/if) m ACCOUNT OF THK WILD THIBKS 



trees » where the brandies iiiiite willi ihv 

 hunk; and our foof! consists of tfie tender 

 shoots nl" ihp (Vagrant. Jeuialong, and the 

 delicate lles[i of the boundinfj deei\i> 



Tlit^Jakuns are entirely ignorant of the 

 first principles o I mathematics, nor do the\ 

 know tiie simplest rules orarilhmetic. The 

 mathematical instrument vvliicli probably 

 gave origin to ttn» decimal calcnialion, the 

 natural indigitation, is adopted by them in 

 ordinary use. 



POrULATlOS AND PLACES OF llABlTATlOiS, 



All those persons who have spoken to 

 me of the population of the Jakuns were 

 much mistaken. The desire of finding ex- 

 traordinary things, and the natural pro- 

 pensity to fancy the marvellous, which are 

 found in every nation, and chietly amongst 

 the ignorant, are in their apogee in the 

 imagination of Indian nation?, who, gene- 

 r-ally sjieakint;. i\rv very uninformed, and 



