466 



THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. 



[chap. 



The Cliukcbes do not dwell in snow huts, nor in wooden 

 houses, because wood for building is not to be found in the 

 country of the coast Chukches, and because wooden houses are 

 unsuitable for the reindeer nomad. They live summer and 

 winter in tents of a peculiar construction, not used by any other 

 race. For in order to afford protection from the cold the tent is 

 double ; the outer envelope inclosing an inner tent or sleeping 

 chamber. This has the form of a parallelepiped, about So 

 metres long, 2"2 metres broad, and 1"8 metre high. It is sur- 

 rounded by thick, warm, reindeer skins, and is further covered 

 with a layer of grass. The floor consists of a walrus skin 

 stretched over a foundation of twi^s and straw. At nio^ht the 

 floor is covered with a carpet of reindeer skins, which is taken 

 away during the day. The rooms at the sides of the inner tent 

 are also shut off by curtains, and serve as pantries. The inner tent 



TENT FRAME AT PITLEKAJ. 



(After a drawing by G. Bove.) 



is warmed by three train-oil lamps, which together with the heat 

 given off by the numerous human beings packed together in the 

 tent, raise the temperature to such a height that the inhabitants 

 even during the severest winter cold may be completely naked. 

 The work of the women and the cooking are carried on in winter in 

 this tent-chamber, very often also the calls of nature are obeyed 

 in it. All this conduces to make the atmosj^here prevailing there 

 unendurable. There are also, however, cleanlier families, in 

 whose sleeping chamber the air is not so disgusting. 



In summer they live during the day, and cook and work, in 

 the outer tent. This consists of seal and walrus skins sewed 

 together, which however are generally so old, hairless, and full 

 of holes, that they appear to have been used by several genera- 

 tions. The skins of the outer tent are stretched over wooden 



