ARCTIC CRUISE OF THE REVENUE CUTTER ^‘BEAR" 29 
point, Siberia, about 40 miles distant. There two Cossack officers 
of the Russian arm 3 ^ were found taking a census of the village. 
This was the first visit of Russian officials to that section of the 
Siberian coast in many years, and the natives brought the Russian 
coins they had received from them over to the ship to sell as 
curios. Here, as elsewhere on the ti’ip, the ship’s surgeon went 
ashore to treat the sick and ailing. The principal native of the 
village is Koharri, who is a noted trader all along the coast. He 
has a little frame whale-house filled from floor to ceiling with 
tobacco, flour, and looking-glasses, which he has obtained from 
the whalers and from which he sui)plies the country for hun- 
dreds of miles around. This man has been known to have as 
much as §75,000 worth of whalebone in his storehouse at one 
time. He does a business of probably §100,000 a year, and yet 
not a single coin of gold or silver nor a single bank note or bank 
check is used, nor are any books kept. All transactions are by 
barter, furs and whalebones being exchanged for tobacco, flour, 
and whisk\^ This wholesale merchant of the North Siberian 
coast can neither read nor write, nor can any one associated with 
him. Although so wealthy, he lives in an ordinary tent and 
sleeps on the ground, on a pile of reindeer skins. 
On several occasions the Bear, in search of reindeer, has turned 
southward from Indian point and sailed up Holy Cross sound, 
at the head of Anadir gulf, some 300 miles into Siberia. In 
1893, while in search of reindeer, Ave discovered a large river 
emptying into Holy Cross sound. After visiting a herd of rein- 
deer, an officer and crew entered the mouth of this stream, the 
Bear being the first ocean steamer that had ever ploAved those 
waters. This season the Bear, turning northward, anchored, on 
July 1, off South head, St. Lawrence bay. Peter and Kaimok, 
the leading men of that section, came on board and sold 40 head 
of reindeer. The herd, however, Avas on the opposite side of the 
baj' and could not be reached until the ice should go out, a month 
later. Being unAvilling to Avait, the captain set sail for King 
island, Avhich Avas reached the next morning. At tins point dur- 
ing two previous seasons the Bear Avas caught and imprisoned in 
large ice floes. 
Leaving the island at 8 a. m., the Bear soon encountered large 
cakes of ice at the entrance to Port Clarence. Forcing her Avay 
through the ice, she found seven Avhalers at anclior inside, and 
news Avas receiA’cd of the successful winter of the reindeer herds. 
