462 
Prof. Milne — Across Europe and Asia. 
river, which were in fact sections of tlie great alluvial plain of tbis 
portion of Siberia. Tbese sections, which are generally made up of 
fine sand, now contained in addition some bands of a bluisb clay. 
Tbis clay, wbicb was very slippery to walk on, and plastic in its 
nature, could be often seen to merge into the sandy beds amongst 
wbicb it was intercalated. 
On tbe 29th I was told tbat we liad entered tbe Obi. For some 
time a dense fog prevented me from seeing wbere we were. One 
tbing was, bowever, certain — tbat we now liad a strong current run- 
ning in a contrary direction to tbat in wbicb we were steaming. 
Wben tbe mist cleared, I saw my seif in a stream about tliree-quarters 
of a mile in breadtli, bounded by banks ten to fourteen feet in height. 
On tbe 30tb we drew up to take in wood near tbe village of Soor- 
goot (or Surgut), tbe position of wbicb was indicated by a cburck 
tower a few miles distant. Here I saw a number of Ostiacks, who 
came witb boat loads of fisli to try and trade. Some of the fish, 
they bad were like small pike, and called “ stchooke ” { Esox lucins). 
These were from three to six lbs. in weight. Others they bad 
were called “nalyrn” ( Lota vulgaris.) 
Tbe Ostiacks, wliom I frequently saw during several succeeding 
days, were sliort in stature, bad large heads, heavy bodies, and 
tbin legs. Their eyes, wbicb point inwards and downwards, are 
not deeply sunk in tbeir beads, but are so placed tbat tbe eye- 
lids run smootkly up to tbe eyebrows, whicli latter are well up 
above tbe eyes themselves. Notwithstanding a general chubbiness 
in tbeir face, tbe cbeek-bones are very prominent. Tbeir liair is 
long and black, and tbeir complexion cbocolate. 
Their canoes or boats, in wbicb they swarmed round our sbip, 
were, from tbeir graceful appearance and ligbtness, very striking. 
They are cut from a solid block of wood, wbicb I think is a kind 
of poplar, tbe Eussian name of wbicb is “ oseena.” Both stem and 
stern are sbarply pointed, and they sweep elegantly from end to 
end. A midsbip section is nearly semicircular, but at either end 
it would be V-sbaped. Tbe sides are kept from sbrinking inwards 
bv means of two or tbree transverse stretchers. One small canoe 
wbicb I measured was ten feet long, one foot nine incbes broad, 
and nine incbes deep in tbe centre. It was so light tbat I could lift 
it and carry it easily witb one band. Tbe paddles look somewhat 
like spades, tbere being at one end a large flat blade, and at tbe 
otber a transverse bandle. Tbese are only used on one side of tbe 
boat. 
Tbe dresses of tbese people, such as they were, were made of 
sheepskin, and of a coarse brown material like sacking. It was, 
bowever, difficult to ascertain tbeir real nature, they were so very 
dirty. At one of our landing places I saw several of tbe bouses 
in wbicb tbese people live. One wbicb I examined was about 
twelve feet square, witb perpendicular walls about tbree feet high. 
From two of tbe side walls tbere was a sloping roof, meeting 
in a ridge running from back to front, making tbe highest point 
in tbe bouse only five feet eigbt incbes in beigbt. The frame- 
