THE BANKS OF THE ZYLMA. 



CHAPTER X. 



(jlulls — Species new to Europe — Fresh arrivals — Duck-shooting — Bird-life in the 

 forest — Gulls perching in trees — Break-up of the ice on the Zylma — On the 

 wrong bank of the river — Dragging the boats across the ice — Final break-up of 

 the ice on the Petchora. 



The same eYening,- as we sat at the window of our rooms 

 writiDg up our journals, and now and then looking up to 

 glance through the rain at the ever-impressive scene before 

 us, the great river Petchora, suddenly we descried upon the 

 ice a flock of (it might be) two hundred gulls. In the twinkle 

 of an eye, we had donned our indiarubber boots and were 

 wading through the streets of Ust-Zylma. As we neared 

 the birds we made sure, from their note, that the larger 



