Page:The frozen North; an account of Arctic exploration for use in schools (IA frozennorthaccou00hort).pdf/84



When the ice became solid, the natives came on their dog sleds from villages far away. Sometimes they brought skins and whalebones to exchange for tobacco and brandy, but they obtained very little of the latter from the men on the Vega. As winter advanced, the natives' provisions gave out. Then they gathered around the ship at the time when they knew the crew were at dinner, and begged for food so hard that one day the cook himself came out with a large kettle full of meat soup. The Tchuktches seized