92 
THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. 
[chap. 
The posts are driveii into the ground, and the tripods get the 
necessary steadiness by a heavy stone or a seal-skin sack filled 
with sand being suspended from the middle of them. In order 
further to steady the tent a yet heavier stone is in the same way 
suspended by a strap from the top of the tent-roof, or the summit 
of the roof is made fast to the ground by thick thongs. At 
one place a tackle from a wrecked vessel was used for this 
purpose, being tightened with a block between the top of the 
roof and an iron hook frozen into the ground. The ribs in 
every tent are besides supported by T-formed cross stays. 
The entrance consists of a low door, which, w^hen necessary, 
may be closed with a reindeer skin. The fioor of the outer 
tent consists of the bare ground. This is kept very clean, and 
the few household articles are hung up carefully and in an 
orderly manner along the walls on the inner and outer sides-of 
the tent. Near the tent are some posts, as high as a man, 
driven into the ground, with cross pieces on which skin boats, 
oars, javelins, &c., are laid, and from which fishing and seal nets 
are suspended. 
In the neighbourhood of the dwellings the storehouse is placed. 
It consists of a cellar excavated at some suitable place. The 
sites of old Onkilon dwellings are often used for this purpose. 
The descent is commonly covered with pieces of driftwood which 
are loaded with stones; at one place the door, or rather the 
hatch, of the cellar consisted of a whale’s shoulder-blade. In 
consequence of the unlimited confidence which otherwise was 
wont to prevail between the natives and us, we were surprised 
to find them unwilling to give the Vega men admittance to 
their storehouses. Possibly the report of our excavations for 
old implements at the sites of Onkilon dw^ellings at Irkaipij had 
spread to Kolyutschin, and been interpreted as attempts at 
plunder. 
The tents were always situated on the sea shore, generally on 
the small neck of land wdiich separates the strand lagoons from 
