496 THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. [chap. 



Some more of the superstitious traits which we observed 

 among the Chukches may here be stated. After the good 

 hunting in February we endeavoured without success to induce 

 the Chukches to give us a head or a skull of some of the seals 

 they had killed. Even brandy was unsuccessfully offered for it, 

 and it was only in the greatest secrecy that Notti, one of our best 

 friends from Irgunnuk, dared to give us the fcetus of a seal, A 

 raven was once shot in the neighbourhood of the ice-house. 

 The shot then went to the magnetical observatory, but before he 

 entered, laid down the shot bird, the gun, and other articles in 

 the before -mentioned implement chest placed in front of the 

 observatory. A short time after there was great excitement 

 before the tent. Some men, women, and children among the 

 natives crowded round the chest screaming and shouting. For 

 the Chukches had observed that the raven, having been only 

 stunned by the shot, had begun to scream and flutter in the chest, 

 and they now indicated by word and gesture that a great mis- 

 fortune was about to happen. Pity is not, as is well known, one 

 of the good qualities of the savage. It was clear that in this case 

 too it was not this feeling, but fear of the evil which the wounded 

 crow could bring about, that caused this scene, and when a sailor 

 immediately after twisted the neck of the bird, the Chukches 

 had no objection to receive and eat it. 



The winter of 1878-1879 appears to have been uncommonly 

 severe, and hunting less productive than usual. This was 

 ascribed to our presence. The Chukches asked us anxiously 

 several times, whether we intended to raise the water so high 

 that the sea would reach their tents. When on the 11th 

 February, after the hunting had failed for a long time, they 

 succeeded at last in catching a number of seals, they threw 

 water in their mouths before they were carried into the tents. 

 This was done, they said, in order that the open " leads" in the 

 ice should not close too soon. 



Besides the drum the Chukches also use as a musical instru- 

 ment a piece of wood, cloven into two halves, and again united 

 after the crack has been somewhat widened in the middle, with 

 a piece of whalebone inserted between the two halves. They 

 also during the course of the winter made several attempts to 

 make violins after patterns seen on board, and actually 

 succeeded in making a better sounding-box than could have 

 been expected beforehand. On the draught-strap of the dog 

 sledge there was often a small bell bought from the Russians, 

 and the reindeer-Chukches are said sometimes to wear bells in 

 the belt. 



The dance I saw consisted in two women or children taking 

 each other by the shoulders, and then hopping now on the one 

 foot now on the other. When many took part in the dance, they 



