and amongst some stunted alder-trees
Godfrey found a dwarf rose already in bud, and wild onions and wild
rhubarb in flower. Then he came upon a broad expanse of a shrub that
looked to him like a rhododendron, with a flower with a strong aromatic
scent. Several times he heard the call of a cuckoo. On a patch of sand
there were some wild anemones in blossom. Godfrey pulled a bulb of wild
onion, cut off a slice and tasted it. It was similar in flavour to the
cultivated plant, but very sharp and acrid. However he set to work, and
pulled up several dozen bulbs. They were small, not exceeding the size
of a radish, but they would be very valuable, as one of them chopped
fine would be sufficient to give a savour to a whole goose.

Turning to the right and coming down upon the shore he saw that the edge
of the water was fringed with seagulls of various kinds picking up tiny
fish as the waves broke in sandy coves, or scuttling into the water and
making sudden dips and dives into it. Farther out flocks of black ducks
were feeding, while two or three pairs of swans passed overhead going
north. Presently he saw three or four native huts ahead; some reindeer
were grazing near them, and three boats were hauled upon the shore.
These were doubtless Samoyedes. As soon as he caught sight of them he
turned. He had heard that the Samoyedes, although more friendly than the
Tunguses with strangers, were much less to be depended upon than the
Ostjaks, and as he had no faith in being able to explain what he was
doing there with his comparatively limited command of the Ostjak
language, he thought it better to return at once to Luka. He found when
he reached the tent that the Tartar was beginning to feel anxious, for
he had been four hours absent. As they had abundance of food, and had no
occasion to trade with the natives at present, they decided not to pay a
visit to them.

As soon as dinner had been cooked, they set to work to get everything in
readiness for a start. The stores were taken out of the canoe, and she
was carried down to within a few feet of the water. The tent was
dismantled, and the boat also carried down. Then they devoted themselves
for the rest of the afternoon to collecting more drift-wood, for the
water was again falling, and the highest level it had reached was strewn
with debris. As there was now no practical distinction between night and
day they lay down and slept for four or five hours, then put the large
canoe into t