s accompanied by two badly-clad natives with very
oblique eyes, whom we took at first for his servants or slaves.
Afterwards we found that they were owners of reindeer, who
considered themselves quite as good as Menka himself, and further on
we even heard one of them speak of Menka's claim to be a chief with
a compassionate smile. Now, however, they were exceedingly
respectful, and it was by them that Menka's gift of welcome, two
reindeer roasts, was carried forward with a certain stateliness. As
a return present we gave him a woollen shirt and some parcels of
tobacco. Menka said that he should travel in a few days to Markova,
a place inhabited by Russians on the river Anadyr, in the
neighbourhood of the old Anadyrsk. Although I had not yet given up
hope of getting free before winter, I wished to endeavour to utilize
this opportunity of sending home accounts of the _Vega's_ position,
the state of matters on board, &c. An open letter was therefore
written in Russian, and addressed to his Excellency the
Governor-General at Irkutsk, with the request that he would
communicate its contents to his Majesty, King Oscar. This was
placed, along with several private sealed letters between a couple
of pieces of board, and handed over to Menka with a request to give
them to the Russian authorities at Markova. At first it appeared as
if Menka understood the letter as some sort of farther credentials
for himself. For when he landed he assembled, in the presence of
some of us, a circle of Chukches round himself, placed himself with
dignity in their midst, opened out the paper, but so that he had it
upside down, and read from it long sentences in Chukch to an
attentive audience, astonished at his learning. Next forenoon we had
another visit of the great and learned chief. New presents were
exchanged, and he was entertained after our best ability. Finally he
danced to the chamber-organ, both alone and together with some of
his hosts, to the great entertainment of the Europeans and Asiatics
present.

As the state of the ice was still unaltered, I did not neglect the
opportunity that now offered of making acquaintance with the
interior of the country. With pleasure, accordingly, I gave
Lieutenants Nordquist and Hovgaard permission to pay a visit to
Menka's encampment. They started on the morning of the 8th October.
Lieut. Nordquist has given me the following account of their
excursion:--

"On Tuesday, the 8th October, at 10 o'clock