SIBERIA 



157 



sailor a day or two to accomplisH. We could 

 hire a seamstress for an entire morning or after- 

 noon for five hardtack. A bowl of soup with a 

 piece of salt horse was sufficient pay for a day's 

 labor. 



My old skin clothes, which I had obtained 

 from the slop-chest were greasy, dirty, and 

 worn and I had an Eskimo woman make me a 

 complete new outfit from hair-seal skins I pur- 

 chased from her husband. She cut out a coat, 

 vest, and trousers, spreading the skins on deck 

 and using a knife in cutting. She sat cross- 

 legged on deck most of the day sewing on the 

 garments and I carefully superintended the job. 

 She ornamented the coat with a black dogskin 

 collar and edged it down the breast and around 

 the bottom with the same material, which set off 

 the glistening seal skin attractively. I also 

 bought a new squirrel skin shirt with a hood at- 

 tached. When I appeared on deck in my new 

 toggery, I felt quite presentable. 



However, I was not alone in gorgeous regalia. 

 Most of my shipmates were soon looking like 

 animate statues of silver in their shining seal 



