BIRDS OF RUSSIAN LAPLAND 9 



find a supply of food here at a time when their usual summer homes 

 are still under deep snow. A White Wagtail and a female Goosander 

 Mergus merganser completed the list of birds not noted yesterday. 



June 2nd. — After breakfast we steamed over to the mainland to 

 examine the condition of Pechenga Gulf or Peisen fjord (on the chart 

 Pechengi Gulf), which lies nearly due south of Heno, its entrance 

 well marked by two high hills of barren granite. This fjord pene- 

 trates nine miles inland in a south-westward direction, but several 

 sharp bends give protection in all winds, and there are consequently 

 some good anchorages. Edward Rae published a map of Russian 

 Lapland in his book, " The White Sea Peninsula," and the map is no 

 doubt accurate as far as those parts which he personally visited are 

 concerned, but not quite to be relied upon respecting the remainder of 

 the interior ; on it, by the way, the name of the fjord and river we 

 now wanted to visit is rendered Petshenga. The map shows a series 

 of five lakes on the course of this river ; and as the lines indicating the 

 limits of growth of fir and birch approach the sea much nearer in this 

 district than they do to the eastward, we hoped to find a considerable 

 variety of birds. 



Our desire to reach the interior was not to be gratified at present, 

 for on rounding the corner beyond Devkin bay we saw that all the 

 upper part of the fjord was still covered with ice ; we were therefore 

 obliged to return and anchor in Devkin bay. This bay lies half-way 

 up the fjord on the N.w. side, and affords a secure anchorage in all 

 winds. Close to the shore were two warehouses belonging to the Monas- 

 tery of St. Triphon, also a house and bath-house for the use of the men 

 in charge. Two good fishing-boats, of Norwegian build, lay anchored 

 near. The whole district near this fjord is the property of the 

 monks, with the fishing and other rights. While the men were busy 

 refilling the tanks at a stream issuing from under the snow near the 

 house, I endeavoured to buy a salmon from the head man. A polite 

 but firm refusal met all my attempts, however ; the fish belonged to 

 the monastery, he said. It was rather tantalising to watch him weigh 



