372 



THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. 



[chap. 



was entirely given up, while during the whole winter a species 

 of cod and another of grayling were taken in great quantity 

 in a lagoon situated nearer Behring's Straits. The coregonus is 

 also caught in the inland lakes, although, at least at this season 

 of the year, only in limited quantity. 



On the morning of the 6th October, we saw from the vessel 

 an extraordinary processix)n moving forward on the ice. A 

 number of Chukches drew a dog-sledge on which lay a man. 

 At first we supposed it was a man who was very ill, and who 

 came to seek the help of the physician, but when the proces- 

 sion reached the vessel's side, the supposed invalid climbed 

 very nimbly up the ice-covered rope-ladder (our ice-stair was 

 not yet in order), stepped immediately with a confident air, 

 giving evidence of high rank, upon the half-deck, crossed himself, 

 saluted graciously, and gave us to know in broken Russian that 

 he was a man of importance in that part of the country. It 



SMELT FROM THE CHUKCH PENINSULA. 



Osmerus eperlanvs, Lin. 

 One third of the natural size. 



now appeared that we were honoured with a visit from the 

 representative of the Russian empire, Wassili Menka, the 

 starost among the reindeer-Chukches. He was a little 'dark 

 man, with a pretty worn appearance, clad in a white varieo-ated 

 " pesk " of reindeer skin, under which a blue flannel shu-t was 

 visible. In order immediately on his arrival to inspire us with 

 respect, and perhaps also in order not to expose his precious 

 life to the false Ran's treachery, he came to the vessel over the 

 yet not quite trustworthy ice, riding in a sledge that was drawn 

 not by dogs but by his men. On his arrival he immediately 

 showed us credentials of his rank, and various evidences of the 

 payment of tribute (or market tolls), consisting of some few red 

 and some white fox-skins, reckoning the former at 1 rouble 80 

 copecks, the latter at 40 copecks each, 



' He was immediately invited down to the gimroom, enter- 

 tained after the best of our ability, and bothered with a number 



