e month of March), but the climate here is less
endurable on account of violent snowstorms which occasionally occur even
in summer, and dense fogs which, during spring and autumn, continually
sweep in from the Polar Sea. The sun remains above the horizon for
fifty-two days, and the rest of the year varies from twilit nights in
June to almost complete darkness in midwinter. The village was certainly
not an attractive one, and as its occupants evinced a decided tendency
to encroach on our provisions I resolved to remain in it only a couple
of days. But here occurred the first of a series of _contretemps_ which
dogged my footsteps throughout the coast journey, for the drivers now
refused to carry out their contract, urging that even if a Tchuktchi
settlement were safely reached the natives there would certainly murder
us.[49] Here was an apparently insurmountable difficulty, for Mikouline,
who acted as spokesman, simply snapped his fingers at Yartsegg's
authority. Threats were therefore useless, and kindness equally futile
where this little scoundrel was concerned. In _vodka_ lay my sole hope
of victory, and the "exile-jailer" luckily possessed a limited store,
some of which I purchased, and set to work to subjugate the unruly
Mikouline by the aid of alcohol; an immoral proceeding no doubt, but no
other course was open. For I knew that my driver's example would at once
be followed by the others who, like sheep, blindly followed him in
everything. It would weary the reader to describe my hopes and fears
during the ten interminable days and nights that the war was waged. But
he will appreciate what they meant to the writer from the fact that
every day, even every hour, was now of utmost importance, owing to the
late season and probable break up of the sea-ice at no distant date.
Also we were rapidly consuming the provisions which were to form our
sole subsistence in the desolate Arctic. It therefore became necessary
to place each man on half rations, consisting of two frozen fish, one
pound of black bread and a quarter of a pound of _Carnyl_ per diem. My
triumph over Mikouline cost me several gallons of _vodka_, to say
nothing of hours of disgust and annoyance passed in close companionship
with the now maudlin, now abusive, little half-breed. To make matters
worse, the weather during that wasted fortnight was still, clear, and
perfect for travelling, and the very morning of our departure it broke
up with a gale and blinding sn