ii6 BIRDS OF RUSSIAI^ LAPLAND 



trate to the usual anchorage off the Triphona river. We were 

 joined here by another and smaller steamer which took off passengers 

 and cargo for Zip-Navolok. Ivan, our guide up the Pechenga country 

 in 1899, came on board with some of his family. He looked as dirty 

 as ever — dirtier was scarcely possible — and much older, the result 

 of illness he said. 



When we went to our cabin we found it rather like Ivan as far 

 as cleanliness was concerned ; in fact it seemed doubtful whether the 

 place had been thoroughly washed since it left Newcastle. The bed- 

 linen was of more recent date, still I turned my pillow over several 

 times before finally deciding which part showed the lighter shade of 

 brown — one could scarcely call it white. However, the colour was 

 the only inconvenience, and we slept undisturbed by insects. 



As we went on deck the next morning, our steamer was entering 

 the Kola fjord, and shortly after dropped anchor in Ekaterina har- 

 bour — now called Alexandrowsk, 



Breakfast was not ready, so we landed without it, and went to 

 call on the chief of the police, who received us most kindly, giving us 

 cigars, tea, and preserved pine-apple, rather a trying compound for 

 an empty stomach ! He had been advised of our coming by the 

 Governor, and presented us with a " red pass," which afforded the 

 same facilities for travelling through the country as those given to 

 Government officials. Without that red pass we should never have 

 been able to penetrate beyond Kola; even in these remote districts 

 it is absolutely necessary to have both permission to travel and 

 assistance from the authorities in obtaining men. Ekaterina is quite 

 a new town and port which owes its existence chiefly to the energy of 

 Governor Engelhardt, who has fully explained the advantages of its 

 position in his book (pp. 143-147) already referred to. This port was 

 only officially opened in 1899, ^^ i^ ^^^ ^^^ 7®^ ^^^ ^i^® ^^ develop, 

 and contains little beyond the various Government buildings, a church 

 — still rather painfully " bright " to English eyes in its varied colours 

 of blue, green, yellow, &c. — with a few warehouses and other private 



