THE NORTH-EAST PASSAGE. 31 



shut up by the drift-ice. On the low sandbank which 

 unites these promontories was situated a Tchuktchi 

 village. AVe found the chief, Tcheporin, a particu- 

 larly attractive man. It was very amusing to see his 

 astonishment when, on one occasion, we invited him 

 and his wife, Atanga, to the saloon, where he saAv a 

 number of things which to him appeared most won- 

 derful. He was presented, among other articles, with 

 an old gold braiding, which he bound round his wife's 

 head like a diadem, placing the loop in the centre of 

 her brow. Great was his delight at a performance 

 on the barrel-organ. First he commenced to quiver 

 in every limb, and soon he was dancing most vigor- 

 ously. For hours he would contemplate his brown- 

 yellow face in a mirror. 



We here attempted to take a course of tidal obser- 

 vations, which, however, on account of our apparatus, 

 and their collision with the ice, were unsatisfactory. 

 The greatest deviation was only from five to seven 

 inches. At last, at mid-day on the 18th of Septem- 

 ber, the ice dispersed so far as to permit us, creeping 

 along the sandy coast in three fathoms of water, to 

 continue our course towards our goal, Behring Strait. 



The season of the year was now far advanced, and 

 being acquainted with the sudden transition from 

 summer to winter in the Arctic regions, we knew 

 that at any time winter might set in in earnest, and 

 make all further progress impossible. From this time 

 the temperature was invariably below zero. 



