xii.] CHURCHES' TENTS. 467 



ribs, wliicli are carefully bound together by tliongs of skin. 

 The ribs rest partly -on posts, partly on tripods of driftwood. 

 The posts are driven into the ground, and the tripods get the 

 . necessary steadiness by a heavy stone or a seal-skin sack filled 

 with sand being suspended from the middle of them. In order 

 further to steady the tent a yet heavier stone is in the same 

 way suspended by a strap from the top of the tent-roof, or the 

 summit of the roof is made fast to the ground by thick 

 thongs. At one place a tackle from a wrecked vessel was 

 used for this purpose, being tightened with a block between 

 the top of the roof and an iron hook frozen into tlie ground. 

 The ribs in every tent are besides supported by T-formed 

 cross stays. 



The entrance consists of a low door, which, when necessary, 

 may be closed with a reindeer skin. The floor of the outer 

 tent consists of the bare ground. This is kept very clean, and 

 the few liousehold articles are hung up carefully and in an 

 orderly manner along the walls on the inner and outer sides of 

 the tent. Near the tent are some posts, as high as a man, 

 driven into the ground, with cross pieces on which skin boats, 

 oars, javelins, &c., are laid, and from which fishing and seal nets 

 are suspended. 



In the neighbourhood of the dwellings the storehouse is placed. 

 It consists of a cellar excavated at some suitable place. The 

 sites of old Onkilon dwellings are often used for this purpose. 

 The descent is commonly covered with pieces of driftwood which 

 are loaded with stones ; at one place the door, or rather the 

 hatch, of the cellar consisted of a whale's shoulder-blade. In 

 consequence of the unlimited confidence which otherwise was 

 wont to prevail between the natives and us, we were surprised 

 to find them unwilling to give the Vega men admittance to 

 their storehouses. Possibly the report of our excavations for 

 old implements at the sites of Onkilon dwellings at Irkaipij had 

 spread to Kolyutschin, and been interpreted as attempts at 

 plunder. 



The tents were always situated on the sea shore, generally on 

 the small neck of land which separates the strand lagoons from 

 the sea. They are erected and taken down in a few hours. A 

 Chukch family can therefore easily change its place of residence, 

 and does remove very often from one village to another. Some- 

 times it appears to own the wooden frame of a tent at several 

 places, and in such cases at removal there are taken along 

 only the tent covering, the dogs, and the most necessary skin 

 and household articles. The others are left without inclosure, 

 lock, or watch, at the former dwelling-place, and one is certain 

 to find all untouched on his return. During short stays at 

 a place there are used, even when the temperature of the air 



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