130 FARTHEST NORTH 



ally to the new one too ; as far as I could make out, so as 

 not to offend the priest and Sibiriakoff — or perhaps to 

 be surer of heaven ? From what I got out of Tront- 

 heim on the subject, the chief difference between the two 

 religions lies in the way they make the sign of the cross, 

 or something of that sort. To-day was high festival in 

 both churches. All the Samoyedes first paid a short 

 visit to the new church and then immediately streamed 

 over into the old one. The old church was for the 

 moment without a priest, but to-day they had clubbed 

 together and offered the priest of the new church two 

 roubles to hold a service in the old one too. After care- 

 ful consideration, he agreed, and in all his priestly pomp 

 crossed the old threshold. The air inside was so bad 

 that I could not stand it for more than two minutes, so 

 I now made my \vay on board again. 



During the afternoon the howling and screaming be- 

 san, and increased as time went on. We did not need 

 to be told that the serious part of the festival had now 

 begun. Some of the Samoyedes tore about over the 

 plain with their reindeer teams like furious animals. 

 They could not sit on their sledges, but lay on them, or 

 were dragged behind them, howling. Some of my com- 

 rades went on shore, and brought back anything but an 

 edifying account of the state of things. Every single 

 man and woman appeared to be drunk, reeling about the 

 place. One young Samoyede in particular had made an 

 ineffaceable impression on them. He mounted a sledge, 



