BIRDS OF RUSSIAN LAPLAND 129 



these canteens had one flat side they would be carried with ease by 

 either man or horse ; but it is always difficult to get the makers to 

 attend to these small details. 



Our headman got rather drunk in the afternoon and declined to 

 go or to carry a load, but he sobered down in time, and at last we 

 started from Kola at 8.30 p.m. in a sharp rain, all well loaded with 

 camera, fishing-rods, &c. Mr. Skjoerseth kindly came with us the 

 first three versts — which must be traversed on foot to avoid some 

 heavy rapids in the Kola river — as he wished to see us safely loaded 

 into the boats at Sascheika (Sashyok : Rae), the point where the river 

 becomes navigable. There is only one hut here, built for the use of 

 the Customs officials during the winter months. Kola town and the 

 other ports on this coast have the right to import all classes of goods, 

 except spirits, free ; but if the goods are taken into the interior duty 

 must be paid on them. We found the boats in fair order considering 

 they had been exposed to weather all the winter ; of course, a few rags 

 were required to stop cracks, but after that there was little baling. 

 The boats were heavily laden, ourselves four men and much luggage 

 in one, and three men with our interpreter and more luggage in the 

 smaller one. Juno picked the softest sack and most sheltered position, 

 and took little interest in the scenery ; while we sat perched on boxes, 

 and made ourselves as comfortable as we could. Although the worst 

 of the flood — the highest for several years — had subsided, the river 

 was still very high, and our men had a swift current to fight against 

 all the way with very few backwaters to ease them. They worked 

 well the whole night and only stopped three times to eat a little bread 

 and fish, and smoke. The banks were almost entirely composed of 

 sand, with a few patches of glacial clay at long intervals ; rock in situ 

 only appearing two or three times in the upper part of the river. 

 Sometimes these sandy banks rose to fifteen and twenty feet above the 

 water, but they were generally not more than two or three feet. Low 

 ranges of hills enclosed the valley of the river on both sides, and were 

 covered with birch and pine — none of the latter large enough for timber. 



