340 



THE JEANNETTE ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



people are in stature and appearance like other settlers far- 

 ther north. Their habitations are made of poles lashed 

 together and covered with deer-skins with the hair removed. 

 Fire was made on the ground in the center, and the smoke 

 was allowed to escape through a hole at the top of the tent. 

 Door-ways with flaps of skin were at each side, but one had 

 to stoop and crawl in when desiring to enter. They had 

 numerous fine-looking reindeer, with some dogs and sleds, 

 scattered around their habitations. There were some twenty 



REINDEER TONGUSES' SUMMER TENT. 



men, women and children, old and young. They were the 

 first of these wandering Tunguses that I ever saw, and like 

 most of the others were not backward about begging, and 

 particularly for tobacco. They extended their hands, and 

 said in the most beseeching manner, " Tebac ! tcbac ! " 



Late on the night of Monday, December 12th, we reached 

 a stansea called Ouldan,and routed out the inhabitants there- 

 of, including fleas, multitudes of cockroaches, and other ver- 

 min, and obtained a little rest. The next morning we started 

 off with five sleds three with horses attached, and two har- 

 nessed to bulls. The sleds in use here were similar in shape 



