THE TONGOUSE AND THEIR REINDEER-BUCKS. 
ill 
six liundred miles ; then take a l)oat for several hundred 
more ; then leave the river and travel several hundred 
farther in light wagons or on horseback ; you cross many 
rivers and mountains, follow the windings of numerous 
valleys, and see a splendid country and many singular 
people, during this part of the trip. Then you begin to 
arrive at a more cultivated region and to see signs of 
civilization, and in a week or so more you are at St. Pe- 
tersburg. You see this tobacco, that champagne, that 
loaf-sugar, that tea, that caviare ? — they all came over that 
long road, sewed up in raw hide, and always arrive in 
the good condition you see these in.” 
What a fine trip it would be if we could only run the 
^old John' on a safe rock, step quietly on shore, and go 
home by St. Petersburg !” exclaimed one of our party: 
“she couldn’t drown us ihen ^ — confound her !” 
Here our host was called out to see another arrival, and 
the next moment we heard his large voice calling for all 
who wanted to see how the Tongouse travelled on rein- 
deer to come down. A general rusli was now made for 
the door, where the new arrivals — in the shape of two 
Tongouse Indians — were leaning against their clean- 
limhed reindeer-bucks, whose hranching antlers seemed 
in themselves heavy enongli to bear down the elevated 
heads and arched necks of their fleet-looking owners. 
They had travelled seventy miles that day and yet looked 
fresh and lively. The saddles were girthed well upon 
the forc-shouldei’s, — almost on the neck, — and a single 
thong of hide served as a bridle. One of our party tried 
to mount, as any one would mount a horse; but the 
animal bent to the ground and hecaine restive under the 
