of larch. Our 

 stay in these Arctic latitudes was now fast drawing to an 

 end. I spent the afternoon looking about the island, 

 directing my search especially for young of the yellow- 

 headed wagtail. Scarcely a bird was to be seen out of 

 cover. Grass nearly two feet high covered the ground, 

 and the willows were in full leaf. It was difficult enough 

 to get a shot at a bird, and almost impossible to find it 

 when brought down. At last I tried the coast, and found 

 plenty of birds feeding amongst the drift-wood and the 

 prostrate willows that had fallen with the crumbling away 

 of the banks. Yellow-headed wagtails, red-throated pipits, 

 and reed buntings were here in abundance. I could not 

 stay, however, for the sun was scorching hot, and the 

 mosquitoes were swarming. 



I spent the night with Captain Taylor and Captain 

 Arendt on board the Triad, giving a helping hand in 

 superintending the loading of the schooner. The heat 

 was so intense that I could scarcely bear the suffocation 

 of my mosquito-veil, and seldom put it on. The conse- 

 quence was that I was more bitten in those few hours than 

 I had been during the whole of my previous stay. I did 

 not turn in till 6 a.m., but I woke at eleven, and spent my 

 day making out the bills of lading for Captain Arendt. 

 At five o'clock on Sunday, August i, we finally bade 

 farewell to the tundra and to our wandering life, and 

 began our journey towards Europe and civilisation. We 

 left Alexievka in tow of the steamer, reaching the bar 

 soon after midnight. The cutter signalled ten feet of 

 water ; as we were drawing so much we were soon 

 aground, as was to be expected. I sat up with the 

 captain all night as we tediously manoeuvred through the 

 shallow water. We had just lit the fire to cook some 



