76 THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. [chap. 



which were found on most of the large idols below the holes 

 intended to represent the mouth. 



After a drawing had been made of the mound, we robbed it 

 discreetly, and put some of the idols and the bones of the animals 

 offered in sacrifice iato a bag which I ordered to be carried down 

 to the boat. My guide now became evidently uncomfortable 

 and said that I ought to propitiate the wrath of the "bolvans " 

 by myself offering something. I immediately said that I was 

 ready to do that, if lie would only show me how to go to 

 work. A little a,t a loss, and doubtinsj whether he ought to 

 be more afraid of the wrath of the " bolvans " or of the punish- 

 ment which in another world would befal those who had 

 sacrificed to false gods, he replied that it was only necessary 

 to place some small coins among the stones. With a solemn 

 countenance I now laid my gift upon the cairn. It was cer- 

 tainly the most precious thing that had ever been offered 

 there, consisting as it did of two silver pieces. The Kussian 

 was now satisfied, but declared that I was too lavish, " a 

 couple of copper coins had been quite enough." 



The following day the Samoyeds came to know that I had 

 been shown their sacrificial mound. For their own part 

 they appeared to attach little importance to this, but they 

 declared that the guide would be punished by the offended 

 " bolvans." He would perhaps come to repent of his deed 

 by the following autumn, when his reindeer should return 

 from Vaygats Island, where they for the present were tended 

 by Samoyeds ; indeed if punishment did not befall him now, 

 it would reach him in the future and visit his children and 

 grandchildren — certain it was that the gods would not leave him 

 unpunished. In respect to God's wrath their religious ideas 

 were thus in full accordance with the teaching of the Old 

 Testament. 



This place of sacrifice was besides not particularly old, for 

 there had been an older place situated GOO metres nearer the 

 shore, beside a grotto which was regarded by the Samoyeds 

 with superstitious veneration. A larger number of wooden 

 idols had been set up there, but about thirty years ago a 

 zealous, newly-appointed, and therefore clean-sweeping] archi- 

 mandrite visited the place, set fire to the sacrificial mound, 

 and in its place erected a cross, which is still standing. The 

 Samoyeds had not sought to retaliate by destroying in their 

 turn the symbol of Christian Avorship. They left revenge to 

 the gods themselves, certain that in a short time they would 

 destroy all the archimandrite's reindeer, and merely removed 

 their own place of sacrifice a little farther into the land. 

 There no injudicious religious zeal has since attacked their 

 worship of the " bolvans." 



