X.] 
THE FATE OF THE LETTEES, 
501 
owner, whom we at first took to be Menka’s slave or servant, 
ran without interruption before the sledges, and even when we 
rested he was actively searching for the track, looking after the 
dogs, &c. When we came to the camp he did not sleep, and, 
notwithstanding, was as fresh during the following day’s journey. 
During the time he got no spirituous liquor, by express order of 
Menka, who said that if he did he would not be able to continue 
to run. Instead he chewed a surprising quantity of tobacco. 
The dogs, during the whole time, were not an instant un 3 mked ; 
in the mornings they lay half snowed up, and slept in front of 
the sledges. We never saw the Chukches give them any food : 
the only food they got was the frozen excrements of the fox and 
other animals, which they themselves snapped up in passing. 
Yet even on the last day no diminution in their power of 
draught was observable.” 
Nordquist brought with him, among other things, two rein¬ 
deer, bought for a rouble and a half each. They were still 
very serviceable, though badly slaughtered. But the reindeer 
we purchased farther on in the winter were so poor that no one 
on board could persuade himself to eat them. 
On the 18th October, by which time we believed that Menka 
would be already at Markova, we were again visited by him and 
his son-in-law. He said he had no akmimil (fire-water) to keep 
holiday with, and nov/ came to us to exchange three slaughtered 
reindeer for it. Our miscalculation with respect to the letters, 
which we hoped were long ago on their way to their destination, 
and my dislike to the mode of payment in question—I offered 
him, without success, half-imperials and metal rouble pieces 
instead of brandy—made his reception on this occasion less 
hearty, and he therefore left us soon. It was not until the 
9th February, 1879, that we again got news from Menka by one 
of the Chukches, who had attended him the time before. The 
Chukch said that in ten days he had traversed the way between 
the Vegas winter haven and Markova, which would run to 
about ninety kilometres a day. According to his statement 
Menka had travelled with the letters to Yakutsk. The statement 
