514 TRAVELS OF A NATURALIST 



Eussians and Samoyedes are in the habit of chewing the 

 resin or gum from trees for the pm'pose, or possibly 

 because it has a flavour which they appreciate. After 

 being masticated for some time the piece is thrown away, 

 and it then appears of a dehcate pink colour which turns, 

 however, to dark brown or black shortly after exposure to 

 the air. 



The Samoyedes generally are not the least shy of 

 giving us information, and our host in this instance 

 received us with a certain amount of natural grace and 

 politeness. They do not evince great surprise at any- 

 thing they see in us or belonging to us, nor any great 

 curiosity. What appeared to interest them most was my 

 large knife, which was examined with some minuteness.* 



When clothed in the malitzas of course their motions 

 are greatly concealed, and the first impression one receives 

 is that their ordinary gait is both slow and rather 

 slouching, but that they are active there can be no doubt 

 after watching them lassoing the deer. They run lightly, 

 and do not appear to sink much in the snow. 



The hands are small and well formed. The cheeks of 

 the young girls are ruddy and not very dark, a healthy 

 brown with the red showing through. Of children we 

 have as yet seen very few, and these have generally been 

 wrapped up in furs and asleep on the sledges. 



Deformities occur amongst them, and we have seen 

 specimens of both bandy-legged and knock-kneed Samo- 

 yede men, who were also below the average stature. 



On the 1st of May, at Ust Zylma, the tall Jew — by name 

 Konorsky — came with a cross, which we took, and soon 

 after a Samoyede arrived from whom, with Konorsky's 

 assistance — he speaks execrable German — we got an 



'■'•'• These were made to the order of my old friend and companion, 

 E. R. Alston, from Wilkinson in the Strand, one for himself, one for 

 me, and one for C. G. Danford. 



