28 
THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. 
[chap. 
seal-blood; I saw both kinds. Vegetable soup was prepared by 
boiling equal quantities of water and vegetables, till the mixture 
formed a thick pap. The blood soup is cooked by boiling the 
blood together with water, fish, and fat. They are very fond of 
this soup. The seal-blubber they eat by stuffing into the mouth 
the piece which has been served to them, and then cutting a 
suitable mouthful with the knife, which they bring close to the 
lips. In the same way they do with the flesh. 
“ With the exception of the old women’s gossip the greatest 
quietness prevails in the sleeping-chamber. It is not uncom¬ 
mon for men to visit each other. Thus the first night we spent 
at Najtskaj the tent where we lodged was full of people, but 
without the least disturbance arising. If one had anything to 
say he talked in quite a low tone, as if he were shy. He was 
listened to attentively, without any interruption. First when he 
had finished another began. 
“ Affection between spouses and parents and children is 
particularly strong. I have seen fathers kiss and caress their 
children before they went to rest, and what I found most 
remarkable was that the children never abused this tender 
treatment. Whatever one gave them, it was their first thought 
to divide it with their parents. In this respect and in many 
others they were far in advance of a large number of European 
children.” 
Lieutenant Bove’s Beport on an Excursion along with Dr. 
Almquist to the Interior of the Chuhch Peninsula, from the 
im to the Vjth June, 1879. 
“We started from the vessel on the morning of the 13th June 
with a view to penetrate as far as possible into the interior of 
the Chukch peninsula. For the journey we had hired, for a 
liberal payment, two sledges drawn by dogs from Hotschitlen, a 
Chukch at Irgunnuk. The dogs and sledges surpassed our 
expectation. In fourteen hours we traversed a distance of 
nearly forty minutes, including bends, which corresponds to a 
speed of three, perhaps four, English miles an hour, if we deduct 
the rests which were caused by the objects of the journey— 
scientific researches. This speed strikes me as not inconsider¬ 
able, if we consider the weight which the dogs must draw, and 
the badness and unevenness of the way. For the ground was 
undulating, like a sea agitated by a storm. But pleased as we 
were with our sledges and dogs, we were as dissatisfied with 
