FETCH OR A 499 



Arendt says, however, that when the men become old and 

 feeble they call their families together, tell them they are 

 no longer able to work and support themselves, and then, 

 at their own request, the other members of the family put 

 them to death, using an axe for the purpose. They seem 

 to reach to a good age, however, as Captain Engel has 

 often seen women with grey hair — or is it just possible 

 that they show signs of decay at an earlier stage of exist- 

 ence than people of other nations do ? 



Women of pure Samoyede blood often have no hair 

 except upon the head. The women have little pain in 

 childbirth, or of very short duration, and go about their 

 usual work the same day. No obstetrical instruments are 

 known to be in use. As with other nations, some 

 mothers have plenty of milk and others have less. They 

 marry and have children often at fourteen years of age. 



Captain Engel graphically described the lassooing of 

 the reindeer from the midst of a large herd. He says 

 that after one or more are chosen to be killed, the Samoyede 

 casts his noose with an underhand and side motion, as I 

 understood his imitation of it, over the deer's horns, and 

 gives a sudden jerk, pulling the deer down, and at the 

 same time throwing himself flat, or being pulled down in 

 turn by the deer. The Samoyede then approaches the 

 deer, still himself lying on his stomach, hand over hand 

 and keeping the rope taut, and kills the deer by the expert 

 use of the knife, drawn across its throat or plunged into 

 its chest. Sometimes they disdain the use of a knife at 

 all, and by sheer exertion of strength, or by some particular 

 expertness in the method, twist down its head and break 

 its neck. 



Sometimes there is great mortality amongst the herds 

 of deer, and as many as 38 per cent. die. We have not 

 as yet learned the exact nature of the disease. 



In driving the reindeer in sledges, only a single rein is 



