Travels of a Naturalist in Northern Europe (Volume 2); Norway, 1871, Archangel, 1872, Petchora, 1875 (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Piottuch's Pavoshka Mounted On Sleigh-runners. PAET IV INVESTIGATIONS AT THE MOUTH OF THE PETCHORA, AND EETUBN HOME July 13. On Tuesday, the 13th of July, we were wakened by M. Arendt about 6 a.m., and about 8.30 we left in the steamer for the Golaievski Banks, where beacons have to be erected before the arrival of the ships. After passing Stanavoialachta and Cape Sokolka we steamed N. by E. along the coast, and on leaving the coast followed the channel marked out by a line of besoms, which are tied upon poles which are anchored by heavy stones attached to one end. These have to be laid down every year, as the ice, of course, carries them away. At the bar we found the cutter, and we took her in tow alongside. We then proceeded on an easterly course until Cape Constantinovka was passed, at which there is a beacon, after which our course was changed almost due north, by the chart 2 E. of N. The coast in view on the east of the Boluanski Bucht is low and sandy, with flat tundra extending far inland; and in the far distance?S.E. by S. from Cape Constantinovka?the Pitkoff mountains appear, which, according to the chart, are 563 English feet in height. Many little rivers run to the sea from the Pitkoff mountains through what we are informed by Engel is a vast swamp. The mountains are just ten English miles from the sea at the nearest point, and the range is about sixteen miles in length, culminating towards the eastern extremity in the highest point. As we crossed the bar where the cutter was lying, soundings were constantly taken with the lead. The water shallowed to the bar very gradually on the riverside, and deepened a little more rapidly towards the sea. The soundings were cried out from 25 feet to 12 feet on the bar and then 13, 13$, 14, 13, 15, 1...