X.] 
VISIT TO A HEINDEER-CHUKCH CAMP. 
499 
Some of the light sledges were provided with tilts of splints 
covered with reindeer skins; others were completely covered, 
having an entrance only in front. 
“ The knives, axes, boring tools, &c., which I saw were of 
iron and steel, and had evidently been obtained from Americans 
or Russians. The household articles in Menka’s brother’s tent 
consisted of some copper coffee-pots, which were used for 
boiling water, a german-silver beaker with an English in¬ 
scription, two teacups with saucers, flat wooden trays, and barrels. 
The dress of the reindeer-Chukches is similar to that of the 
coast-Chukches, only with this difference, that the former use 
reindeer-skins exclusively, while the latter employ seal-skin in 
addition. Some, on our arrival, put on blouses of variegated 
cloth, probably of Russian manufacture. Among ornaments 
may be mentioned glass-beads, strung on sinews, which were worn 
in the ears or on the neck, chiefly by the women. These were 
tattooed in the same way as those of the coast-Chukches. I saw 
here, however, an old woman, who, besides the common tattooing 
of the face, was tattooed on the shoulders, and another, who, 
on the outside of the hands, had two parallel lines running 
along the hand and an oblique line connecting them. The 
men were not tattooed. Two of them carried crosses, with 
Slavonic inscriptions, at the neck, others carried in the same 
way forked pieces of wood. Whether these latter are to be 
considered as'their gods or as amulets I know not. 
“ As we could not obtain here the reindeer that we wished 
to purchase on account of the expedition, we betook ourselves 
with our dogs on the afternoon of the same day along with 
Menka to his son-in-law’s encampment, which we reached at 
8 o’clock in the evening. We were received in a very friendly 
way, and remained here over night. All the inhabitants of the 
tent sleep together in the bedchamber of it, which is not 
more than 2 to 2'4 metres long, 1*8 to 2 metres broad, and 1*2 
to 1*5 metres high. Before they lie down they take supper. 
Men and women wear during the night only a cingidiim pudi- 
citim, about fifteen centimetres broad, and are otherwise com¬ 
pletely naked. In the morning the housewife rose first and 
boiled a little flesh, which was then served in the bedchamber, 
before its inmates had put on their clothes. She cut the meat 
in slices in a tray, and distributed them afterwards. In the 
morning we saw the Chukches catch and slaughter their reindeer. 
Two men go into the herd, and when they have got sight of a 
reindeer which they wish to have, they cast, at a distance of 
nine or ten metres, a running noose over the animal’s horns. 
K K 2 
