NATURE 
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1896. 
THE YAKOUTI. 
Description of the Ethnographical Researches of V. A. 
Sierocheusky. Published by the Imperial Geographical 
Society of Russia, and edited by Prof. N. E. Vesilofsky. 
Vol. i. pp. 720, with 168 sketches, portraits, and a map. 
(Dedicated to the memory of A. F. Middendorf). 
HE district occupied by the tribes with which this 
volume deals, is of vast extent, embracing almost 
the whole north-eastern corner of Siberia, and having a 
superficial area of over 2,000,000 square miles, with a 
seaboard to the Arctic Ocean of about 3000 versts, 
extending from west to east, the depth from north to 
south being half that amount. 
If a semicircle with a radius of about 1300 miles be 
drawn from a point where the most western arm of the 
Lena enters the Arctic Ocean, this region virtually 
“embraces the whole country inhabited by the Yakouti. 
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The periphery of this semicircle consists of mountains 
varying in height from 1200 to 4000 feet, which throw 
off very numerous outliers into the interior table- 
land, giving to the scenery a romantic and picturesque 
character. 
The interior is watered by a large number of rivers, 
many of them of considerable volume with swift currents ; 
of these the northern flow into the Arctic Ocean, and the 
southern into the Lena, which has over a thousand tribu- 
taries. This river and the Aldana are the two most 
important ; the latter having a length of over 2000 versts. 
The author had special opportunities of studying this 
interesting region, for not only after the date of his 
arrival, in 1880, did he traverse it in various directions, 
but from 1887-1892 he occupied himself with farming, 
making at the same time a close study of the language, 
manners, and customs of the inhabitants. 
As a result, we have presented to us a volume dealing 
comprehensively with the history, geography, physical 
conditions, and ethnography of the country, and giving 
evidence of that painstaking and minute research so often 
characteristic of both Russian and German writers. 
How sparsely this immense region is inhabited may 
be inferred from the fact that the native population does 
not exceed 200,000, about equally divided between the 
two sexes, and it mostly congregates along the banks 
of the rivers on the southern plateau between the Lena 
and the Aldana, the vast interior being virtually a ¢erva 
incognita. 
The author is inclined to the opinion that the Yakouti 
are not of Mongolian, but of Turko-Tartar origin, and in 
“support of this view, which is that of the people them- 
selves, recites numerous legends and traditions, consider- 
ing it a not unimportant corroboration, that within six 
months from their arrival Tartars are able to understand 
the language, which for Russians requires years of 
residence to learn. 
The Yakouti are in a high degree a mixed race, owing 
to intermarriage with the Tungoose and Russian ; are 
_short of stature, their average height being 5 ft. 3 in. 
“as against 5 ft. 7 in. for the Russian ; are generally dark, 
having brilliant black eyes set Geen in narrow orbits ; 
NO. 1414, VOL. 55] 
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thus, although they have something in common with the 
Mongol, yet the author considers them to bear a much 
closer resemblance to the Red Indian of America. 
Their religion is nominally that of the orthodox Greek 
church ; but they are intensely superstitious, having a 
profound faith in good and evil spirits, and considering 
their sick to be possessed ; they also practise exorcism, 
and believe in the efficacy of amulets and charms. 
Their system of government is primitive and patriarchal, 
the elders exercising unlimited control over all tribal 
or family disputes. Owing to their clannishness it is 
almost impossible for a stranger to obtain redress, and 
the writer affirms that were the jury system to be intro- 
duced, no Yakouti jury would ever condemn a fellow 
countryman. Blood feud is, however, recognised to the 
ninth generation, but the feud can be ended for a con- 
sideration in money or goods. 
Their language is, according to Bolling and Vambéry, 
an independent branch of the Turko-Tartar group, 
having at most ten to twelve thousand words. Inflections, 
however, are very numerous, and these are only to be 
learned from a residence amongst them ; but, the author 
adds, to perfectly understand it, one must be a Yakout. 
As may readily be believed, the climate in these high 
latitudes is extremely cold, and the number of days 
that at Yakutsk are free from frost during the year, do not 
exceed ninety-nine, yet during this brief period cereals 
grow and ripen, giving favourable returns; Kuban, a 
hard wheat, ripening in eighty days; other wheats in 
seventy-seven days ; rye, barley, and oats in seventy- 
one days. Of these they cultivate sufficient for their 
requirements and to interchange for manufactured 
products. 
Commencing towards the middle of September, frost 
continues to the middle of May, and before October 15 the 
whole region is covered with a solid mantle of snow and 
ice, which never melts until, under the influence of south- 
west and westerly winds, the thaw sets in at the end 
of April. The temperature throughout the winter varies 
but little, being from — 48° Celsius to — 67°; and it is 
remarkable that the cold is more intense in the southern 
than in the northern zone. The climate is exceedingly 
dry and exhilarating ; day and night temperatures are 
identical, and there is not sufficient wind to winnow 
corn or moye a branch. Throughout these months 
nature is in her deepest sleep. The sole evidence of 
faunal life is that of an occasional fox or hare ; but no 
birds wing their flight, and desolation reigns supreme. 
Indeed, nowhere else in the world does winter reign 
under such calm, undisturbed conditions. 
With the approach of spring the weather becomes 
disturbed, and under the influence of the south-south- 
west and westerly winds, as if under the power of a 
magician’s wand, summer bursts upon the land. In the 
figurative language of the natives, “ Winter is a white ox 
with two horns, one of which is broken on the first 
Athanasius (March 5), the second on the second 
Athanasius (April 24), and on the third Athanasius 
(May 14) the whole body disappears.” 
The summers are very hot, so that the variations are 
extreme. At Yakutsk the mean winter temperature is 
—54°5, the summer .+ 22 at Verchoiansk, —58 and 
+28°2. 
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