CHUKCHB FiSHERWOMEN. 417 



often, during severe cold, leave for awhile the inne-r tent 

 where the train-oil lamp maintains a heat that is at times 

 oppressive. Both men and women wear snow-shoes during 

 the winter, and will not willingly undertake any long walks 

 in loose snow without them. The children nearly always 

 make a pleasing impression, by their healthy appearance and 

 their friendly and becoming behavior. 



In early winter, before the ice is too thick, the women fish 

 along the shore. Each fishervvoman is accompanied by a 

 man, who cuts a hole in the ice with an iron-shod spear, and 

 skims out the loose ice with an ice-sieve. Stooping down at 

 the hole, she endeavors to attract the fish by means of a 

 peculiarly wonderful clattering cry, and when a fish is seen 

 in the water, a line with a baited hook of bone, iron, or cop- 

 per, is thrown down. One of these fisherwomen might pos- 

 sibly have saved the lives of DeLong's party, had she been 

 with them. 



During the winter Mr. Ston^ey visited some Reindeer Chuk- 

 ches seventy miles inland, and saw several herds of rein- 

 deer, but did not get any as he could not pay for them. 

 Lieutenant Palander, of the Vega, gives the following ac- 

 count of a visit to Reindeer Chukches made by him in 1879 : 



"The camp consisted of two tents, one of which was un- 

 occupied. The other was occupied by a Chukche and his 

 wife, and another young couple who were visiting there. 

 About fifty reindeer were pasturing on an eminence some 

 distance off, but proposals to purchase some were declined, 

 although bread, tobacco, rum, and even guns were offered 

 in exchange. 



" In the afternoon we were invited into the tent, where we 

 passed an hour in their sleeping chamber. On our entrance 

 the seal-oil lamp was lighted. Our hostess endeavored to 

 make our stay in the tent as agreeable as possible ; she 

 rolled together reindeer skins for pillows, and made ready 

 for us a place where, stretched at full length, we might en- 

 joy much needed repose. In the outer tent the other women 

 25 



