NOMADS 163 



I will describe the details somewhat particularly, and 

 will say once for all in the light of later events that what 

 is true of these Kolguev Samoyeds is true, in my ex- 

 perience, of their race on the mainland at least as far 

 east as the Petchora River. 



A Samoyed has three distinct forms of sleighs, the 

 ' han,' the ' arki-han ' (' arki ' means big), and the ' adliurs.' 



The ' han ' is the ordinary passenger sleigh ; upon it two 

 can ride at a pinch. It has four, occasionally five, sup- 

 ports on either side, set slantingly. The ' arki-han ' is 

 really a baggage sleigh ; it is very stoutly built, and has 

 two supports only on either side, and they are set 

 perpendicularly. The adliurs I have spoken of before ; 

 it has four slanting supports on either side. 



The packing of the sleighs was done with that expedi- 

 tion which one would expect from a nomad people, con- 

 stantly on the move because of their reindeer. Can 

 you imagine what this means — the discomfort, the 

 unrest of it ? They can stay in one spot only just so 

 long as the deer find plenty to eat. But a large herd of 

 deer soon clear a district, and every day they feed farther 

 and farther from home, and it becomes more difficult to 

 bring them in. So after a day or two there is nothing 

 for it but to pack up all your belongings, and move away 

 to new pastures. 



Small wonder, then, that these people were good 

 packers. They were. Everything fell into its place as 

 if by magic. 



