DANCING GIRLS. 433 



Their costume was the usual evening dress of the country, 

 and consisted simply of a string of beads around the neck 

 and a narrow breechcloth of sealskin. This was an accom- 

 plishment which, I found, had been acquired by all the 

 children along the coast, and such entertainments were not 

 rare. 



On the 13th of January I moved to the next village, 

 starting in the dark at three o'clock in the morning, and 

 arriving at our destination before noon. There were two 

 other sleds beside mine, which belonged to a man from 

 Onman, who had with him his wife and son, a young man 

 of about twenty-two years, with yellow hair and light hazel 

 eyes, the first blonde I had seen with these people. I after- 

 ward saw another, a woman, but they are very rare. 



Here, too, I had to wait four days, looking for Wanker or 

 clear weather. These houses along the coast are all so 

 many hotels for the accommodation of those traveling to 

 and fro. The natives pay nothing for their entertainment 

 or for feeding their dogs, but they expect much from any 

 white strangers who may happen to pass their way. If the 

 native traveler has tobacco or beads, and his host wants 

 some, he gives it to him; but that is not paying for his 

 board and lodging. He would do the same if he received 

 nothing in return. 



While at Peelkan, the second station, I saw many natives 

 who were returning from a trip to East Cape. They told 

 me that Wanker did not intend to come along for some time 

 yet, that he was trading along the coast. This was discour- 

 aging, and I determined to proceed to Kolyutschin village 

 as soon as possible and get along as well as I could. I 

 knew I could easily find people going from one village to 

 another until I reached Wankarem, but from there to North 

 Cape was a long stretch without villages. There was, how- 

 ever, an old man who came to Peelkan on his way back to 

 his house at Wankarem, who said he would take me on from 

 there. He wanted me to give him some biscuit to eat, as 

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