ating, honourable in their dealings though given to
begging and to much haggling in making a bargain. There appeared to
be no chief among them, complete equality prevailed, and the
position of the woman did not appear to be inferior to that of the
man. The children were what we would call in Europe well brought up,
though they got no bringing up at all. All were heathens. The liking
for spirits appeared to be less strong than among the Chukches. We
learn besides that all selling of spirits to savages is not only
forbidden on the American side, but forbidden in such a way that the
law is obeyed.

During our stay among the Chukches my supply of articles for barter
was very limited, for up to the hour of departure uncertainty
prevailed as to the time at which we would get free, and I was
therefore compelled to be sparing of the stores. I often found it
difficult on that account to induce a Chukch to part with things
which I wished to acquire. Here on the contrary I was a rich man,
thanks to the large surplus that was over from our abundant winter
equipment, which of course in warm regions would have been of no use
to us. I turned my riches to account by making visits like a pedlar
in the tent villages with sacks full of felt hats, thick clothes,
stockings, ammunition, &c., for which goods I obtained a beautiful
and choice collection of ethnographical articles. Among these may be
mentioned beautiful bone etchings and carvings, and several
arrow-points and other tools of a species of nephrite,[349] which is
so puzzlingly like the well-known nephrite from High Asia, that I am
disposed to believe that it actually comes originally from that
locality. In such a case the occurrence of nephrite at Behring's
Straits is important, because it cannot be explained in any other
way than either by supposing that the tribes living here have
carried the mineral with them from their original home in High Asia,
or that during the Stone Age of High Asia a like extended commercial
intercommunication took place between the wild races as now exists,
or at least some decades ago existed, along the north parts of Asia
and America.

[Illustration: ESKIMO BONE-CARVINGS, ETC.
1-5. Buttons to carrying straps, representing heads of the Polar bear,
seals &c., carved in walrus ivory, one-half of the natural size.
6. Carrying strap with a similar button, carved, in the form
of a seal, one-third.
7. Stone chisel, one-half.
8. Comb one-th