aised a high wall of it encircling the tent to keep off the
bitter north wind. Then the weather changed again. The wind set in from
the south, and drenching rains fell. At the end of two or three days the
ice on the river had disappeared, but it was not long before winter set
in more bitterly than before. The ground became covered with the snow to
a depth of upwards of three feet, and the river froze right across. The
wall round the tent was rebuilt, Godfrey fashioning wooden shovels from
some planks he found among the drift-wood. The Ostjaks took to their
snow-shoes, and Godfrey fashioned for himself and Luka two pairs of
runners, such as he had seen in use near St. Petersburg.

These were about five feet long, by as many inches wide, and slightly
turned up at each end. A strap was nailed across, under which the foot
went. The ends were turned up by damping the wood and holding it over
the fire, a string being fastened tightly from end to end, so as to keep
the wood bent. When they were completed they practised with them
steadily, and found that as soon as the surface of the snow hardened
they could get along upon them at a good pace on level ground,
completely distancing the Ostjaks on their broader snow-shoes. The
Ostjaks evidently admired them greatly, but were too much wedded to
their own customs to adopt them.

Godfrey was so warmly clad that he felt the cold but little. His eyes,
however, suffered from the glare of the snow, and he at once adopted
spectacles, which were made for him by the Ostjaks. They were the shape
of goggles, and made of skin with the hair on, narrow slits being cut in
them, these slits being partly covered with the hair, and so shielding
the eyes from the glare of the snow. They were fastened on by leathern
straps, tied at the back of the head. The Ostjaks themselves seldom wore
them, but they were used by Samoyedes, a kindred tribe, dwelling
generally farther north, though many of them at times came down even as
far as Yeneseisk.

Early in November the Ostjaks prepared for a hunting expedition. The
men, since they were confined to their huts by the snow, had been busy
in manufacturing traps of various kinds and getting the sledges into
order. On a large sledge, which was to be drawn by three reindeer, was
placed the skins necessary for forming a tent. On these were piled a
store of provisions, which were chopped out from the frozen masses by
hatchets. On the smaller sledges were placed th