, 1880-08-16
Artic Indians.

estimated to be about three thousand,
including nomadic tribe called RelA-
Tchuktchis who subsist by keeping
reindeer herds. These form link be-
tween their brethren on the coast and
the inland tribes of Siberia, 10 the lat
ter of whom they dispose OF their
goods, consisting of seal and walrus
hides, walrus teeth. etc., which they re-
celve from the country population IN
exchange for reindeer hi es.
The coast population live in villages
mum bering from three to twenty tents.
spread along the coast as near the shore
az possible, and at few miles distance
from each other.
The Tchuktchis are divided into two
sections, each with its respective chief.
The eastern population have for their
chief Menka, who resides at Markowa,
On the Auadyr river. The western
again are under the chief aAHra Urgin,
who resides in the vicinity OF the kolv-
ma river.
Tae tent OF the coast Tohuktchis con-
sists of peculiar and clsverly-con-
structed frame of wood, the material
for which is obtained from drift-logs,
with which the shore is plsntifuily
strewed. This is covered with num-
Der of seal and walrus hides carefully
sewed together. Inside the tent, and
right before the entrance, is a smaller
Gu biform tent, made of reindeer skins,
and used as the sleeping chamber.
During the cold season it is heated by
blubber lamps. Even during severe
cold the atmosphere within this tent is
so heated that the natives who occupy
it without distinction of sex or age, lie
almost nude. The dimensions Of the
tent depend upon the number of The
| family. In each tent generally dwells
only one family, in which are included
the sisters and brothers of the married
couple before they settle for them
selves.
The Tchuktchis, the children of Ma
ture in the Arctic regions, fostered
among ice, snow aud cold, famiilarlzed
with bloody scenes in the seal, whale
and walrus hunt, without any of the
influences of ci.iiiz stion, are, uotwlth
standing, q good-natured, frieAdiy, nos
pltabie and honest people. Although
the Vega during the long winter WAS
daily visited b. ut least twenty natives,
1t was only on two or three OCCASIONS
that they were found guilty OF dishun
estly appropfiating anything, and tuase
theits were of the most trithng descrip-
ton.
The Tchuktchis are q people OF small
stature, aithong gh among them may bs
found perfect giants; as, tor Instance,
a woman, whom we saw, six feet three
inches tall. Their complexion is sal
low, the mems being usually darker
than that of the women. Occasionally,
however, one may see especially among
the women, complexion as lair and
clear as that OF the Inhabitants of north
ern Europe. The eyes are black, and
often set ob)ique like the Chinese. The
hair, whic1 III coal black, is worn by
the men quite short, while the womer
allow it to grow freely, part it i'll the
! middle of the brow aud wear it in
plaits twelve to eighteen inches long.
which hang down at each ear. They
also wear q lock ombed down and cut
across, which covers half the forehead.
The men also use a similar lock, and
sometimes long tuft at tho crown OF
the head. This tuft is worn, SO far as
l could learn, only by chiefs.
| Their clothing is made principally
of reindeer skin and consists of pssk
Or blouse reaching to the knees, with
an opening at the top just sufficient for
the head to pass through. In addition
the men have tight-ftting trousers Of
reindeer skin, which are tucked down
into boots of the same material, the
latter with soles of walrus hide. The
| women also wear trousers, but those
are wide, ending immediately below
the knee, where they are similarly
tucked into the boots.
In the outer clothing the hairy side
of the skin il always to the exterior.
but, on the contrary, the hairy side of
these articles worn next the body dur
ing the cold season is turned inward.
A close-ftting hood of reindeer skin,
and mittens of the same material COM
plete their dress. La this costume they
defy any kind of weather. Often 50
clad, night after night, even in the most
severe cold, they pursue their seal
fishing miles away from the shore with
out any other protection from the icy
Winds.
! The weapons of the Tchuktchis con-
sist of e bow and arrows, spear
which, like the arrows, mas a poiut Of
IRON or OF bone--a knife and a kind OF
Sing used for catching birds. The iron
for the arrow and spearheads is obtained
from the Americans and Russians in
their barterlng transactions. They
themselves have no iron at their COM
mand, nor any knowledge OF its work.
ing. To their hunting implements
belongs the seal-net, made of tne-cut
strips of seal-hiae, netted with three.
inch mesh. With these the young seals
are caught. The net is extended be-
tw.en two blocks of ice, and the seals
i l1,e,