forward on the ice. A number of
Chukches drew a dog-sledge on which lay a man. At first we supposed
it was a man who was very ill, and who came to seek the help of the
physician, but when the procession reached the vessel's side, the
supposed invalid climbed very nimbly up the ice-covered rope-ladder
(our ice-stair was not yet in order), stepped immediately with a
confident air, giving evidence of high rank, upon the half-deck,
crossed himself, saluted graciously, and gave us to know in broken
Russian that he was a man of importance in that part of the country.
It now appeared that we were honoured with a visit from the
representative of the Russian empire, WASSILI MENKA, the starost
among the reindeer-Chukches. He was a little dark man, with a pretty
worn appearance, clad in a white variegated "pesk" of reindeer skin,
under which a blue flannel shirt was visible. In order immediately
on his arrival to inspire us with respect, and perhaps also in order
not to expose his precious life to the false Ran's treachery, he
came to the vessel over the yet not quite trustworthy ice, riding in
a sledge that was drawn not by dogs but by his men. On his arrival
he immediately showed us credentials of his rank, and various
evidences of the payment of tribute (or market tolls), consisting of
some few red and some white fox-skins, reckoning the former at 1
rouble 80 copecks, the latter at 40 copecks each.

[Illustration: WASSILI MENKA. Starost among the Reindeer Chukches.
(After a photograph by L. Palander.) ]

He was immediately invited down to the gunroom, entertained after
the best of our ability, and bothered with a number of questions
which he evidently understood with difficulty, and answered in very
unintelligible Russian. He was in any case the first with whom some
of us could communicate, at least in a way. He could neither read
nor write. On the other hand, he could quickly comprehend a map
which was shown him, and point out with great accuracy a number of
the more remarkable places in north-eastern Siberia. Of the
existence of the Russian emperor the first official of the region
had no idea; on the other hand, he knew that a very powerful person
had his home at Irkutsk. On us he conferred the rank of "Ispravnik"
in the neighbouring towns. At first he crossed himself with much
zeal before some photographs and copper-plate engravings in the
gunroom, but he soon ceased when he observed that we did not do
likewise. Menka wa