CHOOMS OF THE SAMOYEDES. 



• CHAPTEE VI. 



The Samoyedes — Reindeer — The Tundra — Nomad life — Diseases of reindeer — 

 Samoyede national character — Trip to Umskia — «Bad roads — Birds — Easter Eve 

 — Drunkenness — Snow — Our first bird's-nest — L'autre cote — Birds. 



During this comparatively idle time we picked up what 

 informatioa we could about the Samoyedes. Captain Engel, 

 who was a wild harum-scarum devil-may-care fellow, and had 

 been in most parts of the world, had seen a good deal of 

 the Samoyedes. Some years ago he was wrecked in the 

 lagoon of the Petchora, not far from the island of Varandai, 

 had been hospitably received by these wandering people, had 

 made his way across country to Kuya, and had remained 



