the
high sleigh, on the contrary, to northern Russia. Thus we find
"akjas" of the kind still in common use, delineated in Olaus Magnus
(Rome edition, 1555, page 598); Samoyed sleighs, again, in the first
works we have on those regions, for instance, in HUYGHEN VAN
LINSCHOTEN'S _Schip-vaert van by Noorden_, &c., Amsterdam, 1601, as a
side drawing on the principal map. Such high sleighs are also used
on the Kanin peninsula, on Yalmal, and in Western Siberia.
The sleighs of the Chukchis, on the other hand as will be seen by a
drawing given farther on, are lower, and thus more resemble our
"kaelkar," or work-sledges.

[Illustration: LAPP AKJA. After original in the Northern Museum,
Stockholm. ]

The neighbourhood of the tents swarmed with small black or white
long-haired dogs, with pointed nose and pointed ears They are used
exclusively for tending the herds of reindeer, and appear to be of
the same race as the "renvallhund," the reindeer dog. At several
places on the coast of the White Sea, however, dogs are also
employed as beasts of draught, but according to information which I
procured before my departure for Spitzbergen in 1872--it was then
under discussion whether dogs should be used during the projected
ice journey--these are of a different race, larger and stronger than
the Lapp or Samoyed dogs proper.

Immediately after the _Vega_ came to anchor, I went on land on this
occasion also; in the first place with a view to take some solar
altitudes, in order to ascertain the chronometer's rate of going;
for during the voyage of 1875 I had had an opportunity of
determining the position of this place as accurately as is possible
with the common reflecting circle and chronometer, with the
following result:--

The Church at Chabarova (Latitude 69 deg. 38' 50".
(Longitude 60 deg. 19' 49" E. from Greenwich.

[Illustration: _Samoiedarum, trahis a rangiferis protractis infidentium
Nec non Idolorum ab ysdem cultorum effigies._ ]

[Illustration: SAMOYED SLEIGH AND IDOLS. After an old Dutch engraving. ]

When the observations were finished I hastened to renew my
acquaintance with my old friends on the spot. I also endeavoured to
purchase from the Samoyeds dresses and household articles; but as I
had not then with me goods for barter, and ready money appeared to
be of small account with them, prices were very high; for instance,
for a lady's beautiful "pesk," twenty roubles; for a cap with bras