BIRDS OF RUSSIAN LAPLAND 163 



soup thickened with chopped meat and hard boiled eggs, so like 

 spinach soup that we wondered why the weed was not more used in 

 our own country. Then followed reindeer tongues — very good ; next, 

 eggs and bacon (our own bacon) ; while strawberry- jam tart closed 

 the repast. We were sorry to leave our kind host, who had done 

 all in his power to make our stay a pleasant one, and had given us 

 every assistance possible in our work. At last the final good-byes 

 were said, and we started on our homeward way at i p.m. in two 

 boats ; our crews consisting of three men and one woman from the 

 station, the man who had been our regular attendant from the first, 

 and an old woman — these last wishing to go to Kola. The four 

 from the station are to the left in Plate 61. Unfortunately, natural 

 shyness prevented my asking the lady to raise the skirt a little to 

 exhibit some wonderful stockings and garters which were generally 

 visible. Her husband is on the right. 



We landed on one island in Lake Pulozero in hopes of finding 

 Scoters' nests, but the only two seen were Red-breasted Mergansers' 

 with seven and eight eggs. As there was a fair wind, we reached the 

 end of the lake at 3 p.m. The portage to Mordozero occupied two 

 hours ; the weather was hot and the mosquitoes beyond description. 

 A general desire for tea took us to land again at six (Plate 62); this 

 occupied more than an hour, so that it was 1 1 p.m. when we reached 

 Kitsa. Our old hut was full of women and children, and the station- 

 hut full of men, mosquitoes, and smells. Two of ''• Solovieff smoking- 

 candles " {Fidibus insettifughi), recommended by Governor Engelhardt,^ 

 soon cleared off the second nuisance, but the other two were not so 

 easily disposed of After another meal, and paying our four carriers 

 from Pulozero, we set off again at 12.45 ^-i^i. to walk those 17 versts 

 to Tschongai. Fortunately some fog came on at 3 a.m. and caused 

 the mosquitoes to retire. Tschongai was reached at 5.40 a.m. The 

 odours of the hut had increased so since we last had a meal there 



^ "A Russian Province of the North," p. 105. These candles can be obtained at the 

 Army and Navy Stores. 



