80 REPORT— 1853. 



north-east portion of Australia is now looked at with great interest as a site for 

 colonization. It may be predicted that a similar climate will be found there ; the 

 ocean, being abnormally warmer than the land, will favour the growth of cotton, as 

 it does on the east coast of the United States. 



Manners and Customs of the Yacoutes. By Prince Ern. Galitzin, Cor- 

 responding Member of the Royal Geographical Society of London. TranS' 

 lated and communicated by Dr. Norton Shaw. 



The Yacoutes among themselves are known by the name of Sokha. It is be- 

 lieved that they are of Tartar origin, which fact is confirmed by the similarity of 

 the tongues, as well as by a great number of usages common both to the Yacoutes 

 and to the Tartars. They live partly in that region of Siberia, the centre of which 

 is the town of Yacoutsk ; and partly also in the different districts of the Yeniseisk's 

 government. Their stature is middling, their complexion swarthy, and their hair 

 black. 



As wealth among the Yacoutes consists in numerous flocks, from this circum- 

 stance it follows that they take care to live dispersed in small groups of two or 

 three yourtes, so as to have at hand sufficient pasturages. A certain number of 

 these little villages form a notchlegh, administered by a kniazetz or small prince. 

 Several notchleghi compose an oulouse, which is governed by a golova : these different 

 functions are elective. The inhabitants of a notchlegh call themselves tjonobout, or 

 of the same kind. When they make an election, each elector deposits his vote in a 

 box divided in as many compartments as there are candidates ; then the votes are 

 counted, and the candidate who has obtained the largest number is proclaimed. 

 Besides, it is always in the power of the governed to depose the chief with whom 

 they are dissatisfied, in order to proceed to a new election. The district of Yakoutsk 

 contains six ouloiises, with a population of about 40,000 ; there are besides, about 

 30,000 yacoutes settled in the government of Yeniseisk and in other parts of Siberia. 



Their little boats made with the birch-tree's bark, called vefotchki, are constructed 

 with much skill ; the seams, after having been laid on with tar, become waterproof. 

 Besides this, they make use of a kind of canoe, made with the trunk of a tree. la 

 the building of it they begin by making on one side of the trunk a longitudinal cleft, 

 which does not quite extend itself to the extremities ; this cleft is next widened gra- 

 dually by means of wedges larger and larger, so as to make a sloping opening, 

 which, when wide enough, forms the interior of the small craft. In order to render 

 it more spacious, sometimes they add side-planks at the upper part. 



The winter's yourtes of the Yacoutes have the form of truncated pyramids. They 

 are square. To construct them, they make use of poles fixed in the ground in an 

 inclined position, and they spread on them a mixture of dung and soil. The roof is 

 flat and made with planks of birch-tree's bark, which possesses the property of being 

 almost inaccessible to rottenness. Seldom any floor is to be found. The hearth or 

 tchouval occupies the centre ; above there is a chimney made with planking laid on 

 with clay. This dwelling, however light be its construction, is sufficiently warm to 

 be able to live in it in the winter season ; besides, it offers the advantage of being 

 constantly ventilated by means of the hearth, which being always lighted, purifies 

 the air. During the summer months, the Yacoutes construct for their use teraporaiy 

 yourtes without hearth in the localities to which they remove in the hay-harvest 

 season. There is a Yacoute among the wealthy of the country who possesses as 

 many as 1000 horses. However, being impossible to gather a sufficient quantity of 

 hay for feeding all of them, the owner feeds only a certain number of them ; the 

 others wander about and get grass and moss by removing the snow with their fore- 

 hoofs. 



The tail forms an indispensable part of the costume of the Yacoutes ; both men 

 and women wear it so long, that in order to support it they tie it behind round the 

 waist. The summer costume of the men consists of a kaftan (a Turkish vest) de- 

 scending to the knees, made with China tissue or with cloth, lined all round with 

 some stuff of a showy colour. For their feet they have boots with a soft sole. The 

 Sarama is a kind of buskin made with horse-hide which is waterproof. Trowsers 

 of reindeer-skin, a cap and gloves which have only the thumb, complete their gar- 

 ment. This costume is common to both sexes. In winter, for the simple kaftan. 



