516 TRAVELS OF A NATURALIST 



eating and drinking in the same way, no doubt, that other 

 savages do (at home and abroad), save that knives and 

 forks and possibly cooked viands are less abundant ! 



At night the choom is vacated by all but the young 

 couple, and an old man, or kind of magician (shaman), 

 comes in, and the young man asks if his intended is a 

 virgin or not. If she is, the shaman begins beating on a 

 drum. If he says she is not, and the young man believes 

 him, he has the option of refusing to take her altogether, 

 or he and she may be betrothed for a year. If at the end 

 of that time he is fond of her and she of him, they are 

 permanently united, bat in any case if children are born 

 during the year he is bound to provide for them. He 

 gives her the skin of a black fox. The father gives him 

 up to twenty or thirty reindeer and a choom and all that 

 belongs to it, and he gives the. father a sum of money. 

 The richer Samoyedes give as high as two hundred 

 roubles for their wives. 



Samoyede Funeral Ceremony. When a Samoyede dies 

 he is laid flat on the ground or snow, according to the 

 season of the year, on his back with his best clothes, 

 malitza and rhubaka, etc., on. The best 'buck' in his 

 flock is killed and laid beside him, and the ' tuer,' or 

 pole for driving the reindeer, and all the reindeer 

 harness and his gun, if he possessed one, and his various 

 belongings. 



His people wail and cry and mourn, and then raise the 

 camp and go away, and never again pitch their choom in 

 the same place nor go near it. 



The dead are respected by the other Samoyedes, and 

 the bodies are never touched by them, but they are left 

 to the mercy of the birds and beasts of prey. The 

 people believe that if his property is not placed beside 

 him his spirit will afterwards go about in search for 

 them. 



