TO THE HOLY HILLS 327 



and a half pounds. Marrk said it was very big for that 

 lake. I was much struck by a curious adaptation of the 

 upper lip. This is modified into a horny-looking beak, 

 which appears to be extensible, and is evidently designed 

 for rooting among the stones. It had several pebbles in 

 its gullet, two of them larger than hazel-nuts. 



So, winding round the lake, we took again to the 

 mountains, crossed the Gobista twice, and headed for 

 Siecherhur, one of the four sacred spots on Kolguev. 

 The others are Bolvana mountain, the Pesanka moun- 

 tains, and Pesanka lake. 



This mountain, the highest in Kolguev, is a conical 

 hill, situate some 150 feet above the sea, and rising sud- 

 denly to about 100 feet. Its sides are steep and sloping, 

 and it is formed as regularly as an ancient camp. On 

 the top are two very old wooden bolvans, 1 too large to 

 carry away, and many remains of reindeer. 



You heard in the saga how the dying man bids his 

 son carry the little sleigh and the spoon to the Holy Hill, 

 where is the sacrificial place of Num. I believe that this 

 Num is the ancient god of all the circumpolar races ; that 

 he is common to the Eskimo, the Chuckches, the Ostiaks, 

 and the Samoyeds. Originally, 2 when a Samoyed died, 

 he was laid out straight on the tundra, and some of his 



1 Bolvans are wooden images of the god Num. A face is carved on a bit of wood, 

 and cuts representing ribs are made in the side. This is all. The Samoyed name 

 for a bolvan is ' shyadey.' 



2 So Uano told me when explaining the saga, and the traders afterwards confirmed 

 the statement. 



