Part 40 (1/2)
During the severe cold the ice naturally became thicker and thicker, and by the continual northerly winds still higher _torosses_ were heaped up round the vessel, and larger and larger snow ma.s.ses were collected between it and the land, and on the heights along the coast. All hopes or fears of an early release were again given up, and a perceptible dullness began to make itself felt after the bustle and festrvities of the Christmas holidays. Instead there was now arranged a series of popular lectures which were held in the lower deck, and treated of the history of the North-East Pa.s.sage, the first circ.u.mnavigations of the globe, the Austrian-Hungarian Expedition, the changes of the earth's surface, the origin of man, the importance of the leaf to the plants, &c. It became both for the officers and scientific men and the crew a little interruption to the monotony of the Arctic winter life, and the lecturer could always be certain of finding his little auditory all present and highly interested. Some slight attempts at musical evening entertainments were also made, but these failed for want of musical instruments and musical gifts among the _Vega_ men. We had among us no suitable director of theatrical representations after the English-Arctic pattern, and even if we had had, I fear that the director would have found it very difficult to gather together the dramatic talents requisite for his entertainment.
On the 17th February Lieutenant Brusewitz made an excursion to Najtskaj, of which he gives the following account:--
”I and Notti left the vessel in the afternoon, and after two hours came to Rirajtinop, Notti's home, where we pa.s.sed the night, together with his three younger brothers and an invalid sister, who all lived in the same tent-chamber. Immediately after our arrival one of the brothers began to get the dog-harness and sleigh ready for the following day's journey, while the rest of us went into the interior of the tent, where the invalid sister lay with her clothes off, but wrapt in reindeer skins. She took charge of two train-oil lumps over which hung two cooking vessels, one formerly a preserve tin, and the other a bucket of tinned iron. One of the brothers came in with a tray, on which was placed a piece of seal blubber, together with frozen vegetables, princ.i.p.ally willow leaves. The blubber was cut into small square pieces about the size of the thumb, after which one of the brothers gave the sister a large portion both of the blubber and vegetables. The food was thus served out to the others.
Every piece of blubber was carefully imbedded in vegetable before it was eaten. When the vegetables were finished there was still some blubber, which was given to the dogs that lay in the outer tent. After this the boiled spare-rib of a seal were partaken of, and finally a sort of soup, probably made from seal's blood. The sister had a first and special helping of these dishes. I also got an offer of every dish, and it did not appear to cause any offence that I did not accept the offer. After the close of the meal the cooking vessels were set down, the ”pesks”
taken off, and some reindeer skins taken down from the roof and spread out. The older brothers lighted their pipes, and the younger lay down to sleep. I was shown to one of the side places in the tent, evidently Notti's own.
One of the lamps was extinguished, after which all slept.
During the night the girl complained several times, when one of the brothers always rose and attended to her. At six in the morning I wakened the party and reminded them of our journey. All rose immediately. Dressing proceeded slowly, because much attention was given to the foot covering. No food was produced, but all appeared quite pleased when I gave them of my stock, which consisted of bread and some preserved beef-steaks. Immediately after breakfast four dogs were harnessed to the sleigh, with which Notti and I continued our journey to Najtskaj, I riding and he running alongside the sleigh. At Irgunnuk, a Chukch village about an English mile east of Rirajtinop, a short stay was made in order to try to borrow some dogs, but without success. We continued our journey along the sh.o.r.e, and at 10 o'clock A.M. arrived at Najtskaj, which is from fifteen to eighteen kilometres E.S.E. from Irgunnuk. Here we were received by most of our former neighbours, the inhabitants of Pitlekaj. Of the thirteen tents of the village the five westernmost were occupied by the former population of Pitlekaj, while the eight lying more to the eastward were inhabited by other Chukches. The Pitlekaj people had not pitched their common large tents, but such as were of inconsiderable size or small ones fastened close together. In all the tents here, as at Rirajtinop and Irgunnuk, there was much blubber laid up, we saw pieces of seal and whole seals piled up before the tents, and on the way to Najtskaj we met several sledges loaded with seals, on their way to Pidlin. At Najtskaj I went out hunting accompanied by a Chukch. We started eight hares, but did not succeed in getting within range of them. A red fox was seen at a great distance but neither ptarmigan nor traces of them could be discovered. At two in the afternoon I returned to Irgunnuk and there got another sleigh drawn by ten dogs, with which I soon reached the vessel.”
[Ill.u.s.tration: NOTTI AND HIS WIFE AITANGA. (After photographs by L.
Palander.) ]
On the 20th February three large Chukch sledges laden with goods and drawn by sixteen to twenty dogs stopped at the _Vega_. They said they came from the eastward, and were on their way to the market in the neighbourhood of Nischni Kolymsk. I again by way of experiment sent with them home-letters, for which, as they declined to take money, I gave them as postage three bottles of rum and abundant entertainment for men and dogs. In consideration of this payment they bound themselves faithfully to execute their commission and promised to return in May. And they kept then word. For on the 8th and 9th May a large number of sledges heavily laden with reindeer skins and drawn by many dogs, pa.s.sed along the coast from west to east. Of course all rested at the _Vega_, the only house of entertainment on the coast of the Asiatic Polar Sea, considering it as a matter of indisputable right, that they should in return for a little talk and gossip obtain food and ”ram.” Very eagerly they now informed us that a letter would come with another dog train that might be expected in a few hours. This was for us a very great piece of news, the importance of which none can understand who has never hungered for months for news from home, from the home-land and the home-world. Eager to know if we had actually to expect _a post_ from Europe, we asked them how large the packet was ”Very large” was the answer, and the ”ram” was of course measured accordingly. But when at last the letter came it was found to be only an exceedingly short note from some of the Russian officials at Kolyma, informing me that our letters had reached him on the 4th April/23rd March and had been immediately sent by express to Yakutsk. Thence they were sent on by post, reaching Irkutsk on the 20th/14th May, and Sweden on the 2nd August.
