CHAPTEK III 



1903 



OUR expeditions of 1899 and 1901 were confined to the sea 

 coast of Russian Lapland and the districts within a day's march 

 from our vessel, so that we had little opportunity of learning 

 what species of birds were to be found in the interior. The only authori- 

 tative information in English on this subject is that contained in 

 Mr. H. F. Witherby's paper in the Ihis July 1900, to which I shall 

 often have to refer in the following pages. As Mr. Witherby's visit 

 was made in 1899, he was heavily handicapped by the abnormally bad 

 season from which we also suffered so much, and he only reached his 

 " bird-ground " on July 4th, too late for most things except mosquitoes. 

 Still Mr. Witherby recorded many interesting birds, and from his 

 account, it appeared that the country was well worth another visit in 

 an ordinary season. I decided therefore to spend the early summer 

 of this year in the same district, with Pulozero for headquarters, 

 making ample provision against the chief difficulty from which both 

 he and Rae suffered, namely shortness of food. My travelling com- 

 panion was Mr. Chaworth Musters of Annesley, who contributed the 

 larger share to what little success we had. Although the study of 

 ornithology was the professed object of our journey, I must confess 

 that our most cherished hope, when we left England, was to obtain 

 eggs of the Spotted Redshank and Bar-tailed Godwit — taken ifsa manu ; 

 but, alas, empty spaces in our cabinets still await both species. 



The present Governor of Archangel, Admiral Rimsky-Korsakoff 

 kindly afforded us every facility for travelling in the country, and 



