THE NORTH-EAST PASSAGE. 37 



familiarised with bloody scenes in the seal, whale, 

 and walrus hunt, without any of the influences of 

 civilisation, are, notwithstanding, a good - natured, 

 friendly, hospitable, and honest people. 



Although the Vega during the long winter Avas 

 daily visited by at least twenty natives, it was only 

 on two or three occasions that they were found guilty 

 of dishonestly appropriating anything, and these 

 thefts were of the most trifling description. 



The Tchuktchis are a people of small stature, al- 

 though among them may be found perfect giants ; as, 

 for instance, a woman whom we saw 6 feet 3 inches 

 tall. Their complexion is sallow, the men's being 

 usually darker than that of the women. Occasionally, 

 however, one may see, especially among the women, 

 a complexion as fair and clear as that of the inhabit- 

 ants of Northern Europe. The eyes are black, and 

 often set oblique like the Chinese. The hair, which 

 is coal-black, is worn by the men cut quite short ; 

 while the women allow it to grow freely, part it in 

 the middle of the brow, and wear it in plaits of 

 twelve to eighteen inches long, which hang down at 

 each ear. They also wear a lock combed down and 

 cut across which covers half of the forehead. The 

 men also use a similar lock, and sometimes a long 

 tuft at the crown of the head. This tuft is worn, so 

 far as I could learn, only by chiefs. 



Their clothing is made principally of reindeer-skin, 

 and consists of a pesk or blouse reaching to the knees, 



