4C0 THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. [chap. 



We were unable during the voyage of the Vega to obtain any 

 data for estimating the number of the reindeer-Chukches. But 

 the number of the coast Chukches may be arrived at in the follow- 

 ing way. Lieutenant Nordquist collected from the numerous 

 foremen who rested at the Vega information as to the names 

 of the encampments which are to be found at present on the 

 coast between Chaun Bay and Behring's Straits, and the number 

 of tents at each village. He thus ascertained that the number 

 of the tents in the coast villages amounts to about 400. The 

 number of inhabitants in every tent may be, according to our 

 experience, averaged at five. The population on the line of coast 

 in question may thus amount to about 2,000, at most to 2,500, 

 men, women, and children. The number of the reindeer-Chukches 

 appears to be about the same. The whole population of Chukch 

 Land may thus now amount to 4,000 or 5,000 persons. The 

 Cossack Popov already mentioned, reckoned in 1711 that all the 

 Chukches, both reindeer-owning and those with fixed dwellings, 

 numbered 2,000 persons,- Thus during the last two centuries, 

 if these estimates are correct, this Polar race has doubled its 

 numbers. 



In order to give the reader an idea of the language of the 

 Chukches, I have in a preceding chapter given an extract from 

 the large vocabulary which Nordquist has collected. There 

 appear to be no dialects differnig very much from each other. 

 Whether foreign words borrowed from other Asiatic lanijuaofes 

 have been adopted in Chukch we have not been able to make 

 out. It is certain that no Russian words are used. The language 

 strikes me as articulate and euphonious. It is nearly allied to 

 the Koryak, but so different from other, both East- Asiatic and 

 American, tongues, that philologists have not yet succeeded in 

 clearing up the relationship of the Chukches to other races. 



Like most other Polar tribes, the Chukches now do not belong 

 to any unmixed race. This one is soon convinced of, if he con- 

 siders attentively the inhabitants of a large tent-village. Some 

 are tall, with tallowlike, raven-black hair, brown complexion, 

 high aquiline nose — in short, with an exterior that reminds us 

 of the descriptions we read of the North American Indians. 

 Others again by their dark hair, slight beard, sunk nose or 

 rather projecting cheek-bones and oblique eyes, remind us 

 distinctly of the Mongolian race ; and finally we meet among 

 them with very fair faces, with features and complexion which 

 lead us to suspect that they are descendants of runaways or 

 prisoners of war of purely Russian origin. The most common 

 type is — straight, coarse, black hair of moderate length ; the 

 brow tapering upwards ; the nose finely formed, but with its 

 root often flattened : eyes by no means small ; well-developed 

 black eyebrows; projecting cheeks often swollen by frostbite, 



