XII.] SNOW-SHOES. 475 



wishes to put it away in some corner of the tent. The dress 

 itself appears not to be changed until it has become too small. 

 In the inner tent the children go completely naked. 



Both men and women use snow-shoes during winter. With- 

 out them they will not willingly undertake any long walk in 

 loose snow. They consider such a walk so tiresome, that they 

 loudly commiserated one of my crew, who had to walk without 

 snoAV-shoes after driftins^ weather from tlie villaGfe Yinretlen to 

 the vessel, about three kilometres distant. Finally a woman's 

 compassion went so far that she presented him with a pair ; an 

 instance of generosity on the part of our Chukch friends which 

 otherwise was exceedingly rare. The frame of the snow-shoes 

 is made of wood, the cross-pieces are of strong and well-stretched 

 thongs. This snow-shoe corresponds completely with that of 

 the Indians, and is exceedingly serviceable and easy to get 



0^ 



AK AINO MAN SKATING AFTER A REINDEER. 



(Jai)anese drawing.) 



accustomed to. Another implement for travelling over snow 

 was offered by a Chukch who drove past the vessel in the 

 beginning of February. It consisted of a pair of immensely 

 wide skates of thin wood, covered with seal-skin, and raised at 

 both sides. I had difficulty in understanding how these broad 

 shapeless articles could be used with advantage until I learned 

 from the accompanying drawing that they may be employed as 

 a sort of sledges. The drawing is taken from a Japanese work, 

 whose title when trnnslated runs thus : A Journey to the 

 north part of Japan (Yezo), 1804 (No. 565 of the Japanese 

 library I brought home with me). 



In consequence of the difficulty which the Chukch lias during 

 winter in procuring water by melting snow over the train-oil 

 lamp, there can be no washing of the body at that season of the 

 year. Faces are however whipped clean by the drifting snow, 



