DESCRIPTION OF THE OKONCII. 53 



worse, thought it better to proceed than turn back! 

 Many tracts and lakes, which when we came over had 

 been hidden by snow, now lay perfectly bare, only a 

 few hardened ridges here and there near stones show- 

 ing the resistance offered. On the lakes, which were 

 frozen smoothly as glass, friction was so entirely lost 

 that sledges, dogs, and men, were carried along by 

 the wind without the slightest power of control; 

 contact with hardened waves of snow or fragments 

 of rough ice on the borders alone stopped us, the 

 sledges then overturning and tlirowing us off with 

 violence. We took just double the time to make the 

 return journey that we had before occupied, and 

 arrived at the ship well nigh frozen and greatly 

 fatigued. 



The covering to protect the dress, as well as the 

 square piece worn over the opening in the frock, 

 proved on this occasion their great value. The 

 pkonch, okoncho, or okonce, is made of the intestines 

 of whales, and other marine animals, slit open and 

 sewn very neatly together on a double edge ; those of 

 the men have a narrow hood and sleeves, and are 

 generally plain, of whale gut : the women have them 

 mostly of seal gut, which is much thinner and less 

 oily : these have broad hoods to receive their hair and 

 the large fringed hoods of then* frocks ; the sleeves also 



