II.] 



TEA IN A RUSSIAN CABIN. 



69- 



they declared that on the whole there was no great difference 

 between the " bolvan " of the Samoyed and the sacred picture 

 of the Christian. It would even appear as if the Russians 

 themselves considered the " bolvans" as representatives of some 

 sort of Samoyed saints in the other world. 



When the traffic in gods was finished, though not to my full 

 satisfaction, because I thought I had got too little, we were 

 invited by one of the Russians, as in 1875, to drink tea in his 

 cabin. This consisted of a lobby, and a room about four metres 

 square, and scarcely two metres and a half high. One corner 

 was occupied by a large chimney, at the side of which was the 

 very low door, and right opposite the window opening, under 

 which were placed some chests, serving as tea-table for the 

 occasion. Along the two remaining sides of the room there 

 were fastened to the wall sleeping places of boards covered with 

 reindeer skin. The window appeared to have been formerly 



SAMOYED IDOLS. 



One-third of natural size. 



filled with panes of glass, but most of these were now broken 

 and replaced by boards. It need scarcely surprise us if glass 

 is a scarce article of luxury here. 



We had no sooner entered the cabin than preparations for tea 

 commenced. Sugar, biscuits, teacups and saucers, and a brandy 

 Hask were produced from a common Russian travelling trunk. 

 Fire was lighted, water boiled, and tea made in the common 

 way, a thick smoke and strong fumes from the burning fuel 

 spreading in the upper part of the low room, which for the 

 time was packed full of curious visitors. Excepting these 

 trifling inconveniences the entertainment passed off very agree- 

 ably, with constant conversation, which was carried on with 

 great liveliness, though the hosts and most of the guests could 

 only with difficulty make themselves mutually intelligible. 



Hence we betook ourselves to the skin tents of the Samoyecls 



