PET CHORA 513 



straight pole of wood, and at the other end were fastened 

 rather further apart to two side poles of the choom 

 on either side of the entrance. A cross bar lay across 

 these, and supported another perpendicular iron rod 

 which was perforated with holes throughout the greater 

 part of its length, to admit of the raising or lowering of 

 the pot, which was hung by the handle in a notch at its 

 lower extremity. A second perpendicular rod hung un- 

 used nearer to the upright pole of wood. 



Bound the inside of the choom, lying upon the snow or 

 upon the reindeer skins, were various utensils, mostly, as 

 far as we saw, of Eussian manufacture, such as tea-chest 

 of wood strongly bound with lead, bowls of wood and 

 crockery, birch-bark buckets, etc. 



We were asked to take tea, and Kussian rolls were 

 handed round along with it and a kind of small spiced 

 cake, which when fresh must be 'not bad to eat.' 

 Afterwards I handed a small modicum of cognac, first 

 to the brother, who was our host apparently, then to the 

 elderly lady, but it was taken from her, and we learned 

 that the women must not drink until after all the men 

 had done so. In accordance with the rule we all tasted 

 first, and there was still a good ' droppie ' left to warm 

 the ' cockles of her heart.' She did not drink tea with 

 us, but when we retired doubtless she would receive her 

 share. The host appeared to be a merry fellow and 

 laughed heartily once or twice. The profile was far from 

 being ugly, and he seemed sharp and intelligent, and the 

 young girl was rather pretty than otherwise. 



The teeth of all the Samoyedes we have seen were 

 regular, small, and very white, and the same remark 

 applies to the teeth of the Eussian peasantry. We have 

 been surprised at this sometimes, when we considered 

 that tooth-brushes are unknown, or nearly unknown, to 

 either, but only lately we found out the reason. Both 



