158 
OSTIACKS. 
proaches. The mourning’, which is worn here, is a head-dress of 
feathers, the colour of which is consecrated to Death, and a veil over 
the face. The whole nation is said to appear thus on the death of 
their king. The mourning for fathers is very long. The women 
mourn for their husbands, but not the husband for their wives. 
Of late years, since their more frequent intercourse with Europeans, 
the manners and customs of these islanders have undergone a con- 
siderable change. The introduction of Christianity among them has 
also wrought an essential change in their character. The preceding 
accounts must therefore be understood to refer to the Otaheiteans as 
they appeared when Captain Cook first visited their shores. 
OSTIACKS. 
These are a people of Asia, in Siberia. They live upon the banks 
of the Oby and Jenisay, and some other rivers which fail into these. 
They are poor and very lazy, and in summer live mostly upon fish. 
They are of a middle size, with broad faces and noses, and yellowish or 
red hair. All their garments, from top to toe, are made of fish skins, 
for they have neither linen nor woollen, and indeed they might 
almost as well go naked. Their greatest diversion is hunting, and 
they go together in crowds, with a weapon, like a large knife, fastened 
in a stick. In summer they take and dry the fish which serve them 
in winter ; ,and when this season begins, they go into the woods with 
their bows and arrows, their dogs and nets, to kill sables, ermine, 
bears, reindeer, eliis, martens, and foxes. Part of the furs of these 
is paid as a tax to the emperor of Russia, and the rest sold at a 
stated price to the Russian governors, but sometimes they are 
allowed to dispose of them to private persons. They chiefly live, 
through the year, upon venison, wild fowds, fish, and roots ; for they 
have neither rice nor bread. They drink for the most part water, 
and it is said they can very well relish a draught of train oil. They 
are immoderately fond of tobacco, and of swallowing the smoke, 
which intoxicates them. 
. In winter they build their huts in woods and forests, where they 
find the greatest plenty of game, and dig deep in the earth to secure 
themselves from cold, laying a roof of bark or rushes over their huts, 
which are soon covered with snow. In summer they build above 
ground, on the banks of the rivers, to enjoy the convenience of fish- 
ing, and make no difficulty of forsaking their habitations. 
They have a sort of princes among them, in one of whose houses 
some European travellers found four wives. One of these had a 
red cloth coat on, and was set off with all sorts of beads. They may 
have as many wives as they please, and make no scruple of marrying 
their nearest relations. They purchase a wife of her relations for 
three or four reindeer, returning her again if they do not like her, ' 
only losing what they gave for the purchase. Upon the birth of their 
children, some give them the name of the first thing they happen to 
see afterwards ; others call their children according to the order of 
their birth, as First, Second, Third, &c. 
