XII.] 
GHUKCH SUPERSTITIONS. 
129 
this occurrence, and I would be disposed to dispute entirely 
the truthfulness of the statement, had not the history of our 
own part of the world taught us that blood has flowed in 
streams for dogmatic hair-splittings, which no one now troubles 
himself about. Perhaps the breath of indifferentism has reached 
even the ice-deserts of the Polar lands. 
The drum has besides also another use, which appears to have 
little connection with its property of Shaman psychograph or 
church bell. When the ladies unravel and comb their long 
black hair, this is done carefully over the drum, on whose 
bottom the numerous beings which the comb brings with it 
from the warm hearth of home out into the cold wide world, are 
collected and cracked—in case they are not eaten up. They 
taste well according to the Chukch opinion, and are exceedingly 
good for the breast. Even gorm (the large, fully developed, fat 
larva of the reindeer fly. Oestrus tarandi) is pressed out of 
the skin of the reindeer and eaten ; as well as the full-grown 
reindeer fly. 
Some more of the superstitious traits which we observed 
among the Chukches may here be stated. After the good 
hunting in February we endeavoured without success to induce 
the Chukches to give us a head or a skull of some of the seals 
they had killed. Even brandy was unsuccessfully offered for it, 
and it was only in the greatest secrecy that Notti, one of our best 
friends from Irgunnuk, dared to give us the foetus of a seal. A 
raven was once shot in the neighbourhood of the ice-house. 
The shot then went to the magnetical observatory, but before he 
entered, laid down the shot bird, the gun, and other articles in 
the before-mentioned implement chest placed in front of the 
observatory. A short time after there was great excitement 
before the tent. Some men, women, and children among the 
natives crowded round the chest screaming and shouting. For 
the Chukches had observed that the raven, having been only 
stunned by the shot, had begun to scream and flutter in the chest, 
VOL. II. 
K 
