414 THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. [chap. 



out. The flame is at one corner of the lamp, whose moss wick 

 is trimmed with a piece of wood of the shape shown in the 

 drawing. The lamp rests on a foot, and it in its turn in a basin. 

 In this way every drop of oil that may be possibly spilled is 

 collected. If there is anything that this people ought to save, it 

 is certainly oil, for this signifies to them both light and heat. 

 In the roof of the bedchamber some bars are fixed over the 

 lamps on which clothes and shoes are hung to dry. The lamps 

 are kept alight the whole day; during night they are com- 

 monly extinguished, as otherwise they would require continual 

 attention. Some clothes and fishing implements, two or three 

 reindeer skins to rest upon — these are the whole furniture of a 

 Chukch tent. 



" Every tent is besides provided with some drums {ydrar). 

 These are made of a Avooden ring, about seventy centimetres in 

 diameter, on which is stretched a skin of seal or walrus gut. 

 The drum is beaten with a light stick of whalebone. The 

 sound thus produced is melancholy, and is so in a yet higher 



SECTIOK OF A CHUKCH LAMP. 



(After a drawing by G. Bove.) 



a a. The oil. h. The wick. c. The foot. d. The basin under it. 



e. stick for trimmiug the wick. 



degree when it is accompanied by the natives' monotonous, 

 commonly rhythmical songs, which ajDpear to me to have a strong 

 resemblance to those we hear in Japan and China. A still 

 greater resemblance I thought I observed in the dances of these 

 peoples. Notti is a splendid 7/^tra?'-player. After some pressing 

 he played several of their songs with a feeling for which I had 

 not given him credit. The auditors Avere numerous, and by their 

 smiles and merry eyes one could see that they were transported 

 by the- sounds which ^otti knew how to call from the drum. 

 Notti was also listened to in deep silence, with an admiration 

 like that with which in a large room we listen to a distinguished 

 pianist. I saw in the tent no other musical instrument than 

 that just mentioned. 



" The day Ave arrived at Najtskaj Ave employed in vieAving the 

 neighbourhood of the village. We accordingly ascended a hiU 

 about thirty metres high to the south of the village in order 

 to get a clear idea of the region. From the summit of the 



