430 THE JEANNETTE ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



seen. The sleeping portion, the yoronger, was about thirty 

 feet long by twelve wide and seven feet high. It was here 

 that Wanker promised to meet me the night of my arrival 

 and hurry me on to Nishni Kolymsk without any delay en 

 route, merely expressing his fear that I could not stand the 

 cold and rapid traveling. I was forced to remain at this 

 house four nights, partially detained by stormy weather and 

 with the hope that Wanker might forget himself and actu- 

 ally keep his appointment within a day or two. It was for- 

 tunate for me that the house was such a pleasant one, since 

 I had to remain there so long. 



No matter how early you may awaken in the morning, you 

 will always find the mistress of the household already up 

 that is, her position changed from reclining to sitting, and as 

 soon as she observes that you are really awake, she hands you 

 a few small pieces of meat. Then she goes into the adjoining 

 apartment, and after fifteen or twenty minutes of pounding 

 and chopping returns with the breakfast. A large, flat, 

 wooden tray is placed on the floor, and the landlady, drop- 

 ping off her clothes, takes her position at one end, a posi- 

 tion inelegantly but accurately described as " squatting." 

 The family and their guests gather around the board on 

 either side, lying flat on their stomachs with their heads 

 toward the breakfast and their feet out, so that a bird's-eye 

 view of the table and guests would look something like an 

 immense beetle. 



The first course is some frozen weeds mixed with sea oil 

 and eaten with small portions of fresh blubber, which the 

 lady of the house cuts with a large chopping knife. The 

 next course is walrus meat. This is also cut up by Ihe pre- 

 siding lady, and is served with no stinting hand. At this 

 portion of the meal the one who can swallow the largest 

 piece without chewing has the advantage. After this joint 

 comes a large piece of walrus hide, which has a small por- 

 tion of blubber attached to it, and the hair still on the out- 

 side. This hide is about an inch thick and very tough, so 

 that it is absolutely impossible to chew it, or rather to affect 



