THE OSTIAKS. 



189 



who bitterly complained that he had but few opportunities of showing his skill 

 in a town where people lived d la Ostiak. In fact, most of the Russian in- 

 habitants of the place have in so far adopted the Ostiak mode of life, as to 

 deem the cooking of their victuals superfluous. When Castren, on his arrival 

 at Obdorsk, paid a visit to a Tobolsk merchant, who had been for some time 

 settled in the place, he found the whole family lying on the floor, regaling on 

 raw fish, and the most civilized person he met with told him that he had tasted 

 neither boiled nor roast flesh or fish for half a year. Yet fine shawls and 

 dresses, and now no doubt the crinoline and the chignon, are found amidst all 

 this barbarism. Edifices with the least pretensions to architectural beauty it 

 would of course be vain to look for in Obdorsk. The houses of the better sort 

 of Russian settlers are two-storied, or consisting of a ground-floor and garrets ; 

 but as they are built of wood, and are by no means wind-tight, the half-fam- 

 ished Ostiaks, who have settled in the town, are probably more comfortably 

 housed in their low turf-huts than the prosperous Russian inhabitants of 

 the place. The latter make it their chief occupation to cheat the Ostiaks in 

 every possible way ; some of them, however, add to this profitable, if not 

 praiseworthy occupation, the keeping of reindeer herds, or even of cows and 

 sheep. 



The fair lasts from the beginning of winter to February, and during this 

 time the Ostiaks who assemble at Obdorsk pitch their oark-tents about the 

 town. With their arrival a new life begins to stir in the wretched place. 

 Groups of the wild sons and daughters of the tundra, clothed in heavy skins, 

 make their appearance, and stroll slowly through the streets, admiring the high 

 wooden houses, which to them seem palaces. But nothing is to be seen of the 

 animation and activity which usually characterize a fair. Concealing some cost- 

 ly fur under his wide skin mantle, the savage pays his cautious visit to the trad- 

 er, and makes his bargain amidst copious libations of brandy. He is well aware 

 that this underhand way of dealing is detrimental to his interests ; that his tim- 

 orous disposition shrinks from public sales, and frequently he is not even in the 

 situation to profit by competition ; for among the thousands that flock to the 

 fair, there are but very few who do not owe to the traders of Obdorsk much 

 more than they possess, or can ever hope to repay. Woe to the poor Ostiak 

 whose creditor should find him dealing with some other trader ! — for the seizure 

 of all his movable property, of his tent and household utensils, would be the 

 least punishment which the wretch turned adrift into the naked desert would 

 have to expect. The fair is not opened before Government has received the 

 furs which are due to it, or at least a guarantee for the amount from the mer- 

 chants of the place. Then the magazines of the traders gradually fill with furs 

 — with clothes of reindeer skin ready made, with feathers, reindeer flesh, frozen 

 sturgeon, mammoth tusks, etc. For these goods the Ostiaks receive flour, 

 baked bread, tobacco, pots, kettles, knives, needles, brass buttons and rings, glass 

 pearls, and other trifling articles. An open trade in spirits is not allowed ; but 

 brandy maybe sold as a medicine, and thus many an Ostiak takes advantage of 

 the fair for undergoing a cure the reverse of that which is recommended by hy- 

 dropathic doctors. 



