72 HUNTING IN THE ARCTIC 



season is uncertain and we had to allow time to take 

 care of unforeseen delays. 



Fog and head winds we had already experienced in 

 plenty. We were very soon to learn, however, that other 

 difficulties might be placed in the way of those who 

 attempted to enter the mysterious and dreaded Arctic 

 Ocean, and for the success of the main objective in our 

 trip it was well that we did not tarry further at Pen- 

 kegnei Bay. Much disappointed, we promptly voted 

 to start at once. 



Our stay had not been entirely valueless. The land 

 mammals of the Chukchi Peninsula were known certainly 

 to be: the Arctic and common foxes, wolf, wild reindeer, 

 land bear, marmot, weasel, otter and three varieties of 

 lemming. To these we had convinced ourselves that we 

 must now add a mountain sheep. 



The fog had set in thick again. The "Abler" weighed 

 anchor in the evening, bound for Ittygran, to put ashore 

 the two natives who had brought us to the reindeer 

 men, and through the dense fog groped out of the bay. 

 We sighted only one bit of land, the bold head near its 

 entrance. All the rugged grandeiu" of Seniavine Strait 

 was enveloped and concealed from us by the misty 

 shroud. Carefully we made our way to the Chukchi 

 village on Ittygran, and debarked the natives early in 

 the morning; then proceeded out to the open of Bering 

 Sea. 



By daytime the fog had lifted and we noted the 

 jutting headlands of easternmost Siberia, Cape Nigchigan, 

 Novosilski, Nunyagmo and East Cape, which last the 

 Russians called Deshnef. For some time in the fore- 

 noon the trading ship "Belvedere" was visible, hull- 

 down to the southwest, but before we reached East 



