arge
granite blocks, which we in Sweden would call erratic. They appeared
however not to have been transported hither, but to be lying _in
situ_, having along with the sand probably arisen through the
disintegration of the rocks.

In the sea we found not a few algae and a true littoral
evertebrate-fauna, poor in species indeed, something which is
completely absent in the Polar seas proper. As I walked along
the coast I saw five pretty large self-coloured greyish-brown seals
sunning themselves on stones a short distance from land. They
belonged to a species which I had never seen in the Polar seas.
As there was no boat at hand, I forbade the hunters that accompanied
me, though the seals were within range, to test their skill
as shots upon them. Perhaps they were females of _Histriophoca
fasciata_, whose beautifully marked skin (of the male) I had seen
and described at St. Lawrence Bay. The natives had a few dogs
but no reindeer, which however might find food on the island in
thousands. No _kayaks_ were in use, but large _baydars_ of the
same construction as those of the Chukches.

St. Lawrence Island was discovered during Behring's first
voyage, but the first who came into contact with the natives was
Otto von Kotzebue[353] (on the 27th June 1816, and the 20th July
1817). The inhabitants had not before seen any Europeans, and
they received the foreigners with a friendliness which exposed
Kotzebue to severe suffering. Of this he gives the following
account:--

"So long as the naturalists wandered about on the hills I
stayed with my acquaintances, who, when they found that I
was the commander, invited me into their tents. Here a
dirty skin was spread on the floor, on which I had to sit,
and then they came in one after the other, embraced me,
rubbed their noses hard against mine, and finished their
caresses by spitting in their hands and then stroking me
several times over the face. Although these proofs of
friendship gave me very little pleasure, I bore all
patiently; the only thing I did to lighten their caresses
somewhat was to distribute tobacco leaves. These the
natives received with great pleasure, but they wished
immediately to renew their proofs of friendship. Now I
betook myself with speed to knives, scissors, and beads,
and by distributing some succeeded in averting a new
attack. But a still greater calamity awaited me when in
order to ref