130 BIRDS OF RUSSIAN LAPLAND 



It was rather weird rowing on hour after hour through the night up the 

 silent river, our boats the only sign of human life the whole distance. 

 In spite of the clouds there was light enough to see the landscape at 

 midnight, and soon after the lower clouds cleared ofif, the light in- 

 creased and bifore two o'clock it was full daylight again. Two or three 

 pairs of duck — chiefly Goldeneye — were the only birds seen, except a 

 Hooded Crow which foolishly rose from its nest in the top of a pine 

 tree close to our side of the river, for the nest was so well hidden, we 

 should not have noticed it without the bird's assistance ; it contained 

 four eggs, nearly fresh. 



We reached Tschongai, fifteen versts from Sascheika, at 4.45 a.m., 

 only seven and a quarter hours, very good time considering the stream 

 and heavy boat. Our landlord at Kola had foretold we should require 

 a day for that part of the journey. Tschongai consists of one good 

 new hut, built by Government for the use of the men who erected the 

 telegraph wires in 1896. Since that work was completed it has been 

 used only by the boatmen, and the interior was dirty beyond descrip- 

 tion. We swept a small area for our own use, while the men lit a fire 

 in the iron stove ; and then all proceeded to make tea. We re-com- 

 menced our journey at 7.15, but were promptly stopped by a side 

 stream that had carried away the wooden bridge. I went up the 

 stream nearly a mile, but could find no place to cross. A hen Caper- 

 caillie got up ten yards off and stopped to watch me a little before she 

 flew away, but there was no nest. On my return I found Musters in 

 the midst of a long argument with the men ; he had suggested they 

 should bring the small boat overland 260 yards, and they only asked 

 30 roubles extra for doing it ! At last we told them we would pay 

 them what Mr. Skjoerseth should say was right, and if they would not 

 agree to that they might return to Kola, we should stop here till other 

 men came ; our eleven cases of food made us quite independent. 

 When the men saw we meant what we said they gave way, and the 

 boat was soon over. After an hour and a half's delay, mostly wasted 

 in talking, we started again on our tramp of seventeen versts to Kitsa. 



