230 
THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. 
[chap. 
instituting a comparison between the household articles of 
the Eskimo and the Chukches, I examined carefully the skin- 
bags which the natives had with them. In doing so I picked 
out one thing after the other, while they did not object to me 
making an inventory. One of them, however, showed great 
unwillingness to allow me to get to the bottom of the sack, but 
this just made me curious to ascertain what precious thing was 
ESKIMO FAMILY AT PORT CLARENCE. 
(After a photograph by L. Palander.) 
concealed there. I was urgent, and went through the bag half 
with violence, until at last, in the bottom, I got a solution of 
the riddle—a loaded revolver. Several of the natives had also 
breechloaders. The oldest age with stone implements, and the 
most recent period with breechloaders, thus here reach hands 
one to the other. 
