328 THE JEANNETTE ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



The natives had once a week what they called a prosnik 

 a sort of feast, which is, I think, of religious origin. The 

 people are under the control of the Russian Church, and in 

 each of their huts I noticed a little religious emblem, placed, 

 as a rule, at the head of the hut in the left hand corner. 

 To these prosniks all in the village were invited, and gen- 

 erally came. The little entertainment consisted of drinking 

 tea, and eating bits of reindeer meat, fat, goose eggs, and 

 choice bits of fish ; but they ate and drank sparingly, seem- 

 ing to realize that the supply would become exhausted if 

 used too freely. I must confess that some of the bits which 

 they considered choice, I did not. 



Their manner of preparing and drinking tea is perhaps 

 worthy of note. They use two little chyniks, or copper ket- 

 ties. One of them will hold a quart; in this they put the 

 tea. The other will hold two quarts ; in this they boil the 

 water, and then pour it on to the tea, being careful not 

 to boil the tea, only steeping it. The mistress of the house 

 then serves the tea to those partaking of it, who are seated 

 on stools or other improvised seats around an unpainted 

 pine table. Sugar is never put in the tea, but they nibble it 

 sparingly and then sip the tea. I saw no milk in this village. 



Their tea is the article known in Siberia as brick tea, 

 being, I think, of an inferior quality to that in use in our 

 country, and much inferior to the famous caravan tea found 

 in other parts of Siberia and in use in some parts of Russia. 



Large, heavy German silver or brass ear-rings seem to be 

 highly prized by the native women, as also are brass buttons, 

 calicoes and cotton handkerchiefs of bright colors, cotton 

 cloth known as Turkey red, and black and green cotton 

 velvets. The undergarments of both males and females of 

 all ages are of calico or colored cotton. The outer clothing 

 is of deerskin, with the hair taken off in the summer; and in 

 the winter with the hair on. In moderately cold weather 

 the clothing is worn with the hair inside, but in extreme cold 

 weather the hair is outside. The soles of their moccasins 

 are of deerskin. They use blankets and bags made of fish 



