174 THE POLAR WORLD. 



absurd fanatics fancied themselves better than the rest of mankind, because they 

 made tlie sign of the cross with tlie thumb and the two U^st fingers, and stood 

 for liours togctlier before an image m stupid contemplation. Our homeless 

 traveller soon becanie the object of their persecutions; they called him " wiz- 

 ard," " a i)oisoner of rivers and wells," and insulted him during his walks. At 

 lengtli they even attempted to take his life, so that he thought best to retreat 

 to Ishemsk, on the Ishma, a hundred versts farther to the south. But, unfor- 

 tunately, his l)ad reputation had preceded him, and although the Isprawnik 

 (or parish ofiicial) and his wife warmly took his part, the people continued to 

 regard lam with susjjicion. 



Towards the end of June Castren ascended the Petschora and its chief trib- 

 utary, the Uusa, as far as the village of Kolwa, where he spent the remainder of 

 the summer, dee})ly buried as usual in Samoiede studies. Beyond Kohva, which 

 he left on September 16 for Obdorsk, there is not a shigle settlement along the 

 Uusa and its tributaries. 



As he ascended the river, the meadows on its low banks appeared colored 

 with the gray tints of autumn. Sometimes a wild animal started from its lair, 

 but no vestige of man Avas to be seen. Countless fl.ocks of wild ducks and 

 geese passed over the traveller's head, on their way southward. 



After many a tedious delay, caused by storms and contrary Avinds, Castreu 

 reached (on Se])tember 27) a Avretched hut, about forty versts from the Ural, 

 where he was obliged to Avait a Avhole month, Avith fourteen other persons, 

 until the snow-track over the mountains became practicable for sledges. 



The total Avant of every comfort, the bad company, the perpetual rain, and 

 the dreary aspect of the country, made his prolonged stay in this miserable ten- 

 ement almost unbearable. At length, on October 25, he was able to depart, and 

 on Xovember 3 he saw the Ural Mountains raising their snow-capped summits 

 to the skies. " The Aveather is mild," said his Samoiede driver, " and thou art 

 fortunate, but the Ural can be very different." He then described the dreadful 

 stoi-ms that rage over the boundary-chain Avhich separates Europe from Asia, 

 and liow they precipitate stones and rocks from the mountain-tops. 



This time the dreaded pass Avas crossed in safety, and on November 9, 1843, 

 Castren arrived at Obdorsk, on the Obi, exhausted in strength and shattered in 

 health, but yet dehghted to find himself in Asia, the land of his early dreams. 

 Obdorsk — the most northerly colony in Western Siberia, and, as may easily 

 be imagined, utterly deficient in all that can be interesting to an ordinary 

 traveller — Avas as much as a university to the zealous student, for several 

 thousands of Saraoiedes and Ostiaks congregate to its fair from hundreds of 



CD O 



versts around. 



No better place could pos'^ibly bo found for the prosecution of his research- 

 es ; but the deplorable condition of his health did not allow him to remain as 

 long as he Avould have desired at this fountain-head of knowledge. He Avas thus 

 obliged to leave for Tobolsk, and to return in March, 1844, by the shortest road 

 to Finland. 



In the following summer (1845) aa'c again find him on the banks of the 

 Irtysch and the Obi, plunged in Ostiak studies with renewed energy and enthu- 



