32 
THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. 
[chap. 
escarpment. We came once, without observing it, to the edge of 
such a precipice, and if we had not succeeded in time in slackening 
our speed a nice confused mass of men, dogs, and sledges would 
have tumbled over it. In order to excite their draught animals 
the Chukches avail themselves of their dogs’ inclination to run 
after the reindeer, and during their journeys they endeavour to 
spur them on yet more by now and then imitating the reindeer’s 
cry. After two or three hours travelling we fell in with the 
first reindeer, and then by degrees with more and more, until 
finally about 11 o’clock P.M. we came to a numerous herd, 
tended by Yettugin. I applied to him, asking him to barter a 
reindeer in good condition for a gun which I had brought along 
with me. After various evasions Yettugin at length promised 
to give us next day the reindeer for the gun. He would not 
however himself, or with his own knife, kill the reindeer; on 
which account I requested Dr. Almquist to give it the coiip 
de grace. 
“ In consequence of the soft state of the snow we were obliged 
to defer the commencement of our return journey to the evening 
of the 16th. We now travelled over the chain of hills which 
unites Table Mount with Tenen, and descended their northern 
steep slope towards an extensive plain, studded for the most 
part with bogs and marshes. The 17th came in with mist and 
considerable warmth. The mist limited the circle of vision to a 
distance of some few metres, and the high temperature in a 
short time destroyed the crust which had been formed in the 
course of the preceding night on the surface of the snow, and 
melted the layers of snow which still covered the northern slopes 
of these two hills. The southern slopes on the other hand were 
almost quite bare, and the valleys began to be filled with water. 
Four or five days as warm as these and I believe there scarcely 
would be any snow remaining round Kol 3 rutschin Bay. The 
illusions caused by the white fog illuminated by the sunlight were 
very astonishing. Every small spot of ground appeared as an 
extensive snow-free field, every tuft of grass as a bush, and a fox 
in our immediate neighbourhood was for a moment taken for a 
gigantic bear. Besides, during such a fog the action of the sunlight 
on the eyes was exceedingly painful even in the case of those who 
carried preservers. During the return Botschitlen lost his way in 
consequence of the numerous different tracks. Fortunately I 
had observed how we travelled, and could with the help of 
the compass pilot our two small craft to a good haven. On the 
17th of June at 1.80 P.M. we were again in good condition on 
board the Vega!' 
