CHAP. vii. INSIDE THE CHOOMS. 73 



in the kettle, and sundry other articles. Exactly opposite 

 the door there hung one of the Onega bronze bas-reliefs of 

 saints or Virgins, framed in a rudely carved piece of wood, 

 shaped somewhat like a cross. 



After purchasing some reindeer harness, we were invited 

 to drink a cup of tea, and to eat a kind of spiral biscuit. 

 Our hostess had just been sewing ; a steel needle, a tailor's 

 thimble, and thread of reindeer sinew, lay in a corner of the 

 tent. The smoke annoyed us when we stood up, but we did 

 not feel it much when seated. The Samoyedes sat cross- 

 legged on the ground ; and tea was served on a little table, 

 just large enough to hold half-a-dozen cups, and whose legs 

 were not more than six inches high. As usual, we found our 

 hosts very ready to give us any information we asked them. 



The Samoyedes never seemed annoyed at our taking notes 

 among them ; they struck us as a good-tempered, somewhat 

 phlegmatic race. They carried old-fashioned Kussian flint- 

 lock rifles, but we could not rouse their interest in our 

 breech-loaders ; they do not appear to work much in metals. 

 They always carry a knife, no doubt of Eussian make, but 

 they are very ingenious in making handles, and in orna- 

 menting them. Patterns of various kinds of elaboration 

 are carved upon them, and the patterns filled up with 

 melted tin. They use a small saw; a rude form of brace 

 and bit, and also the indispensable axe. 



Like the Kussians, the Samoyedes have beautiful white 

 and regular teeth. They are very fond of chewing the resin 

 which they get from the Scotch fir, which doubtless assists 

 in keeping the teeth clean. 



