CHAP. XII.] MODE OF TRADING WITH THE CHUKCHES. 487 



could indeed walk, but still sucked liis mother, both chew 

 tobacco, smoke, and take a " ram." 



Some bundles of Ukraine tobacco, which I took with me for 

 barter with the natives, put it into my power to procure a large 

 number of contributions to the ethnological collection, which 

 in the absence of other wares for barter I would otherwise have 

 been unable to obtain. For the Chukches do not understand 

 money. This is so much the more remarkable as they carry on 

 a very extensive trade, and evidently are good mercantile men. 

 According to von Dittmar (loc. cit. p. 129) there exists, or still 

 existed in 1856, a steady, slow, but regular transport of goods 

 along the whole north coast of Asia and America, by which 

 Russian goods were conveyed to the innermost parts of Polar 

 America, and furs instead found their way to the bazaars of 

 Moscow and St. Petersburg. This traffic is carried on at five 

 market places, of which three are situated in America, one on 

 the islands at Behring's Straits, and one at Anjui near Kolyma. 

 The last-mentioned is called by the Chukches " the fifth beaver 

 market." ^ 



The Chukches' principal articles of commerce consist of seal- 

 skin, train-oil, fox-skins and other furs, walrus tusks, whalebone, 

 &c. Instead they purchase tobacco, articles of iron, reindeer 

 skin and reindeer flesh, and, when it can be had, spirit. A 

 bargain is concluded very cautiously after long-continiied con- 

 sultation in a whispering tone between those present. I 

 employed spirit as an article for barter only in the last 

 necessity, but they soon observed that the desire to become 

 owner of an uncommon article of art or antiquity overcame my 

 determination, and they soon learned to avail themselves of 

 this, especially as in all cases I made full payment for the 

 article and gave the fire-water into the bargain. 



The lamp (see the figures at pp. 413, 414), with which light is 

 maintained in the tent, consists of a flat trough of wood, bone 

 of the whale, soap-stone or burned clay, broader behind than 

 before, and divided by an isolated toothed comb into two 

 divisions. In the front division wicks of moss (Sphagnum sp.) 

 are laid in a long thin row along the whole edge. Under the 



i Dr. John Simpson <?ives good information regarding the American 

 markets in liis Observations on the Western Esquimaux. He enumerates 

 tliree market places in America besides that at Behring's Straits. At tlie 

 markets people are occupied also with dancing and games, which are 

 carried on in such a lively manner that the market people scarcely sleep 

 during tlie whole time. Matiuschin gives a very lively sketch of the 

 market at Anjui, to which, in 1821, the Chukches still went fully armed 

 with spears, bows, and arrows (Wrangel's lieise, i. p. 270), and a visit to it 

 in 1868 is described by C. von Neumann, who took part as Astronomer in 

 von Maydell's expedition to Chukch Land (Eine Mesee iin Hochnorden ; 

 DasAusland, 1880, p. 861). 



