56 SIBERIA IN EUROPE. CHAP. vi. 



be driven frantic by the mosquitoes which swarm in the more 

 southerly regions. In summer the Samoyedes occupy their 

 spare time in shooting ducks and geese, making their clothes, 

 reindeer harness, &c., and in winter they come down to the 

 towns and villages Kuya, Pustozersk, Ust-Zylma, Mezen, 

 Pinega, &c., and barter their surplus reindeer, skins, horns, 

 feathers, &c., with the Bussian merchants for bread, vodka 

 and other articles. Those that come down to the more 

 southerly towns have learnt the value of money, and prefer 

 to sell rather than barter. They used to be very clever with 

 the bow and arrow, but now they all use old-fashioned small- 

 bore flint-lock rifles. Some of the Samoyedes are very rich. 

 A reindeer is worth about seven or eight roubles, or an 

 English sovereign. Some of the Samoyedes are said to 

 possess as many as 10,000 reindeer. Of late years the rein- 

 deer have suffered much from disease. Captain Engel was 

 of opinion that this disease was allied to cholera. The 

 animals turn dizzy, and run round and round like sheep 

 attacked by " sturdy." The reindeer also suffer much from 

 a hideous parasite. One day as we were passing a herd of 

 them in the streets of Ust-Zylma, Engel took hold of one 

 of the animals, and groping among the long hair on the 

 small of the back, he presently squeezed out of the flesh one 

 of these disgusting creatures. In a short time he produced 

 a dozen of them. They varied in size from half an inch to 

 an inch in length, the diameter being from half to a third of 

 the length. The surface was covered with rudimentary scales. 

 The lower part of the body was tapered, and the head 

 rounded with two indistinct jaws. We did not notice even 



