SIBERIA 



151 



out, strange craft came alongside and Eskimo 

 men, women, and children swarmed aboard. 

 Very picturesque they looked in clothes made 

 of the skins of reindeer, hair seals, dogs, and 

 squirrels, oddly trimmed and decorated with fur 

 mosaics in queer designs. Some of the women 

 wore over their furs a yellow waterproof cloak 

 made of the intestines of fish, ornamented with 

 needle-work figures and quite neat looking. 



The men and the older women had animal 

 faces of low intelligence. The young girls were 

 extremely pretty, with glossy, coal-black hair, 

 bright black eyes, red cheeks, lips like ripe cher- 

 ries, and gleaming white teeth forever showing 

 in the laughter of irresponsibility and perfect 

 health. 



The captain ordered a bucket of hardtack 

 brought out in honor of our guests. The bis- 

 cuit were dumped in a pile on the main deck. 

 The Eskimos gathered around in a solenm and 

 dignified circle. The old men divided the bread, 

 giving an equal number of hardtack to each. 



This ceremony of welcome over, the Eskimos 

 were given the freedom of the ship, or at least. 



