120 Chapter IV. 



an old Samoyede and a comely young girl led out a lean 

 reindeer which was to be offered to the church to the 

 old church, that is to say. Even up here, as already 

 mentioned, religious differences have found their way. 

 Nearly all the Samoyedes of these parts belong to the old 

 faith and attend the old church. But they go occasionally 

 to the new one too ; as far as I could make out, so as not 

 to offend the priest and Sibiriakoff or perhaps to be 

 surer of heaven ? From what I got out of Trontheim 

 on the subject, the chief difference between the two 

 religions lies in the way they make the sign of the cross 

 or something of that sort. To-day was high festival in 

 both churches. All the Samoyedes first paid a short 

 visit to the new church and then immediately streamed 



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over into the old one. The old church was for the 

 moment without a priest, but to-day they had clubbed 

 together and offered the priest of the new church 

 2 roubles to hold a service in the old one too. After 

 careful consideration, he agreed, and in all his priestly 

 pomp crossed the old threshold. The air inside was so 

 bad that I could not stand it for more than two minutes, 

 so I now made my way on board again. 



During the afternoon the howling and screaming 

 began, and increased as time went on. We did not need 

 to be told that the serious part of the festival had now- 

 begun. Some of the Samoyedes tore about over the 

 plain with their reindeer teams like furious animals. 

 Thev could not sit on their sledges, but lav on them or 



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