6 



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Skin House on Arctic Coast, Siberia. So-called ,l Yarang" House 



rus-tusks and skins of polar-bear, white fox and different species of hair 

 seal. Most of the natives along the Behring Strait coast understand Eng- 

 lish pretty well, but for trading westward on the Arctic coast an interpreter 

 is required, and a young man from Whalen was hired by us for this 

 position. Farther west 'we met with a lot of open but heavy polar ice, the 

 land floe varying between one to three miles. Trading was made at a few 

 villages across the ice, but a strong southeasterlv wind was blowing and the 

 ice constantly moving so the ship had to change its position all the time. 



We were, therefore, glad to find the entrance of Shelton river open and 

 we got into the mouth of the same late in the evening of June 26, and had a 

 safe anchorage for the night. Next day, while the trade with the villagers 

 was going on, I made a few hours trip around the hills in the neighbor- 

 hood. 



This hilly landscape is very poor of bird life. The only birds seen 

 were: Snowtf-akcs, Longspur, Red-tliroated cipit, Szviiihoc Wagtail, Yellow 

 Wagtail and Wheatear. 



Returning to the ship, I found outside one of the native skin-houses an 

 old oil-lamp carved out of a round piece of stone. As it was evidently out 

 of use and thrown away I picked it up and carried it in my hand with- 

 out asking anyone for it. Seeing a couple of young boys on the beach I 

 asked them to take me out to the schooner in a skin-boat laying close by 

 where we stood. But when I was about to step into the boat an old man 

 of the crowd aboard the schooner, evidently the owner of the skin-boat, 

 started to veil and wave with his arms with the result that the boys tried to 

 prevent me entering the boat. On my asking what the matter was, they 

 pointed at the . r tone lamp in my hand and shook their heads. 



