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its greater size and height. It was usually pitched near a tree, on the branches of which hung bows, arrows, quivers, clothing, skins, and household articles and a few choice reindeer were tethered near it, and fed with fine moss. Fires were burning in the open air as well as in the tents; and men and women, clothed in furs and covered with hoar-frost, were moving about as gayly as if it were summer, in a cold of -41°.

The tents, called namet, have an opening in the centre for the smoke to escape, and within them are one or more pologs or small sheds. The polog is a sort of square box, formed of skins stretched over laths, and so low that persons inside can only sit on the ground, or, at the most, move a little on their knees. It has no opening for admitting air or light, and is entered by creeping through the smallest possible aperture, which is then carefully closed. An earthen vase filled with train oil, and furnished with a wick of moss, gives light and warmth, and the heat of this place is so great, that the occupants wear scarcely any clothing during the most intense cold. There are often two or three of these pologs under one namet, each containing one of the wives of the master of the tent, with her children.

Leutt invited me to pay him a visit, and I rejoiced at an opportunity of seeing something of their domestic arrangements; but, as soon as I had succeeded in creeping into the polog, I was wellnigh suffocated by the fumes from the stinking oil, and the evaporation from six almost naked people. My awkward entrance and disconcerted air excited the merriment of my host's wife and daughter, who were engaged in decking their hair with beads in honour of my visit. They placed before me some reindeer meat in a dirty wooden vessel, adding a little rancid oil to improve the flavour: I was obliged to get down a morsel or two of it, while my host expatiated on the excellence of his wife's cookery in

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broken Russian, swallowing at the same time a quantity of meat and broth, without salt, to which this people have a great aversion. I shortened my stay as much as possible, but my clothes retained for many days the smell of the polog. It is wonderful how they can endure such a pestiferous atmosphere, and still it does not seem to injure their health, for they are a remarkably strong and vigorous race. They are distinguished from the other Asiatic tribes by their stature and by their physiognomy, which appears to me to resemble that of the Americans, though their language is different. They call themselves Tschekto, people.

Another Tschuktschi chief, named Makomol, invited me to see a race on the ice near his camp, and came for me in his sledge. We found a number of persons assembled to witness the contest, and lining both sides of the course. The three prizes consisted of a blue foxskin, a beaver skin, and two particularly fine walrus teeth. At a given signal the competitors started, and we could not but admire the surprising fleetness of the reindeer, as well as the skill of the drivers. The victors were loudly applauded by the whole assembly, but especially by their countrymen, whose suffrages they appeared principally to value.

The sledge-race was followed by a foot-race, which I thought still more curious in its way. The runners were clad in the usual heavy, cumbrous fur dress, in which we moved with difficulty, yet they bounded as lightly and swiftly over the snow as our best runners in their light jackets and thin shoes. I was particularly struck by the length of the race, which could have been scarcely less than fifteen wersts. The victors received prizes of inferior value, and some slight applause; the Tschuktschi appearing to attach a much higher honour to success in the sledge-race. After the games were ended the whole party were entertained with boiled reindeer

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meat, cut up in small pieces, and served in large wooden bowls placed on the snow. Every one came to receive his portion, and the order and quietness which prevailed were quite remarkable neither during the races nor at the meal which follow, ed did I see any crowding, pushing, or quarrelling. Indeed, the general good behaviour was such as is not always met with in more civilized countries on similar occasions.

The next day a large party of Tschuktschi, both men and women, came to visit and take leave of me. I had nothing to set before the ladies except tea and sugar-candy they were pleased with the sugar, but would not touch the tea. After this scanty entertainment I distributed among them blue, red, and white beads, and the good-humour of the party was such that the females offered to show me one of their dances. They stood up in a circle, moving their feet and body backward and forward without changing their place, and beating the air with their hands. After this three distinguished performers commenced a favourite national dance, which was much admired by the spectators generally; but we strangers could see only three misshapen oily figures, who made a number of frightful grimaces, and jumped to and fro until exhaustion obliged them to desist. The interpreter recommended that a small cup of brandy and a little tobacco should be given to each of the three dancers. This was done; and the whole party soon after dispersed, with repeated invitations to visit them in their own country. The sixth day after our arrival the fair terminated. The chiefs paid me one more formal visit, for the purpose of renewing their assurances of a friendly reception, and then took their departure in five or six different caravans: the rest of the assemblage separated in various directions at the same time; and the next fall of snow obliterated all traces of the busy scene, the loneliness of which was only disturb

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ed by the foxes and wolverines, who resorted there to look for bones and other remnants of food that might have been left.

I quitted Ostrownoje on the 16th of March; and as the dogs had been refreshed by good food and rest, and the snow was well beaten by the number of travellers, our journey was a rapid one: we reached Nishne Kolymsk in three days.

CHAPTER VII.

Second Ice Journey.-Preparations.-Plan.-Departure.-BearHunt.-First Encampment on the Ice of the Polar Sea.-Four Pillar Island.-Ice broken up and covered with Sea-Water.Hummocks.-Deposite of Provisions.-State of the Ice.Easter.-White Bears.-The Bear Islands.-Return to Nishne Kolymsk.

THE preparations for our second journey over the ice resembled in most particulars those already described, being only much more extensive, as our journey was intended to be much longer, and our party more numerous. Some additional articles, however, appeared to be requisite on the present occasion, as our nightly halts would be made on the ice at a distance from land, and we might expect frequently to encounter hummocks of ice similar to those we had met with at Schelagskoj Noss. The advanced season rendered it also probable that we might sometimes find the snow imperfectly frozen. On these accounts we took with us crowbars for breaking the ice, a portable boat made of skins for crossing lanes of open water, and a quantity of whalebone to bind under the runners of our sledges whenever we came to places either covered with soft snow, or with crystals of salt left by the over

flowing of the sea-water. I added to the instruments a dipping-needle and a sounding-line. We took no more than thirty days' provisions for ourselves and our dogs (of which we had 240), trusting that our stock might occasionally be replenished by success in bear-hunting.

Especial care was bestowed on the selection and preparation of the travelling-sledges that were to serve us throughout the expedition: the six best and longest ones, and the strongest and best dogs, were set apart for this purpose; while the stores and provisions were to be conveyed in fourteen other sledges, which were to be sent back to Nishne Kolymsk as they should be emptied. The dogs belonging to the travelling-sledges were sent forward to Sucharnoje, where they arrived on the 16th of March, and were prepared for the journey by good feeding and rest. M. Matiuschkin followed on the 22d, to superintend the distribution and packing of the stores, and I myself reached there on the 25th, when I found everything in perfect order for our departure. The sledges were all packed, the lading of each weighing about 30 pood; the runners had been covered with a thick coat of smooth ice, and the dogs were in excellent condition. My companions were M. Matiuschkin, the retired Sergeant Reschetnikow, and the sailor Nechoroschkow. We were joined, likewise, by a merchant of Kolymsk named Bereshnoi, who had requested to be allowed to accompany us on his own account, and in two of his own sledges. The drivers I had selected for the travelling-sledges were three Cossacks, a Russian peasant, and two Jukahirs. The provision-sledges were driven partly by Cossacks and partly by residents of Kolymsk and Jukahirs.

We started on the 26th of March, with a light S.E. breeze, a cloudy sky, and a temperature of +21°, and slept at the lesser Baranow Rock, at the same powarna where we had halted in our first jour

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