324 THE JE ANNETTE ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



I had, and they seemed much interested in them. They ap- 

 peared not to understand how they were made, and evidently 

 took them for pictures of saints, as they crossed themselves 

 at sight of each one. They were, in reality, photographs of 

 friends at home. 



After we had concluded our meal we, by signs, induced 

 the natives to pilot us up the river, and they conducted us to 

 a point where five huts and a grave-yard were located. This 

 place proved to be a small summer hunting station, and we 

 subsequently discovered that our friends were Tunguses. 

 We hauled up for the night, and the natives set their nets 

 and caught some fish which they gave us. 



These nets, by the way, are worth describing. They are 

 made of horse-hair, with stones fastened to little hoops of 

 wood for sinkers, and also to keep the net from coming in 

 contact with the rough bottom. They are set like a gill net, 

 anchored at each end, and floated on the surface by means 

 of rolls of birch bark. I afterwards procured one of the 

 same kind of nets, but did not find it necessary to use it. 



We stayed at this place until the next morning, enjoying 

 an excellent fish stew, although it was made without season- 

 ing, and we had no bread. The natives partook of it with 

 us. They were very devout in rising and crossing them- 

 selves, and shaking hands with and thanking us after the 

 meal, and they seemed to regard us as a race of beings su- 

 perior to themselves. One of them was very poorly clad, his 

 boots were full of holes, and wet straw in the bottom of 

 them took the place of stockings. His feet appeared to 

 have been severely frozen at some previous time of life. I 

 gave the poor fellow a pair of stockings, for which he seemed 

 to be very grateful. His way of using them was quite amu- 

 sing, for he pulled off his boots, put on the stockings, and 

 then seemed to consider his foot-gear complete. He ap- 

 peared not to know the correct use of such things. 



I had at this place the pleasure of smoking a native pipe 

 with Russian tobacco, and at their earnest solicitations 1 

 took snuff with the natives. This snuff was of a very good 



