A NIGHT IN THE SNOW. -i-'lT 



food. In fact, in the house where I slept, we fed the 

 occupants instead of eating their provisions. 



The next stretch was a long one, and we slept four nights 

 in the snow. The natives were all very kind to me. They 

 knew that Wanker was not helping me any more than he 

 should, so they each had something for ' Keifey,' as is my 

 Chukche name, and I believe I fared better than any one in 

 the party. 



About noon time of the third day out we reached Bassarika, 

 a deserted village of five log houses, which at one time con- 

 stituted a village of Russian trappers. Here we found a 

 large quantity of bear meat and dried fish for dog food 

 which they had cached on their way down the coast, and, 

 taking a good supply upon our sleds, we gorged like genuine 

 savages that night and slept soundly and warm. 



As night approached on the day following we were near 

 the native village of Diardlowran, the Barranno of the 

 Russians. Three of the sleds halted on the beach at dark, 

 while the sled to which I was attached and two others started 

 to make a short cut across land to the village. One of the 

 natives with us lived at that place, and was anxious to get 

 home after an absence of two months and a, half. But with- 

 out landmarks on the bare waste of snow and no coast line 

 to guide us even, he had to give up the search, though less 

 than three miles from home, and we lay down in the snow 

 to wait for daylight. But before dawn came the worst poorga 

 I ever encountered, and when we started in the morning we 

 could see less distance ahead than when we halted in the 

 dark. It was a terrible struggle, that little march of about 

 two miles and a half. The wind blew directly in our faces 

 and drove the sharp particles of hard frozen snow against 

 the eyeballs and cheeks, so that it was impossible to look to 

 windward for more than a hasty glance. The dogs could 

 not face the storm and lay down in the harness, so that we 

 had to go ahead and drag them along, while we waded pain- 

 fully through snow nearly waist deep. One sled was soon 



