C Ihe Ladies c cu. V'VVAN - History and Classics, Department of

106 THE LADIES, THE GWICH'IN, AND THE RATperpetual movement meant escape, therefore we never did any bird-watching onthe Rat River and identified very few species. The stillness and patience neededfor the study of birds was, we soon realised, impossible. With flowers it wasdifferent. We both had a quick eye for a new flower and we could pick one almostwithout stopping, even though we had to pick with leather gauntlets on ourhands. On that hilltop we did, however, at last find a ridge blessed by a littlebreeze. We were learning to seek for wind as an Arab seeks for shade, and goes tosleep beside a telegraph pole when there is nothing better, so we sat down andeach managed to smoke a cigarette through our veils. When we left that spot themosquitoes renewed their attacks. They were wonderful crevice-finders; theywould slip under the folds of our veils and bite us on the neck, they would slipthrough the holes of our lace up breeches, they would insert their proboscesthrough tiny stitches on the back seams of our gloves.At supper time the sun carne out, and brought us hope of brighter prospects.Lazarus did not commit himself to any optimism, but he no longer gazed intentlyat the little sticks he placed in the mud. It was obvious now that the water wasfalling.We went to bed early, agreeing that it was a blessed world, that we were leadinga blissful life and that there was nothing to grumble about except mosquitoes andthe swift water.