108 A SUMMER ON THE YENESEI 



live round the settlements have undergone baptism, 

 some of them several times over, in order to gain the 

 bonus that the Government pays at each christening. 

 A few years ago a couple of Samoyedes came to Golchika 

 from the tundra, and asked the pope to marry them, 

 and baptize their children. This was done, Michael 

 Petrovitch standing sponsor, and they received the 

 gratuity. The following year, the same people appeared 

 again. AntonofF was away from home, but they saw 

 Prokopchuk, and went through the ceremony over again, 

 and received new Russian names. On the third year 

 they tried the trick once more, but unfortunately for 

 themselves, they were recognised, and the fraud was 

 discovered. But what else can be expected from a 

 people who, although technically baptized Christians, 

 yet have no instruction whatever in Christian doctrines, 

 and who say openly that they prefer the Russian god 

 to their own because He demands no sacrifice and 

 therefore His is a chea2? religion. A sickness or mis- 

 fortune drives them back to the gods of their fathers ; 

 and several times when there was illness in the chooms, 

 we heard the dull rumble of drums which showed that 

 the Shammaness or priestess was conducting the ancient 

 rites for the exorcism of the evil spirit. 



Sylkin was wont to relate a naive tale which throws 

 some light on his attitude to his accredited religion. 

 One of his sons was taken dangerously ill. There 

 happened to be a doctor staying in Golchika at the time, 

 and he visited the child. Medicine was prescribed 

 ("Only such a little drop of medicine in much water, 

 and he so ill ! "). Sylkin waited for a week, and still the 



