388 THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. [ciiAr. x. 



consists of fish (two kinds of cod), but this is quite too poor diet 

 for them, they have fallen off since we first met with them, 



" Soon we are all surrounded by our Chukch acquaintances. 

 The daily market begins. They have various things to offer, 

 which they know to be of value to us, as weapons, furs, ornaments, 

 playthings, fish, bones of the whale, algae, vegetables, &c. For 

 all this only ' kauka ' is now asked. To-day the supply of 

 whales' bones is large, in consequence of our desire, expressed 

 on previous days, to obtain them. One has come with two 

 vertebrtB, one with a rib or some fragments of it, one with 

 a shoulder-blade. They are not shy in laying heavy loads on 

 their dogs. 



" After the close of the promenade and the traffic with the 

 natives, the gunroom po^sonnel have begun their labours. Some 

 keep in their cabins, others in the gunroom itself. The magnetical 

 and meteorological observations made the day before are tran- 

 scribed and subjected to a preliminary working-out, the natural 

 history collections are examined and looked over, studies and 

 authorship are prosecuted. The work is now and then inter- 

 rupted by conversation partly serious, partly jocular. From the 

 engine-room in the neighbourhood we hear the blows of ham- 

 mers and the rasping of files. In the 'tweendecks, pretty well 

 heated, but not very well lighted, some of the crew are employed 

 at ordinary ship's work ; and in the region of the kitchen the 

 cook is just in the midst of his preparations for dinner. He 

 is in good humour as usual, but perhaps grumbles a little at the 

 'mosucks' (a common name on board for the Chukches), who will 

 not give him any peace by their continual cries for ' mimil ' (water) . 



" The forenoon passes in all quietness and stillness. Immediately 

 after noon nearly all the gunroom people are again on deck, 

 promenading backwards and forwards. It is now very lively. 

 It is the crew's meal-time. The whole crowd of Chukches are 

 collected at the descent to their apartment, the lower deck. 

 One soup basin after the other comes up ; they are immediately 

 emptied of their contents by those who in the crowd and 

 confusion are fortunate enough to get at them. Bread and 

 pieces of meat and bits of sugar are distributed assiduously, 

 and disappear with equal speed. Finally, the cook himself 

 appears with a large kettle, containing a very large quantity 

 of meat soup, which the Chukches like starving animals throw 

 themselves upon, baling into them with spoons, empty pre- 

 serve tins, and above all with the hands. Notwithstanding 

 the exceedingly severe cold a woman here and there has un- 

 covered one arm and half her breast in order not to be embarrassed 

 by the wide reindeer-skin sleeve in her attempts to get at 

 the contents of the kettle. The spectacle is by no means a 

 pleasant one. 



