356 THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. [chap. 



Chukclies crowded in curious wonder at the skill with which 

 the smith fashioned the glowing iron. Here the cook dealt out 

 to the Chukclies the soup and meat that were left over, and the 

 loaves of bread which at every baking were baked for them. 

 Here was our reception saloon, where tobacco and sugar were 

 distributed to the women and children, and where sometimes, if 

 seldom, a frozen hunter or fisherman was treated to a little 

 spirits. Here pieces of wood and vertebrae of the whale were 

 valued and purchased, and here tedious negotiations were 

 carried on regarding journeys in dog-sledges in different 

 directions. 



The violent motion which took place in the ice during the 

 night before the 15th December, gave us a sharp warning that 

 our position in the open road was by no means so secure as was 

 desirable, but that there was a possibility that the vessel might 

 be nipped suddenly and without any previous warning. If such 

 a misfortune had happened, the crew of the Vega would certainly 

 have had no difficulty in getting to land over the ice. But the 

 yield of hunting appeared to be so scanty, and the Chukches 

 were, as almost always, so destitute of all stock of provisions — 

 for they literally obey the command to take no thought for to- 

 morrow — that there was every probability that we, having come 

 safe ashore, would die of hunger, if no provisions were saved from 

 the vessel. This again, as the principal part of the provisions 

 was of course down in the hold, would have been attended with 

 great difficulty, if the Vega had been suddenly in the night cut 

 into by the ice at the water-line. In order as far as possible to 

 secure ourselves against the consequences of such a misfortune, 

 a depot of provisions, guns, ammunition, &c., reckoned for 30 

 men and 100 days, was formed on land. Fortunately we did not 

 require to depend vipon it. The stores were laid up on the 

 beach without the protection of lock or bolt, covered only with 

 sails and oars, and no watch was kept at the place. Notwith- 

 standing this, and the want of food wliich occasionally prevailed 

 among the natives, it remained untouched both by the Chukches 

 who lived in the neighbourhood, and by those who daily drove 

 past the place from distant regions. All however knew very well 

 the contents of the sail-covered heap, and they undoubtedly 

 supposed that there were to be found there treasures of immense 

 value, and provisions enough for the whole population of the 

 Chukch peninsula for a whole year. 



The Magnetical Observatory was erected, as will be told in 

 greater detail further on, upon the beach a kilometre and a 

 half from the vessel. To this house the observers had to walk 

 to and fro at least four times in the twenty-four hours over an 

 ice-field, covered with loose snow, as fine as dust, that was set in 



