e to
carry, Godfrey and Luka took their places in her, dipped their paddles
in the stream, shot out, and paddled about for some time in the still
water behind the shelter of the point. Godfrey found to his satisfaction
that she paddled easily, quite answering to his expectations. Then Luka,
who had already practised the manoeuvre on shore, stepped the masts,
fastened the stays, and hoisted the sails. There was a light breeze from
the south, and the boat ran rapidly along before it till it was again
abreast of the village, then she was put about and made short tacks in
the dead-water. Godfrey found that she stood stiffly up to the canvas,
and, as far as he could see, made little or no leeway. Then he returned
to the village. The Ostjaks, who seldom made use of sails, and then only
when dead before the wind, were perfectly astounded alike at the
rapidity with which the boat glided through the water and at the ease
with which she came about, and were astonished beyond measure at seeing
her make a zigzag progress in the teeth of the wind.

Early the next morning the rest of the preparations were completed. The
tea, tobacco, cooking utensils, and other necessaries were stowed away
under the deck astern of Godfrey, together with twenty pounds of fat.
This had been carefully set aside for the purpose when animals were
killed and cut up. It had been melted down in the chief's large pot and
poured into a tin drinking-mug, in which four strands of unravelled cord
had been placed to act as wicks. The tin was dipped in ice water, and in
a few minutes the fat solidified, then the tin was dipped again, this
time in hot water, and the short fat candle with its four wicks then
came easily out, and the process was repeated. These candles weighed
just about a pound each. Godfrey collected fat enough to make fifty, but
being afraid of overburdening the canoe he decided that twenty must
suffice, believing that he would be able to pick up drift-wood as they
coasted along.

A store of pine-wood torches was lashed on the deck on each side of the
mast forward of Luka, the fishing spears, hatchets, and other articles
for trade stowed away, the furs and their winter garments laid thickly
at the bottom of the boat. They took with them Jack, Godfrey's favourite
dog, and then, bestowing all the rest of their possessions on the
Ostjaks, they took a hearty farewell of them, stepped on board, and
started. They had at the last moment decided to take t