232 SIBERIA 



The race came originally froiti Tibet, and is for the 

 most part nomadic in its habits. 



The Kalmucks have no religious marriage cere- 

 mony, but the customs connected with that event are 

 very picturesque. They indulge in a feast, killing 

 what they have previously captured for the occasion, 

 which is usually a wild sheep, but if no sheep is avail- 

 able they kill and eat a horse. The father and 

 mbther of the bride build the couple a fairly 

 commodious bark hut. This has two large doors, to 

 enable the wedding guests to ride through on horse- 

 back. The bride and bridegroom stand inside and 

 wait for them', and a:ll they can pull off the back of 

 the horse or the person of the rider becomes their 

 property. The guests arrive with the wedding 

 presents hung about them. These may be spoons, 

 pails, or any other articles of domestic use. It is 

 needless to say that the list of presents is not quite 

 so elaborate or iiiiposing as that which figures at 

 some of our fashionable weddings, nor is it found 

 necessary to enlist the services of detectives for their 

 protection. The bride and bridegroom, however, 

 probably value theW none the less highly for that. 



The Kalnluck is allowed three wives, but the 

 baptized Kalmuck (the outward and visible sign of 

 whose conversion is the negative one of an absent 

 pigtail) only has one wife, like the other orthodox 

 Siberians. In appearance the Kalmuck is short and 

 wiry, with a dark, copper-coloured skin and dark 

 hair. He usually wears a small skull-cap, which 

 suits him" very well. The Kalmucks are fairly 

 intelligent and command respect. 



The habits of the Kalmucks in the extreme south 

 of Siberia resemble those of other Mongolian races. 

 As a rule, their diet consists almost entirely of flesh- 

 ffieat and dairy produce, as there is not a single 

 square inch of land under cultivation in the whole 