During autumn and midwinter the suns.h.i.+ne was not of course strong and continuous enough to be painful to the eyes, but in February the light from the snow-clouds and the snow-drifts began to be troublesome enough. On the 22nd February accordingly snow-spectacles were distributed to all the men, an indispensable precaution, as I have before stated, in Arctic journeys. Many of the Chukches were also attacked with snow-blindness somewhat later in the season, and were very desirous of obtaining from us blue-coloured spectacles.
Johnsen even stated that one of the hares he shot was evidently snow-blind.
On the evening of the 22th February there burst upon us a storm with drifting snow and a cold of -36. To be out in such weather is not good even for a Chukch dog. Of this we had confirmation the next day, when a Chukch who had lost his way came on board, carrying a dog, frozen stiff, by the backbone, like a dead hare. He had with his dog gone astray on the ice and lain out, without eating anything, in a snow-drift for the night. The master himself had suffered nothing, he was only hungry, the dog on the other hand scarcely showed any sign of life. Both were naturally treated on board the _Vega_ with great commiseration and kindness. They were taken to the 'tweendecks, where neither Chukches nor Chukch dogs were otherwise admitted, for the man an abundant meal was served of what we believed he would relish best, and he was then allowed, probably for the first time in his life, to sleep if not under a sooty, at least under a wooden roof. The dog was for hours carefully subjected to ma.s.sage, with the result that he came to life again, which struck us, and, as it appeared, not least the Chukch himself, as something wonderful.
In the beginning of March there pa.s.sed us a large number of sledges laden with reindeer skins, and drawn by eight to ten dogs each.
Every sledge had a driver, and as usual the women took no part in the journey. These trains were on a commercial journey from Irkaipij to Pak at Behring's Straits. We found among the foremen many of our acquaintances from the preceding autumn, and I need not say that this gave occasion to a special entertainment, for the people, bread, a little spirits, soup, some sugar, and tobacco, for the dogs, pemmican. Conversation during such visits became very lively, and went on with little hindrance, since two of us were now somewhat at home in the Chukch language. For if I except two men, Menka and Noah Elisej, who could talk exceedingly defective Russian, there was not one of the reindeer or dog-foremen travelling past who could speak any European language, and notwithstanding this they all carry on an active commerce with the Russians. But the Chukch is proud enough to require that his own language shall prevail in all international commerce in the north-east of Asia, and his neighbours find their advantage in this.
During the course of the winter, Lieutenant Nordquist collected from the Chukch foremen coming from a distance who travelled past, information regarding the state of the ice between Chaun Bay and Behring's Straits at different seasons of the year. Considering the immense importance of the question, even in a purely practical point of view, I shall quote verbatim the statements which he thus collected.
_Statements regarding the state of the ice on the coast between Cape Yakan and Behring's Straits by Chukches living there._
”1. A Chukch from Yekanenmitschikan, near Cape Yakan, said that it is usual for open water to be there the whole summer.
”2. A Chukch from Kinmankau, which lies a little to the west of Cape Yakan, said the same.
”3. A Chukch from Yakan stated that the sea there becomes free of ice in the end of May or beginning of June. On the other hand it is never open in winter.
”4. Tatan from Yakan stated that the sea there is open from the end of May or beginning of June to the latter part of September or beginning of October, when the ice begins to drift towards the land.
”5. Rikkion from Vankarema said that the sea there is covered with ice in winter, but open in summer.
”6. A reindeer Chukch, Rotschitlen, who lives about twelve English miles from the _Vega's_ winter quarters, said that Kolyutschin Bay, by the Chukches called Pidlin, is clear of ice the whole summer.
”7. Urtridlin from Kolyutschin said that neither at that island nor in Kolyutschin Bay is there any ice in summer.
”8. Ranau, from Yinretlen, also said that Kolyutschin Bay is always open in summer.
”9. Ettiu, from the village Nettej, between Irgunnuk and Behring's Straits, stated that the sea at Nettej is open in summer, independently of the wind, in winter only when the wind is southerly.
”10. Vankatte, from Nettej, stated that the sea there becomes open during the month ”Tautinyadlin,” that is, the latter part of May and the beginning of June, and is again covered with ice during the month ”Kutscshkau,” or October and November.
”11. Kepljeplja, from the village Irgunnuk, lying five English miles east of the _Vega's_ winter quarters at Pitlekaj, said that the sea off these villages is open all summer, except when northerly winds prevail. On the other hand, he said that farther westward, as at Irkaipij, ice could nearly always be seen from the land.
”12. Kapatljin, from Kingetschkun, a village between Irgunnuk and Behring's Straits, stated on the 11th January that there was then open water at that village. He said further, that Behring's Straits in winter are filled with ice when the wind is southerly, but open when the wind is northerly. The same day a Chukch from Nettej-Kengitschkau, also between Irgunnuk and Behring's Straits, stated that ice then lay off that village. He confirmed Kapatljin's statement regarding Behring's Straits.
”13. Kvano, from Uedlje, near Behring's Straits, said that there the sea is always open from May to the end of September.”