cupation, but on cold days it seldom
induced me to leave even the comfortless shelter of our hut. Most of the
seals caught here are hair seals, which must not be confounded with the
valuable fur seal, which is used in Europe for wearing apparel, and is
seldom found north of the Privilov Islands in Bering Sea. The latter
animal is too well known to need description, but the skin of the hair
seal is a kind of dirty grey, flecked with dark spots, and is short and
bristly. But it is warm and durable and therefore used by the Tchuktchis
for breeches and foot wear. Recently, too, it has been introduced into
Europe for the use of _chauffeurs_ of automobiles, but ten years ago it
was practically worthless; although the flesh is preferable as food to
that of the more costly species.

A chase after walrus is far more exciting than either a seal or bear
hunt, for their capture involves a certain risk and occasionally actual
danger. As soon as one of these beasts is sighted four or five
_Baidaras_ are launched and set out at a terrific pace, for the crew of
the first boat up gets the lion's share of the spoil. Winchester rifles
are now used instead of the old-fashioned harpoon, so that accidents are
rarer than they used to be, although boats are often upset. I have only
once seen a walrus: a distorted, shapeless mass of discoloured flesh,
sparsely covered with coarse bristles. The one I saw measured about ten
feet long, had quite that girth, and must have weighed over a ton.
Walrus meat as a diet is less repulsive than seal, for it is not so
fishy in flavour and has more the consistency of beef.

We had been here about ten days when a native arrived from East Cape and
reported a whaler off that headland. At Whalen the ice still presented a
hopelessly unbroken appearance, but low, dark clouds to the eastward
looked like open water in the direction of the Straits, and I sent
Harding and Stepan, with the East Cape man, to verify his report. He was
a silent, sulky brute, and I felt some anxiety until the pair returned
the next day after a terrible journey, partly by land but principally
over the sea ice across which they had to wade knee deep in water. For
about six miles crossing the tundra they floundered in soft snow up to
the waist, and finally reached their destination, wet through and
exhausted, to find that the ship, probably scared by heavy pack ice, had
disappeared to the southward. The natives, however, treated them well,
an