t for Keipteka, a girl
of six or seven. Etughi and Keipteka slept under the same
roof, though apart. "When they grow bigger," said Erere to
me, "then sleeping-places will be put alongside each
other". At what age this takes place I have not
ascertained, but I suppose that it is very early, as is
common with all Oriental races.

"Right opposite Tjapka lies a small island, by the natives
called Idlidlja, which is about 800 metres in
circumference. Its shores rise perpendicularly on all
sides except that which is opposite Tjapka, in which
direction it sinks with a steep slope. On the north end of
it we found three or four whales' bones and some pieces of
driftwood, but nothing to indicate that there had been any
Onkilon dwellings there. The island swarmed with hares,
which the inhabitants of Tjapka hunt with the bow. For
this hunting they are accustomed to build circular walls
of snow, pierced with loopholes, through which they shoot
the unsuspecting animals.

"Regarding life in the tent I have still the following
notes. The most troublesome work is given to the older
women. They rise early to light and attend to the lamps,
yoke the dogs, and go fishing. The young women, on the
other hand, sleep far into the day. The housewives return
at noon, then work is then finished, if we do not consider
as work the constant motion of the tongue in talk and
gossip. The younger people have it assigned to them to sew
clothes, arrange the fishing-lines and nets, prepare
skins, &c. Sewing-thread is made from the back sinews of
the reindeer, which they procure by barter from the
reindeer-Chukches, giving for them fish and seal-blubber.

[Illustration: THE NORTH END OF IDLIDLJA ISLAND. (After a drawing by
O. Nordquist.) ]

"One cannot, without having seen it, form any idea of the
large quantity of food they can consume. One evening I saw
eight persons, including one child, eat about 30 lbs. of
food. The bill of fare was: 1, raw fish; 2, soup; 3,
boiled fish; 4, seal-blubber; 5, seal-flesh. The raw fish
commonly consists of frozen cod. The soup is made partly
of vegetables, partly of seal-blood; I saw both kinds.
Vegetable soup was prepared by boiling equal quantities of
water and vegetables, till the mixture formed a thick pap.
The blood soup is cooked by boiling the blood t