TRAFFIC WITH THE SAMOYEDS, 
85 
IL] 
When the observations were finished I hastened to renew my 
acquaintance with my old friends on the spot. I also endea¬ 
voured to purchase from the Samoyeds dresses and household 
articles; but as I had not then with me goods for barter, and 
ready money appeared to be of small account with them, prices 
were very high ; for instance, for a lady’s beautiful '' pesk,” 
twenty roubles; for a cap with brass ornaments, ten roubles ; 
for a pair of boots of reindeer skin, two roubles ; for copper 
ornaments for hoods, two roubles each; and so on. 
As I knew that the Samoyeds during their wanderings 
always carry idols with them, I asked them whether they could 
SAMOYED IDOLS. 
One-third of natural size. 
not sell me some. All at first answered in the negative. It 
was evident that they were hindered from complying with my 
requests partly by superstition, partly by being a little ashamed, 
before the West European, of the nature of their gods. The 
metallic lustre of some rouble pieces which I had procured in 
Stockholm, however, at last induced an old woman to set aside 
all fears. She went to one of the loaded sledges, which appeared 
to be used as magazines, and searched for a long time till she 
got hold of an old useless skin boot, from which she drew a fine 
skin stocking, out of which at last four idols appeared. After 
