WIND AND FOG IN BERING SEA 59 



To lay down the law to the Baron's servant, the chief 

 engmeer went ashore with us and the poor fellow, Zoloto- 

 roff by name, was uncomfortably placed between two 

 fires. Collins and Lovering took a little rifle and revolver 

 to blaze away with on a walk up the creek, while the 

 rest of us inspected the summer igloos of the few miser- 

 able Chukchi residents. They were the remnants, the 

 poverty-stricken weakhngs of the tribe, who were prac- 

 tically supported by the Baron. Tuberculosis and 

 trachoma were in evidence. Inside the canvas wall- 

 tents, of which the ropes were anchored by boulders, was 

 erected a square tent of reindeer hide, about five feet 

 high. On lifting the side curtain we disclosed naked men 

 and women sleeping together on a bed of skins, about 

 six inches thick. Their heads lay on the edge of the bed 

 just where the curtains fell to it, and, to get a breath of 

 fresh air, they poked their faces through under the cur- 

 tain. They turned up their visages dully curious at us, 

 but did not rise. One of the men offered walrus ropes, 

 seal skins and harpoons to trade. Albrecht bought a 

 coil of rope for twenty-five cents and a spear head in 

 sheath for the same price. A Singer sewing machine 

 stood in the corner of one igloo and an alarm clock hung 

 from the beam. 



Elting and I went in the launch with shotguns and 

 got about twenty phalarope, as these little snipe were 

 darting about on the surface of the smooth bay, snapping 

 up insects. Kleinschmidt netted them, while Albrecht 

 steered the boat. Just before returning to the schooner 

 we killed a violet-green cormorant. Kusche returned 

 with a bag full of birds and bugs; Dr. Young with 

 insects and sore feet from his ten-mile tramp in muk- 

 luks; Collins and Lovering with reports of no pasturage 



