PETCHORA 501 



The Zyriani at Ijma employ them as herds for their 

 deer and live in their chooms, and the Kussians at Pusto- 

 zersk also engage their services. 



On the other hand, some Samoyedes live in the Russian 

 houses and adopt the customs of the latter. Some of the 

 Samoyedes themselves are very wealthy, reindeer consti- 

 tuting their wealth. 



Their dogs are very clever in herding or driving their 

 deer. 



When drunk, a Samoyede calling for assistance from 

 his fellows, even when they are quite sober, always 

 receives prompt assistance against strangers. 



Marriage is preceded by betrothal, which lasts a year, 

 during which time the parties live together, and if they 

 are fond of one another they marry for life. Several 

 families often live in one ' choom,' and the marriage tie 

 is not much respected. Some have more wives than one. 



The race is considered as dying out. 



Captain Engel called having returned from Ijma 

 and in the course of conversation we obtained further 

 information about the 



Samoyedes. He laughed heartily at the story about the 

 old men being put to death. It is nonsense, he said, 

 because there are many Samoyedes both blind and 

 decrepit from age. These pay their keep or board 

 in the family to which they belong. 



Regarding the reindeer, he further told us that the 

 bulls are called ' Horra,' the geld-males, ' Buch,' and 

 the cows, * Nashinka.' When gathering the herd 

 together for the purpose of selecting for killing, the dogs 

 are sent out for the herd, which may be two or three 

 versts distant from the 'choom,' and in an hour or so 

 they are brought close up. They are then driven into an 

 enclosure formed by the sledges, which they won't jump 

 over, and surrounded with a rope, and then the lassoing 



