62 



CKUISE OF STEAMER CORWIN IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN. 



upon the ground, breast down, and kneeling upon it presses the life out. Whether this is a super- 

 stition or merely done to avoid wasting its blood, I could not learn; probably the former, as some 

 superstitious ceremony is observed in nearly every act of their daily life. In addition to the 

 epluketat each native carries at his belt an ordinary sling, with which he is very expert, and can 



WRECK SUPrOSED TO BE THE LOST WHALER VIGILANT, AS DESCRIBED BY NATIVES AT 

 CAI'E WANKEREM, SHOWING DEER-HORNS DRAWN BY NATIVE. 



throw rocks with great velocity and accuracy. They are used for killing ducks when sitting on 

 the water in flocks. I saw but two or three guns at Waukerem. They were inferior shot-guns, of 

 Russian make, and the natives seem to care but little for them, preferring to depend upon hunting 

 implements of native manufacture, which indeed are more effectual and very much less expensive. 

 They make nets of a thread of deer sinew, which is prepared by the women; the net is about 18 

 feet long by 3 wide, and the meshes are 2 inches in diameter. It is set from the shore by means 

 of a long pole, and is held in a vertical position by the ordinary method of weights and floats. 

 The net is very skillfully made and is the result of a vast amount of labor. We were anxious to 

 secure a specimen for the National Museum, but could not induce the men to part with one, the 

 invariable answer being, "If we-sell our nets we can't catch any fish; then we shall starve." This 

 answer was generally accompanied by a pathetic pantomime representing the suffering and death 

 of a native by starvation. 



At first we were somewhat puzzled by a dish of willow and birch leaves, which we found at 

 nearly every house, and were curious to know what particular part it played in the domestic 

 ecouomy of the Tchuktchis. Some supposed it to be used in making tea. We soon discovered, 

 however, that these leaves were used as food, and were partaken of by the people in large quan- 

 tities, being eaten without any preparation, when green or partly dried. Being kept in wooden 

 dishes inside the yaranga, each native helps himself to a handful whenever the fancy strikes him. 

 The amount consumed in this way is considerable. In addition to this they eat during the season 

 a great many berries. According to Professor Nordenskjold, the leaves and young branches of 

 Salix rkofriola and other plants are preserved in sealskin sacks for winter use, where they are 

 allowed to freeze, and are then cut into pieces and eaten with meat. They are also made into a 

 kind of soup. 



Observations were taken at Wankerem for latitude and longitude and for magnetic dip and 

 variation. Like all the coast line from Cape North to Kolatchin Bay, the land in this vicinity 

 was found to be over 30 nautical miles too far west on the American chart. The dip of the mag- 

 netic needle was observed to be 77° 09' 7", and the magnetic declination 19° 49' east. Near the 

 settlement I saw a portion of a ship's knee bearing evidence of having been exposed to the weather 

 for many years. At first I thought it possible that another wreck had occurred at or near this 



