Our blankets came dripping from the bottom of the boat, and my satchel had taken water enough to spoil my paper collars and a dozen cigars.

My greatest calamity on that night was the sudden and persistent stoppage of my watch.

An occurrence of little moment in New York or London was decidedly unpleasant when no trusty watchmaker lived within four thousand miles.
Major Abasa and the Ispravnik of Ghijiga escorted us from the landing to their quarters, where we soon warmed ourselves with hot tea, and I took opportunity and a couple of bearskins and went to sleep.

Late in the day we had a dinner of soup, pork and peas, reindeer meat, and berry pudding.

The deer's flesh was sweet and tender, with a flavor like that of the American elk.
In this part of Siberia there are many wide plains (_tundras_) covered with moss and destitute of trees.