12 
TPIE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. 
[chap. 
Chukch is proud enough to require that his own language shall 
prevail in all international commerce in the north-east of Asia, 
and his neighbours find their advantage in this. 
During the course of the winter, Lieutenant Nordquist 
collected from the Chukch foremen coming from a distance who 
travelled past, information regarding the state of the ice between 
Ghaun Bay and Behring’s Straits at different seasons of the year. 
Considering the immense importance of the question, even in 
a purely practical point of view, I shall quote verbatim the 
statements which he thus collected. 
Statements regarding the state of the ice on the coast hetiueen 
Cape Yakan and Behring’s Straits hy Chnkclies living there. 
“1. A Chukch from Yekanenmitschikan, near Cape Yakan, 
said that it is usual for open water to be there the whole 
summer. 
“ 2. A Chukch from Kinmankau, which lies a little to the west 
of Cape Yakan, said the same. 
3. A Chukch from Yakan stated that the sea there becomes 
free of ice in the end of May or beginning of June. On the 
other hand it is never open in winter. 
“ 4. Tatan from Yakan stated that the sea there is open from 
the end of May or beginning of June to the latter part of 
September or beginning of October, when the ice begins to drift 
towards the land. 
5. Bikkion from Yankarema said that the sea there is covered 
with ice in winter, but open in summer. 
'‘6. A reindeer Chukch, Rotschitlen, who lives about twelve 
English miles from the Vegas winter quarters, said that 
Kolyutschin Bay, by the Chukches called Pidlin, is clear of ice 
the whole summer. 
“ 7. Urtridlin from Kolyutschin said that neither at that island 
nor in Kolyutschin Bay is there any ice in summer. 
“ 8. Ranau, from Yinretlen, also said that Kolyutschin Bay is 
always open in summer. 
“ 9. Ettiu, from the village Nettej, between Irgunnuk and 
Behring’s Straits, stated that the sea at Nettej is open in 
summer, independently of the wind, in winter only when the 
wind is southerly. 
“10. Yankatte, from Nettej, stated that the sea there becomes 
