76 CRUISE OF STBAMEE CORWIN IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN. 



noticed the same peculiarity among the Innuits. The price asked for one uutanned skin is gen- 

 erally equal, and sometimes exceeds, that asked for a skin shirt made up of two or more deerskins 

 and trimmed with wolf, wolverine, or beaver, and upon which weeks of hard labor had been spent 

 in preparing the skin and cutting, sewing, and trimming the garment. All labor done on the 

 skin appears to detract from rather than add to its value. Before leaving our reindeer friends I 

 endeavored to overcome their prejudice against selling live deer by making very liberal offers 

 for two young ones, but without success. Superstition proved a stronger trait than avarice in 

 the Tchuktchi character. Among other stories told us by the talkative old woman was one of a 

 narrow escape by herself and daughter from a black bear. The father and sons were absent, 

 attending to their herds, and, as often happened, remained away overnight, leaving only the two 

 women, mother and daughter, in cam]). During the night a noise was heard near the camp, which 

 proved to be a bear. The women, being alone and unarmed, were naturally very much alarmed, 

 and retreated to the interior of the polog or sleeping room. The bear, after walking around the 

 outside of the camp, determined to examine the inside, and with one or two blows of his heavy 

 paws, easily cleared away a place in the skin covering of the tent large enough to admit his body, 

 and went in. Fortunately for the women, he made a satisfactory meal on a quantity of meat 

 found there, after which he retreated without molesting the polog or its occupants. Our inter- 

 preter, in reply to the question what would the bear have done to the women il he had found them, 

 said, " He eat 'em, damn quick." We reached the vessel about 8 p. in., and all united in calling 

 the day one of the pleasantest and most interesting of the entire cruise. 



In addition to coaling and watering ship, the day at Plover Bay had been improved in various 

 ways. Everything in the engineer's department had been put in the best possible order. The old 

 wire lashing on the rudder was found, upon examination, to be badly corroded by galvanic action, 

 several turns being eaten off. The lashing was replaced by a chain, and the rudder put in the 

 best possible condition. From the natives at Plover Bay we learned that two steamers had been 

 in port, but they could not tell us what they were or where they had gone. We supposed one of 

 them to be the relief steamer Rodgers. 



Getting under way on the morning of the 27th, we proceeded northward along the land, intend- 

 ing to touch at Marcus Bay and Indian Point, but were prevented by a dense fog. I hoped, by com- 

 municating with the natives at these places, to learn something more detinite in regard to the 

 steamers which were said to have visited Plover Bay. The fog remained thick all day and the fol- 

 lowing night, with a fresh breeze from the northeast. After leaving the laud at Plover Bay, a 

 course had been shaped for the Diomede Islands, and upon running up the distance aud judging 

 ourselves in the straits, the course was changed for Cape Serdze. Sail was made, the wind being 

 fresh and the fog very thick; we had only run a few minutes, however, when the almost perpen- 

 dicular granite cliff of the west Diomede showed out through the fog, close on the weather bow, 

 all sail was taken in, and, hauling up for the island, we came to anchor off the settlement in 10 

 fathoms. We went on shore and were met by our old acquaintance, Dick, who invited us to his 

 house and gave us all the news. He said he had been to Hotham Inlet, and had only returned 

 the day previously. We spent some hours on the shore aud visited a number of the houses, which 

 are made of walrus hide drawn over a square frame, and are very warm and comfortable. The 

 winter houses are made of granite bowlders piled up aud roofed over with drift-wood, earth, and 

 small stones. In many of the houses we saw piles of whalebone and fine furs of marten, fox, and 

 beaver, which we learned were intended for the East Cape trade to purchase rifles, cartridges, and 

 whisky. I tried to bu^ some of the marten, but could not induce the natives to part with them, 

 although offered nearly as much as they would cost in San Francisco. 



The Diomede natives reported having seen a steamer pass the island bound north several days 

 previously, but could give no idea of her rig or nationality except the fact of having three masts. 

 About 5.30 p. m. the fog cleared up, and getting under way a course was shaped for Cape Serdze, 

 where I wished to touch, to recover our dogs and other property left in the care of the natives by 

 the sledge party. Arrived off the cape the following morning, the northeast wind having freshened 

 to a moderate gale, made the sea so rough that we did not attempt to laud, but kept on northward, 

 making good time under steam aud sail. We ran until noon, August 30, when the lookout at the 



