customed to. Another implement for travelling over
snow was offered by a Chukch who drove past the vessel in the
beginning of February. It consisted of a pair of immensely wide
skates of thin wood, covered with seal-skin, and raised at both
sides. I had difficulty in understanding how these broad shapeless
articles could be used with advantage until I learned from the
accompanying drawing that they may be employed as a sort of sledges.
The drawing is taken from a Japanese work, whose title when
translated runs thus: A Journey to the north part of Japan (Yezo),
1804 (No. 565 of the Japanese library I brought home with me).

[Illustration: AN AINO MAN SKATING AFTER A REINDEER. (Japanese
drawing.) ]

In consequence of the difficulty which the Chukch has during winter
in procuring water by melting snow over the train-oil lamp, there
can be no washing of the body at that season of the year. Faces are
however whipped clean by the drifting snow, but at the same time are
generally swollen or sore from frostbite. On the whole, the
disposition of the Chukches to cleanliness is slight, and above all,
their ideas of what is clean or unclean differs considerably from
ours. Thus the women use urine as a wash for the face. At a common
meal the hand is often used as a spoon, and after it is finished, a
bowl filled with newly-passed urine instead of water is handed round
the company for washing the hands. Change of clothes takes place
seldom, and even when the outer dress is clean, new and well cut, of
carefully-chosen beautiful skins, the under-dress is very dirty, and
vermin numerous enough, though less so than might have been
expected. Food is often eaten in a way which we consider disgusting,
a titbit, for instance, is passed from mouth to mouth. The vessels
in which food is served are used in many ways and seldom cleaned. On
the other hand it may be stated that, in order not to make a stay in
the confined tent-chamber too uncomfortable, certain rules are
strictly observed. Thus, for instance, it is not permitted in the
interior of the tent to spit on the floor, but this must be done
into a vessel which in case of necessity is used as a night-utensil.
In every outer tent there lies a specially carved reindeer horn,
with which snow is removed from the clothes, the outer _pesk_ is
usually put off before one goes into the inner tent and the shoes
are carefully freed from snow. The carpet of walrus-skin, which
covers the floor of the