XII.] 
SNOW-SHOES.’ 
103 
accustomed to. Another implement for travelling over snow 
was offered by a Chukch who drove past the vessel in the 
beginning of February. It consisted of a pair of immensely 
wide, skates of thin wood, covered with seal-skin, and raised at 
both sides. I had difficulty in understanding how these broad 
shapeless articles could be used with advantage until I learned 
from the accompanying drawing that they may be employed as 
a sort of sledges. The drawing is taken from a Japanese work, 
whose title when translated runs thus: A Journey to the 
north part of Japan (Yezo), 1804 (No 565 of the Japanese 
library I brought home with me). 
AN AINO MAN SKATING AFTER A REINDEER. 
(Japanese drawing.) 
In consequence of the difficulty which the Chukch has during 
winter in procuring water by melting snow over the train-oil 
lamp, there can be no washing of the body at that season of the 
year. Faces are however whipped clean by the drifting snow, 
but at the same time are generally swollen or sore from frost¬ 
bite. On the whole, the disposition of the Chukches to clean¬ 
liness is slight, and above all, their ideas of what is clean or 
unclean differs considerably from ours. Thus the women use 
urine as a wash for the face. At a common meal the hand is 
