CHAPTER XII. 
The history, physique, disposition, and manners of the Chukclies. 
The north coast of Siberia is now, with the exception of its 
westernmost and easternmost parts, literally a desert. In the 
west there projects between the mouth of the Ob and the 
southern portion of the Kara Sea the peninsula of Yalmal, 
which by its remote position, its grassy plains, and rivers 
abounding in fish, appears to form the earthly paradise of the 
Samoyed of the present day. Some hundred families belonging 
to this race wander about here with their numerous reindeer 
herds. During winter they withdraw to the interior of the 
country or southwards, and the coast is said then to be unin¬ 
habited. This is the case both summer and winter, not only with 
Beli Ostrov and the farthest portion of the peninsula between 
the Ob and the Yenisej (Mattesol), but also with the long stretch 
of coast between the mouth of the Yenisej and Chaun Bay, 
During the voyage of the Vega in 1878 we did not see a single 
native. No trace of man could be discovered at the places 
where we landed, and though for a long time we sailed quite 
near land, we saw from the sea only a single house on the shore, 
viz., the before-mentioned wooden hut on the east side of 
Chelyuskin peninsula. Russian simovies and native encamp¬ 
ments are indeed still found on the rivers some distance from 
their mouths, but the former coast population has withdrawn to 
