80 THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA, [chap. 



Hakluyt (1st edition, page 318). In the narrative of the 

 voyage of the Searchthrift we read : — 



"On Saturday the 1st August 155G I went ashore,^ and there 

 saw three morses that they (Russian hunters) had killed : they 

 held one tooth of a morse, which was not great, at a roble, and 

 one white beare skin at three robles and two robles : they 

 further told me, that there were people called Samoeds on the 

 great Island, and that they would not abide them nor us, who 

 have no houses, but only coverings made of Deerskins, set ouer 

 them with stakes : they are men expert in shooting, and have 

 great plenty of Deere. On Monday the 3rd we weyed and 

 went roome with another Island, which was five leagues (15') 

 East-north-east from us : and there I met againe with Loshak,- 

 and went on shore with him, and he brought me to a heap of 

 Samoeds idols, which were in number above 300, the worst 

 and the most unartificiall worke that ever I saw : the eyes and 

 mouthes of sundrie of them were bloodie, they had the shape 

 of men, women, and children, very grosly wrought, and that 

 which they had made tor other parts, was also sprinkled with 

 blood. Some of their idols were an olde sticke with two or 

 three notches, made with a knife in it. There was one 

 of their sleds broken and lay by the heape of idols, and 

 there I saw a deers skinne which the foules had spoyled : and 

 before certaine of their idols blocks were made as high as their 

 mouthes, being all bloody, I thought that to be the table 

 whereon they offered their sacrifice : I saw also the instruments 

 whereupon they had roasted flesh, and as farre as I could 

 perceiue, they make the fire directly under the spit. Their 

 boates are made of Deers skins, and when they come on shoare 

 they cary their boates with them upon their backs : for their 

 cariages they haue no other beastes to serve them but Deere 

 only. As for bread and come they have none, except the Russes 

 bring it to them : their knowledge is very base for they know 

 no letter." 



Giles Fletcher, who in 1588 was Queen Elizabeth's 

 ambassador to the Czar, writes in his account of Russia of the 

 Samoyeds in the following way : — ^ 



" The Samoyt hath his name (as the Russc saith) of eating 

 himselfe : as if in times past they lived as the Cannibals, eating 



^ Probably on one of the small islands near Vaygats. 



2 A Russian hunter who had been serviceable to Stephen Burrongh in 

 many wnys. 



3 Treatise of Russia and the adjo'ming liegions^ written by Doctor 

 Giles Fletcher, Lord Ambassador from the late Queen, Everglorious 

 Elizabeth, to Theodore, then Emperor of Russia. A.D. 1588. Purchas, 

 iii. p. 413. 



