NATIVES OF EASTERNMOST SIBERIA 77 



pack, and leaving the lower part of the sea comparatively 

 free of ice. In the latter part of September and October 

 northeast and northwest gales prevail. These force the 

 heavy ice down from the north and on to the shores of 

 each continent, and sometimes entirely through Bering 

 Strait, leaving open leads and water holes to the north. 

 Now, however, these are soon filled with new ice, which 

 holds the pack in the southerly position until the melting 

 and wasting of the following season begins and allows it 

 to retreat to the northward again. . . . 



"We know by the accounts of all Arctic navigators, 

 from the earliest dates of wliich we have any record 

 down to the present time, that the region surrounding 

 the Pole, so far as it has been penetrated, is filled with 

 the heavy ice already described, except in the immediate 

 vicinity of land, and there it is open but a few weeks in 

 the summer. Hence we see that the northern limit of 

 navigation depends upon the northern limit of the land." 



The natives who swarmed over our rails when we 

 came to anchor were a sturdy lot of Chukchi. Partly by 

 the chase of the whale, walrus, seal and birds, they had 

 to wring a living from the savage ocean which remained 

 closed to navigation eight months of the year. Yet 

 trading ships frequently visited their town and took 

 away furs, whale products and ivory in exchange for 

 rifles, ammunition, flour, sugar, tea, tobacco and various 

 implements, — not to mention whisky. 



These men brought a roll of skins to our deck, but 

 they were not worth troubling about — a small polar bear 

 and a few reindeer. Instead of dealing with them we 

 filled our pockets with chewing gum, tobacco, knives, 

 matches and gum di'ops, and went ashore in our dory to 

 see if we could bargain with the women in exchange for 

 these dehcacies. 



