amber has three
lamps, the largest right opposite the entrance, the two
others on the cross walls. The lamps are often made of a
sort of stone, which is called by the natives _ukulschi_.
They have the form of a large ladle. The fuel consists of
train-oil, and moss is used for the wick. These lamps
besides require constant attention, because half-an-hour's
neglect is sufficient to make them smoke or go out. The
flame is at one corner of the lamp, whose moss wick is
trimmed with a piece of wood of the shape shown in the
drawing. The lamp rests on a foot, and it in its turn in a
basin. In this way every drop of oil that may be possibly
spilled is collected. If there is anything that this
people ought to save, it is certainly oil, for this
signifies to them both light and heat. In the roof of the
bedchamber some bars are fixed over the lamps on which
clothes and shoes are hung to dry. The lamps are kept
alight the whole day, during night they are commonly
extinguished, as otherwise they would require continual
attention. Some clothes and fishing implements, two or
three reindeer skins to rest upon--these are the whole
furniture of a Chukch tent.

[Illustration: SECTION OF A CHUKCH LAMP. (After a drawing by G. Bove.)
_a._ The oil.
_b._ The wick.
_c._ The foot.
_d._ The basin under it.
_e._ Stick for trimming the wick. ]

"Every tent is besides provided with some drums (_yarar_).
These are made of a wooden ring, about seventy centimetres
in diameter, on which is stretched a skin of seal or
walrus gut. The drum is beaten with a light stick of
whalebone. The sound thus produced is melancholy, and is
so in a yet higher degree when it is accompanied by the
natives' monotonous, commonly rhythmical songs, which
appear to me to have a strong resemblance to those we hear
in Japan and China. A still greater resemblance I thought
I observed in the dances of these peoples. Notti is a
splendid _yarar_-player. After some pressing he played
several of their songs with a feeling for which I had not
given him credit. The auditors were numerous, and by their
smiles and merry eyes one could see that they were
transported by the sounds which Notti knew how to call
from the drum. Notti was also listened to in deep silence,
with an admiration like that with which in a large room we