Both men and women use snow-shoes during winter. Without them they will not willingly undertake any long walk in loose snow. They consider such a walk so tiresome, that they loudly commiserated one of my crew, who had to walk without snow-shoes after drifting weather from the village Yinretlen to the vessel, about three kilometres distant. Finally a woman's compassion went so far that she presented him with a pair, an instance of generosity on the part of our Chukch friends which otherwise was exceedingly rare. The frame of the snow-shoes is made of wood, the cross-pieces are of strong and well-stretched thongs. This snow-shoe corresponds completely with that of the Indians, and is exceedingly serviceable and easy to get accustomed to. Another implement for travelling over snow was offered by a Chukch who drove past the vessel in the beginning of February. It consisted of a pair of immensely wide skates of thin wood, covered with seal-skin, and raised at both sides. I had difficulty in understanding how these broad shapeless articles could be used with advantage until I learned from the accompanying drawing that they may be employed as a sort of sledges. The drawing is taken from a Japanese work, whose title when translated runs thus: A Journey to the north part of Japan (Yezo), 1804 (No. 565 of the Japanese library I brought home with me).
In consequence of the difficulty which the Chukch has during winter in procuring water by melting snow over the train-oil lamp, there can be no washing of the body at that season of the year. Faces are however whipped clean by the drifting snow, but at the same time are generally swollen or sore from frostbite. On the whole, the disposition of the Chukches to cleanliness is slight, and above all, their ideas of what is clean or unclean differs considerably from ours. Thus the women use urine as a wash for the face. At a common meal the hand is often used as a spoon, and after it is finished, a bowl filled with newly-passed urine instead of water is handed round the company for washing the hands. Change of clothes takes place seldom, and even when the outer dress is clean, new and well cut, of carefully-chosen beautiful skins, the under-dress is very dirty, and vermin numerous enough, though less so than might have been expected. Food is often eaten in a way which we consider disgusting, a titbit, for instance, is passed from mouth to mouth. The vessels in which food is served are used in many ways and seldom cleaned. On the other hand it may be stated that, in order not to make a stay in the confined tent-chamber too uncomfortable, certain rules are strictly observed. Thus, for instance, it is not permitted in the interior of the tent to spit on the floor, but this must be done into a vessel which in case of necessity is used as a night-utensil. In every outer tent there lies a specially carved reindeer horn, with which snow is removed from the clothes, the outer pesk is usually put off before one goes into the inner tent and the shoes are carefully freed from snow. The carpet of walrus-skin, which covers the floor of the inner tent, is accordingly dry and clean. Even the outer tent is swept clean and free from loose snow, and the snow is daily shovelled away from the tent doors with a spade of whalebone. Every article both in the outer and inner tent is laid in its proper place, and so on.
As ornaments glass beads are principally used, some of them being suspended from the neck and ears, others sewed upon the hood and other articles of dress, or plaited into the hair
Embroidery of very pleasing patterns is also employed. In order to embellish the pesks strips of skin or marmots' and squirrels' tails, &c., are sewed upon them. Often a variegated artificial tail of different skins is fixed to the hood behind, or the skin of the hood is so chosen that the ears of the animal project on both sides of the head. Along with the beads are fixed amulets, wooden tongs, small bone heads or bone figures, pieces of metal, coins, &c. One child had suspended from its neck an old Chinese coin with a square hole in the middle, together with a new American five-cent piece.
