New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-09-22

a Record OF the Natural History Of the Island
Member g'" of the British ornithologists' Union.
With Numerous illustrations BY J; T Net lie
S Three S Mspss Pp XVIII, As Imported by Mac
milan Co.
Far away TO the north and east of the mouth
OF the White Sea, in the midst Of what Is calico
on the maps Barents Sea. there lies low rouhd
island 1t Is about fifty miles long and forty
miles wide-that is. geographical, not STATUTE
miles and II lies distance equal 10 us own
length from the nearest mainland. projection
of Arctic Russia. The north end OF this isiano
Is overlooked by hills irregular and hollow cones
of sand clay and small stones. with Valleys III
which lakes sumber. most Of the time under the
ice and plains with narrow gullies where streams
flow In summer between steep banks or Ice ana
snow Often the stream and the sun together
are not strong enough to open enamel anu
then one hears the water murmurlns Dehea'h
treacherous surface as smooth and ghtierihs as
n II had the solidity OF winter. Woe to the I'M
,uckv man who crashes through this crust. I'm
less he is armed at all points for struggle with
the Ice ne is likely to die where he falls. In these
ravines the snow never disappears. The only
difference with them between summer and winter
is that In winter they filled to the level OF the
lands which they intersect while In summer they
side down to the lines where the running water
has cut its way toward the sea This chilly ISL
and is Kolguev home Of innumerable Arctic
birds.
Even the hills which rise into the sunlight
have grass on three sides only. Ascending one
OF the highest points on the island that OF Mount
| Sowandeyi, Mr.. Trevor Battye found himself at
| the edge Of q funnel-shaped crater. the walls Of
| which we're formed Of sand and clay washed
| downward by water. while at the bottom was
| confused heap of large stones. Low as these
| peaks were, he found them still crowned with
snow late in the summer To the natives they
| have the same sacred character. though without
| the mystery, that mountain tops have for most
uncivilized people. Upon them they plant the
image OF their god Nom, in the form Of a wooden
stake the upper end Of which is rudely carved to
represent a human face and head. Th!ther they
carry also some Of the personal belongings Of the
! dead a mute appeal to the mercy Of the god, his
spoon. for instance and his sleigh. or perhaps the
small model OF sleigh which Is broken TO show
that he will ride more on earth. and the small
image Of the god which In his lifetime he carried
devoutly hidden under his clothes 1t was In the
search for Of these sacred places that the
author of this book assembled the highest hill In
Kolguev. the holy Siecherhur. The plain from
which II rises Is long peat level about one hum
dred feet above the sea- and the cone rises one
hundred feet higher. At the top were two an
Client images. and the place was 80 venerated by
the natives that the old Samoyed who guided Mr..
Trevor Battye refused to leave the foot of the
HILL but lay there on his face still as stone
until the daring unbeliever returned from the
summit. The latter had a less reverent guide to
deal with when he visited still more sacred
| Dol pfain uh no
samoyeds. using Russian word. cali Sahbor, the
| cathedral. Instead of falling at the foot Of the
hill this man went TO the summit and there with
his face to the sun recited a long form OF words
| which the author could not understand, at the
| same time bowling often and extending his arms.
! Nineteen idols lay on the hilltop side by side;
| some new, some old and gray with lchen. Busy
| as the Samoyed was with his prayer and his
gestures he still watched his companion mar
| rowly and 1t was only In dverting his attention
| by the gift Of cigarette which he stopped to
light that the traveller found time to secrete in
his pocket a small image and spoon which had
once belonged to some departed worshipper OF
Nun.
In addition to the hills the main features Of the
northern part Of the island are the plains which
are vast stretches Of peat formation, with lakes
large and small in every depression. But south
| ward the island becomes a mere sandy slope de-
! scending to the sea. On the whole. this patch Of
land seems like piece broken Off from the near
est mainland II Is 80 like In structure and gen.
| eral appearance. To Mr.. Trevor-Battye II was
plainly formed in the same way as the plains OF
Arctic Russia. namely. by the gradual and COM
paratively recent elevation of the land above
the level Of the sea. The process seen in Kol-
guev on a small scale is one observed by geolo-
| VIC
fossils found by the author point to the fact that
the skeleton Of the island began to be laid down
| In the Upper Siluran period. But he saw no
signs that this skeleton was anything but a mis-
ceaneous assemblage Of rocks dropped by float
ing Ice and covered In course OF time with sand
and clay deposited by the currents and the tides
The work Of charging the island is still going on
in the same manner as OF yore. At little dis
lance from the shore the somehow raises q
rim Of sand and clay. Within this line the vege-
table growths begin TO form peat Sand and clay
wash in with the tide to make comparatively
solid ground. and when the level has risen above
the reach OF tho there Is substantial addition
70 the surface Of the island. The mud brought
down by the rivers, OF which there are several
hastens the work Of the sea, and the continual
building Of sand banks In the shadows near the
shores protects the growth Of the island and Will
in time furnish the foundation for new enlarge
ment of It's expanse. But Mr.. Trevor Battye
found no signs that the island ever had an ice car
or was ever subjected to true glacial action.
The Russian tundra, or Arctic plain. has been
| searched to some extent for birds nests Blu,
there are many feathered creatures the true
summer home Of which is still unknown though